Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2021
Publication Title
Geosciences (Switzerland)
Abstract
Moine metasedimentary rocks of northern Scotland are characterized by arcuate map patterns of mineral lineations that swing progressively clockwise from orogen‐perpendicular E‐trend-ing lineations in greenschist facies mylonites above the Moine thrust on the foreland edge of the Caledonian Orogen, to S‐trending lineations at higher structural levels and metamorphic grades in the hinterland. Quartz c‐axis fabrics measured on a west to east coast transect demonstrate that the lineations developed parallel to the maximum principal extension direction and therefore track the local tectonic transport direction. Microstructures and c‐axis fabrics document a progressive change from top to the N shearing in the hinterland to top to the W shearing on the foreland edge. Field relationships indicate that the domain of top to the N shearing was at least 55 km wide before later horizontal shortening on km‐scale W‐vergent folds that detach on the underlying Moine thrust. Previously published data from the Moine thrust mylonites demonstrate that top to the W shearing had largely ceased by 430 Ma, while preliminary isotopic age data suggest top to the N shearing occurred at ~470–450 Ma. In addition, data from the east coast end of our transect indicate normal-sense top down‐SE shearing at close to peak temperatures at ~420 Ma that may be related to the closing stages of Scandian deformation, metamorphism and cooling/exhumation.
Keywords
Caledonian, Deformation temperature, Grampian, Microstructure, Moine thrust, Quartz c‐axis fabric, Scandian, Sgurr Beag thrust, Shear sense, Tectonic transport direction
Volume
11
Issue
10
DOI
10.3390/geosciences11100411
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Law, Richard D.; Thigpen, J. Ryan; Mazza, Sarah E.; Mako, Calvin A.; Krabbendam, Maarten; Spencer, Brandon M.; Ashley, Kyle T.; Strachan, Robin A.; and Davis, Ella F., "Tectonic Transport Directions, Shear Senses and Deformation Temperatures Indicated by Quartz c‐Axis Fabrics and Microstructures in a NW‐SE Transect across the Moine and Sgurr Beag Thrust Sheets, Caledonian Orogen of Northern Scotland" (2021). Geosciences: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/geo_facpubs/167
Comments
Archived as published.