Palaeogene Alpine tectonics and Icelandic plume-related magmatism and deformation in Northern Ireland

Cooper, M.R.; Anderson, H.; Walsh, J.J.; Van Dam, C.L.; Young, M.E.; Earls, G.; Walker, A.. 2012 Palaeogene Alpine tectonics and Icelandic plume-related magmatism and deformation in Northern Ireland. Journal of the Geological Society, 169 (1). 29-36. 10.1144/0016-76492010-182

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Abstract/Summary

The Cenozoic tectonic history of NW Europe is generally attributed to some combination of three principal controlling factors: North Atlantic opening, Alpine collision and formation of the Icelandic mantle plume. Using constraints from the high-resolution Tellus aeromagnetic survey of Northern Ireland, we show that Palaeogene tectonics can be attributed to approximately north–south Alpine-related compression, forming NNW–SSE-trending dextral and ENE–WSW-trending sinistral conjugate strike-slip faults, with the latter defined by kilometre-scale displacements along reactivated Caledonian or Carboniferous faults. This tectonism was, however, punctuated by pulsed magmatic intrusive and extrusive events, including four distinct dyke swarms that are attributed to NE–SW- to east–west-directed plume-related extension. Although this evidence shows, for the first time, that north–south Alpine compression was periodically overwhelmed by the dynamic stresses and uplift associated with pulsed mantle plume-related deformation, associated strike-slip faulting may have controlled the locus of volcanic activity and central igneous complexes, and the location of sedimentary depocentres.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1144/0016-76492010-182
Programmes:	BGS Programmes 2010 > Geological Survey of Northern Ireland
ISSN:	0016-7649
Date made live:	18 Jan 2012 16:08 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16421

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1144/0016-76492010-182

Programmes:

BGS Programmes 2010 > Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

ISSN:

0016-7649

Date made live:

18 Jan 2012 16:08 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16421