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Paleomagnetic evidence for spatially distributed Post‐Miocene rotation of western Washington and Oregon
Author(s) -
Sheriff Steven D.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
tectonics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.465
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1944-9194
pISSN - 0278-7407
DOI - 10.1029/tc003i003p00397
Subject(s) - paleomagnetism , geology , basalt , clockwise , paleontology , magnetic declination , declination , plateau (mathematics) , rotation (mathematics) , earth's magnetic field , magnetic field , geometry , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Anomalous paleomagnetic directions have been determined for 17 sites in the Frenchmans Springs member of the Wanapum basalt formation, Columbia River basalt group. These sites are located in the Ginkgo flows from near Vantage, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, a distance of approximately 300 km. The average paleomagnetic direction for six of these sites, centered around Vantage is D = 147°, I = 41°, α 95 = 4.5°. The expected Miocene field direction is D = 355°, I = 65°. At some localities there are two distinct Ginkgo flows, in direct stratigraphic succession, with statistically identical anomalous directions. Their anomalous paleomagnetic direction makes these flows a valuable marker horizon in the Columbia River basalt group. The nondipole field direction of the Ginkgo flows correlates well with available results from the Miocene Cape Foulweather basalts of Oregon. This correlation strongly supports the hypothesis that these coastal basalts of Oregon are the distal ends of Columbia Plateau derived basalt flows. The spatial distribution of these anomalous field directions suggests about 14° of clockwise rotation between Vantage and Portland. Combining these data with data from the Oregon Coast basalts allows a maximum declination difference of about 35°. The increase in declination can be best explained by clockwise rotation, about nearby vertical axes, increasing to the southwest across the Columbia Plateau and Oregon coast.