|
Article |
1 Department of Earth Sciences, The University, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PR, UK
2 Department of Geology, University College, Galway, Ireland
Geological and geophysical criteria allow division of the Caledonides of western Ireland into four principal zones. Zone 1, in the north, contains Grenvillian basement with late Proterozoic supra-crustals. Zone 2 contains the Westport Complex, the Deer Park Complex and the South Mayo Trough. Connemara and the Delany Dome Formation occupy Zone 3. Zone 4 contains the South Connemara Group and mid- to late-Ordovician and Silurian sediments and volcanic rocks. The various tectonic models proposed for these zones are discussed and a ‘minimum’ tectonic model is presented, which involves early Ordovician collision of the northern part of Zone 2 with the Laurentian margin (Zone 1) followed by subduction flip (northern part of Zone 4). The site of early collision between Zones 1 and 2 subsequently underwent orogenic collapse and strike-slip dismemberment leading to the sinistral transpressive emplacement of Zone 3. Assemblages in Zone 4 were accreted to the now south-facing arc. Northwards stress transfer consequent on suturing deformed the thinned crust and overlying Silurian sequences in Zones 2 and 3.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  M.R.W. JOHNSON and R.A. STRACHAN A discussion of possible heat sources during nappe stacking: the origin of Barrovian metamorphism within the Caledonian thrust sheets of NW Scotland Journal of the Geological Society, 2006; 163: 579 - 582. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
MichaelJ. Flowerdew, J.S. Daly, and MartinJ. Whitehouse 470 Ma granitoid magmatism associated with the Grampian Orogeny in the Slishwood Division, NW Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 2005; 162: 563 - 575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. S. Daly and M. J. Flowerdew Grampian and late Grenville events recorded by mineral geochronology near a basement-cover contact in north Mayo, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 2005; 162: 163 - 174. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Draut, A. E. DRAUT, P. D. CLIFT, D. M. CHEW, M. J. COOPER, R. N. TAYLOR, and R. E. HANNIGAN Laurentian crustal recycling in the Ordovician Grampian Orogeny: Nd isotopic evidence from western Ireland Geological Magazine, 2004; 141: 195 - 207. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. F. Dewey, J.F. Dewey, and R.A. Strachan Changing Silurian-Devonian relative plate motion in the Caledonides: sinistral transpression to sinistral transtension Journal of the Geological Society, 2003; 160: 219 - 229. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. Ryan, P. D. RYAN, and N. J. SOPER Modelling anatexis in intra-cratonic rift basins: an example from the Neoproterozoic rocks of the Scottish Highlands Geological Magazine, 2001; 138: 577 - 588. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. Armstrong, H. A. ARMSTRONG, and A. W. OWEN Terrane evolution of the paratectonic Caledonides of northern Britain Journal of the Geological Society, 2001; 158: 475 - 486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. J. SOPER, P. D. RYAN, and J. F. DEWEY Age of the Grampian orogeny in Scotland and Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1999; 156: 1231 - 1236. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Dewey and M. Mange Petrography of Ordovician and Silurian sediments in the western Irish Caledonides: tracers of a short-lived Ordovician continent-arc collision orogeny and the evolution of the Laurentian Appalachian-Caledonian margin Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1999; 164: 55 - 107. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Plant, P. Stone, and J. R. Mendum Regional geochemistry, terrane analysis and metallogeny in the British Caledonides Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1999; 164: 109 - 125. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. R. Van Staal, J. F. Dewey, C. M. Niocaill, and W. S. McKerrow The Cambrian-Silurian tectonic evolution of the northern Appalachians and British Caledonides: history of a complex, west and southwest Pacific-type segment of Iapetus Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1998; 143: 197 - 242. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. W. READMAN, B. M. O'REILLY, and T. MURPHY Gravity gradients and upper-crustal tectonic fabrics, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1997; 154: 817 - 828. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. B. SNYDER and A. J. BARBER Australia-Banda Are collision as an analogue for early stages in Iapetus closure Journal of the Geological Society, 1997; 154: 589 - 592. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. W. McCAFFREY Controls on reactivation of a major fault zone: the Fair Head-Clew Bay line in Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1997; 154: 129 - 133. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. WINCHESTER and M. D. MAX Chemostratigraphic correlation, structure and sedimentary environments in the Dalradian' of the NW Co. Mayo inlier, NW Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1996; 153: 779 - 801. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. DESOUKY, M. FEELY, and P. MOHR Diorite-granite magma mingling and mixing along the axis of the Galway Granite batholith, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1996; 153: 361 - 374. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. H. M. HARRIS Caledonian transpressional terrane accretion along the Laurentian margin in Co. Mayo, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1995; 152: 797 - 806. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. BROWN and J.P. WHELAN Terrane boundaries in Ireland inferred from the Irish Magnetotelluric Profile and other geophysical data Journal of the Geological Society, 1995; 152: 523 - 534. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. SMETHURST, C. MACNIOCAILL, and P. D. RYAN Oroclinal bending in the Caledonides of western Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1994; 151: 315 - 328. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. CLIFT and P. D. RYAN Geochemical evolution of an Ordovician island arc, South Mayo, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1994; 151: 329 - 342. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. H. M. HARRIS The Caledonian evolution of the Laurentian margin in western Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 1993; 150: 669 - 672. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. FORD, S. L. KLEMPERER, and P. D. RYAN Deep structure of southern Ireland: a new geological synthesis using BIRPS deep reflection profiling Journal of the Geological Society, 1992; 149: 915 - 922. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
