|
Regular Article |
1 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK (e-mail: H.A.Armstrong{at}durham.ac.uk)
2 Division of Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Gregory Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Scientific editing by Rob Strachan.
A stratigraphically constrained re-evaluation of terrane amalgamation in the Caledonides of northern Britain allows the development of a new orogenic scenario which accounts for many of the outstanding problems in the paratectonic Caledonides and includes a new terrane template which correlates well with that proposed for Newfoundland. The Arenig Grampian Orogeny resulted from the accretion of two arc terranes to Laurentia: the Midland Valley (=Notre Dame Arc in Newfoundland) and a terrane of probable Avalonian/Gondwanan origin, here termed ‘Novantia’ (= Annieopsquotch Accretionary Tract partim), now hidden beneath the Southern Uplands allochthon. The Tyrone and Ballantrae ophiolites mark the northern boundary of Novantia within the composite Midland Valley Terrane. The Popelogan–Victoria Arc–Grangegeeth Terrane accreted to the amalgamated Midland Valley Terrane during the late Ordovician and initiated the Southern Uplands thrust duplex. A brief period of northward subduction during the Silurian followed, is ascribed to the northerly drift of the amalgamated Avalon–Baltica plate, and a final Wenlock (Scandian) collision and caused underplating of the Midland Valley Terrane. Caledonian deformation had ceased by the Emsian, the age of the undeformed Cheviot lavas that overlie the uplifted and peneplaned Southern Uplands.
Keywords: Caledonides, Great Britain, Newfoundland, terranes.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  C. R. CONGREVE and B. S. LIEBERMAN PHYLOGENETIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF DEIPHONINE TRILOBITES Journal of Paleontology, 2010; 84: 128 - 136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. R. Phillips, R. A. Smith, P. Stone, V. Pashley, and M. Horstwood Zircon age constraints on the provenance of Llandovery to Wenlock sandstones from the Midland Valley terrane of the Scottish Caledonides Scottish Journal of Geology, 2009; 45: 131 - 146. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. E. Draut, P. D. Clift, J. M. Amato, J. Blusztajn, and H. Schouten Arc-continent collision and the formation of continental crust: a new geochemical and isotopic record from the Ordovician Tyrone Igneous Complex, Ireland Journal of the Geological Society, 2009; 166: 485 - 500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. R. M. Cocks and R. A. Fortey Avalonia: a long-lived terrane in the Lower Palaeozoic? Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2009; 325: 141 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. A. T. Harper, A. W. Owen, and D. L. Bruton Ordovician life around the Celtic fringes: diversifications, extinctions and migrations of brachiopod and trilobite faunas at middle latitudes Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2009; 325: 157 - 170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. W.F. Waldron, J. D. Floyd, A. Simonetti, and L. M. Heaman Ancient Laurentian detrital zircon in the closing Iapetus Ocean, Southern Uplands terrane, Scotland Geology, 2008; 36: 527 - 530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Zagorevski, C. R. van Staal, V. McNicoll, N. Rogers, and P. Valverde-Vaquero Tectonic architecture of an arc-arc collision zone, Newfoundland Appalachians Geological Society of America Special Papers, 2008; 436: 309 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.W. G. TANNER and S. SUTHERLAND The Highland Border Complex, Scotland: a paradox resolved Journal of the Geological Society, 2007; 164: 111 - 116. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Valverde-Vaquero, C. R. van Staal, V. McNicoll, and G. R. Dunning Mid-Late Ordovician magmatism and metamorphism along the Gander margin in central Newfoundland Journal of the Geological Society, 2006; 163: 347 - 362. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. R. M. Cocks and T. H. Torsvik European geography in a global context from the Vendian to the end of the Palaeozoic Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 2006; 32: 83 - 95. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Stone, P. Stone, and R.J. Merriman Basin thermal history favours an accretionary origin for the Southern Uplands terrane, Scottish Caledonides Journal of the Geological Society, 2004; 161: 829 - 836. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E.R. Phillips, J.A. Evans, P. Stone, M.S.A. Horstwood, J.D. Floyd, R.A. Smith, M.C. Akhurst, and H.F. Barron Detrital Avalonian zircons in the Laurentian Southern Uplands terrane, Scotland Geology, 2003; 31: 625 - 628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. Armstrong, H. A. Armstrong, J. D. Floyd, L. Tingqing, and H. F. Barron Conodont biostratigraphy of the Crawford Group, Southern Uplands, Scotland Scottish Journal of Geology, 2002; 38: 69 - 82. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. Armstrong and A. W. Owen Euconodont paleobiogeography and the closure of the Iapetus Ocean Geology, 2002; 30: 1091 - 1094. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. J. MERRIMAN Contrasting clay mineral assemblages in British Lower Palaeozoic slate belts: the influence of geotectonic setting Clay Minerals, 2002; 37: 207 - 219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. P. Smith, P. C. J. Donoghue, and I. J. Sansom The spatial and temporal diversification of Early Palaeozoic vertebrates Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2002; 194: 69 - 83. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. Armstrong and A. W. Owen Euconodont diversity changes in a cooling and closing Iapetus Ocean Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2002; 194: 85 - 98. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
