CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

ORGANIZERS

  • Harvey Thorleifson, Chair
    Minnesota Geological Survey
  • Carrie Jennings, Vice Chair
    Minnesota Geological Survey
  • David Bush, Technical Program Chair
    University of West Georgia
  • Jim Miller, Field Trip Chair
    University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Curtis M. Hudak, Sponsorship Chair
    Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC

 

Paper No. 2
Presentation Time: 1:45 PM

SUTTON HOTSPOT: RESOLVING EDIACARAN-CAMBRIAN TECTONICS AND TRUE POLAR WANDER FOR LAURENTIA


MITCHELL, Ross N., Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, KILIAN, Taylor M., Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, RAUB, Timothy D., Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Caltech 170-25, Pasadena, CA 91125, EVANS, David A.D., Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven CT 06520-8109, USA, New Haven, CT 06520, BLEEKER, Wouter, Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON K1A0E8, Canada and MALOOF, Adam, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, ross.mitchell@yale.edu

Hotspot tracks represent plate motions relative to mantle sources, and paleomagnetic data from magmatic units along those tracks can quantify motions of those mantle anomalies relative to the Earth's magnetic field and rotational axis. The Ediacaran Period is notable for rapid and large paleomagnetic apparent polar wander (APW) for many continents. Whereas magmatic units attributed to the "Sutton" mantle plume suggest a practically stationary hotspot track, paleolatitudes of Laurentia for that interval vary dramatically; geologic and paleomagnetic data are at odds unless true polar wander (TPW) is invoked to explain a majority of APW. Here we test the plume-TPW hypothesis by generating the predicted Sutton hotspot track for a stationary plume under a moving plate along the Laurentia margin during 615-530 Ma. Our model is the first to provide a kinematic framework for the extensive large igneous province associated with opening the Iapetus Ocean.
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