The British Tertiary igneous province: palaeomagnetism of the dyke swarm along the Sleat coast of Skye

Abstract

Summary. A palaeomagnetic investigation has been made of a swarm of more than 400 dykes along the south coast of Skye, Scotland, by the Sound of Sleat. Seven red lamprophyre dykes have palaeomagnetic directions inconsistent with Tertiary age, and not inconsistent with their previously held Caledonian age. The remaining 409 dykes have palaeomagnetic directions that are consistent with a Lower Tertiary age. We present evidence suggesting that the Tertiary dykes might have been emplaced during a short time, over which the geomagnetic polarity occupied as few as three polarity intervals (NRN or RNR). Certain ‘intermediate’ directions of magnetization have also been found, and are presented here. Copyright © 1982, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved