A New Palaeomagnetic Result from the Lower Cretaceous of East‐Central Africa

Abstract

The mean direction of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in eight samples of syenite of Lower Cretaceous age from the Mlanje Massif, Malawi, has declination 333° and inclination – 54° (upward) after magnetic cleaning. The stability of remanence in alternating magnetic fields suggests that the NRM is primary. On the assumption of a geocentric dipole field, the palaeomagnetic pole is calculated at 60° N, 98° W. This is in agreement with previous results from volcanics of the Lupata Series nearby in Mozambique, which are of similar age. Combination of results from the Mlanje Massif and the Lupata volcanics yields an estimate of the palaeomagnetic pole for the lower Cretaceous of this part of Africa at 601/2° N, 991/2° W, with circular standard deviation (related to palaeosecular variation) of 10°,0. Copyright © 1967, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved