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Palaeomagnetic configuration of continents during the Proterozoic

Pesonen, LJ ; Elming, SA ; Mertanen, S ; Pisarevsky, S ; D'Agrella, MS ; Meert, JG ; Schmidt, PW ; Abrahamsen, N and Bylund, Göran LU (2003) In Tectonophysics 375(1-4). p.289-324
Abstract
Palaeomagnetic data are used to study the configurations of continents during the Proterozoic. Applying stringent reliability criteria, the positions of the continents at 12 times in the 2.45- to 1.00-Ga period have been constructed. The continents lie predominantly in low to intermediate latitudes. The sedimentological indicators of palaeoclimate are generally consistent with the palaeomagnetic latitudes, with the exception of the Early Proterozoic, when low latitude glaciations took place on several continents. The Proterozoic continental configurations are generally in agreement with current geological models of the evolution of the continents. The data suggest that three large continental landmasses existed during the Proterozoic. The... (More)
Palaeomagnetic data are used to study the configurations of continents during the Proterozoic. Applying stringent reliability criteria, the positions of the continents at 12 times in the 2.45- to 1.00-Ga period have been constructed. The continents lie predominantly in low to intermediate latitudes. The sedimentological indicators of palaeoclimate are generally consistent with the palaeomagnetic latitudes, with the exception of the Early Proterozoic, when low latitude glaciations took place on several continents. The Proterozoic continental configurations are generally in agreement with current geological models of the evolution of the continents. The data suggest that three large continental landmasses existed during the Proterozoic. The oldest one is the Neoarchaean Kenorland, which comprised at least Laurentia, Baltica, Australia and the Kalahari craton. The protracted breakup of Kenorland during the 2.45- to 2.10-Ga interval is manifested by mafic dykes and sedimentary rift-basins on many continents. The second 'supercontinental' landmass is Hudsonland (also known as Columbia). On the basis of purely palaeomagnetic data, this supercontinent consisted of Laurentia, Baltica, Ukraine, Amazonia and Australia and perhaps also Siberia, North China and Kalahari. Hudsonland existed from 1.83 to ca. 1.50-1.25 Ga. The youngest assembly is the Neoproterozoic supercontinent of Rodinia, which was formed by continent-continent collisions during similar to 1.10-1.00 Ga and which involved most of the continents. A new model for its assembly and configuration is presented, which suggests that multiple Grenvillian age collisions took place during 1.10-1.00 Ga. The configurations of Kenorland, Hudsonland and Rodinia depart from each other and also from the Pangaea assembly. The tectonic styles of their amalgamation are also different reflecting probable changes in sizes and thicknesses of the cratonic blocks as well as changes in the thermal conditions of the mantle through time. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
palaeolatitude, Rodinia, Columbia, Hudsonland, Kenorland, mantle plume, supercontinent, palaeomagnetism, Proterozoic, accretion, malic dykes, palaeogeography
in
Tectonophysics
volume
375
issue
1-4
pages
289 - 324
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000186806300016
  • scopus:0242709012
ISSN
0040-1951
DOI
10.1016/S0040-1951(03)00343-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
084138c0-72d2-4dbe-a581-065b64496843 (old id 294028)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:05:35
date last changed
2022-04-07 02:54:51
@article{084138c0-72d2-4dbe-a581-065b64496843,
  abstract     = {{Palaeomagnetic data are used to study the configurations of continents during the Proterozoic. Applying stringent reliability criteria, the positions of the continents at 12 times in the 2.45- to 1.00-Ga period have been constructed. The continents lie predominantly in low to intermediate latitudes. The sedimentological indicators of palaeoclimate are generally consistent with the palaeomagnetic latitudes, with the exception of the Early Proterozoic, when low latitude glaciations took place on several continents. The Proterozoic continental configurations are generally in agreement with current geological models of the evolution of the continents. The data suggest that three large continental landmasses existed during the Proterozoic. The oldest one is the Neoarchaean Kenorland, which comprised at least Laurentia, Baltica, Australia and the Kalahari craton. The protracted breakup of Kenorland during the 2.45- to 2.10-Ga interval is manifested by mafic dykes and sedimentary rift-basins on many continents. The second 'supercontinental' landmass is Hudsonland (also known as Columbia). On the basis of purely palaeomagnetic data, this supercontinent consisted of Laurentia, Baltica, Ukraine, Amazonia and Australia and perhaps also Siberia, North China and Kalahari. Hudsonland existed from 1.83 to ca. 1.50-1.25 Ga. The youngest assembly is the Neoproterozoic supercontinent of Rodinia, which was formed by continent-continent collisions during similar to 1.10-1.00 Ga and which involved most of the continents. A new model for its assembly and configuration is presented, which suggests that multiple Grenvillian age collisions took place during 1.10-1.00 Ga. The configurations of Kenorland, Hudsonland and Rodinia depart from each other and also from the Pangaea assembly. The tectonic styles of their amalgamation are also different reflecting probable changes in sizes and thicknesses of the cratonic blocks as well as changes in the thermal conditions of the mantle through time. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Pesonen, LJ and Elming, SA and Mertanen, S and Pisarevsky, S and D'Agrella, MS and Meert, JG and Schmidt, PW and Abrahamsen, N and Bylund, Göran}},
  issn         = {{0040-1951}},
  keywords     = {{palaeolatitude; Rodinia; Columbia; Hudsonland; Kenorland; mantle plume; supercontinent; palaeomagnetism; Proterozoic; accretion; malic dykes; palaeogeography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-4}},
  pages        = {{289--324}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Tectonophysics}},
  title        = {{Palaeomagnetic configuration of continents during the Proterozoic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0040-1951(03)00343-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0040-1951(03)00343-3}},
  volume       = {{375}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}