Open AccessThe palaeomagnetism of Lesbos, NE Aegean, and the eastern Mediterranean inclination anomaly
Author(s) -
Beck Myrl E.,
Burmester Russell F.,
Kondopoulou Despina P.,
Atzemoglou Artemios
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.2001.00376.x
Subject(s) - geology , paleomagnetism , cenozoic , igneous rock , volcano , earth's magnetic field , tectonics , seismology , magnetic anomaly , anomaly (physics) , volcanic rock , geodesy , geophysics , paleontology , magnetic field , structural basin , physics , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics
Summary Palaeomagnetic results for 44 sites in 16–22 Ma volcanic rocks from Lesbos, NE Aegean, yield a mean pole at 81.8°N, 178.1°E, K = 9.0, A 95 = 7.6°. The mean direction for these sites ( D = 4.3°, I = 48.5°, k = 10.8, α 95 = 6.9°) is 5.9° ± 6.1° shallower than the reference direction for Miocene Lesbos calculated from Besse & Courtillot (1991). Combining these new data with previous work yields a mean inclination that is 5.6° ± 4.7° too shallow. Experimental problems, magnetic anisotropy, the magnetic terrain effect, geomagnetic anomalies, and problems with the reference path all seem unable to account for this observation. Shallow inclinations are a common feature of the Aegean region: 17 of 18 palaeomagnetic studies on Cenozoic igneous rocks have returned an inclination that is shallower than expected. Northward motion of the Aegean block by ∼500 km with respect to northern Europe would account for this observation.