Palaeomagnetic results from the Timbavati gabbros in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Publication Year
1994

Type

Journal Article
Abstract
The Timbavati Gabbros are an extensive group of basic intrusives which crop out over 200 km in the northeastern part of South Africa; published radiometric ages range from 1072 ± 4 Ma (40Ar/39Ar) to 1454 ± 50 Ma (Rb-Sr). Oriented samples were collected from six sites and results from an additional site sampled by Henthorn (1981) have been incorporated. Five of the sites yielded consistent mean magnetization directions from which a (reversed) palaeomagnetic pole was calculated at 63.2°N, 46.8°E, k = 533, α = 3.3°. This pole coincides closely with others obtained from coeval basic igneous rocks in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and elsewhere in South Africa, confirming the wide areal extent ( 1200 × 800 km) of the 1100 Ma Umkondo igneous event. A mean pole calculated from five separate studies of these intrusives lies at -65.4N, 36.1E, α = 6.5°. -Authors
Journal
South African Journal of Geology
Volume
97
Pages
114-118