New early Jurassic paleopole from France and Jurassic apparent polar wander

Abstract

A new early Jurassic paleopole for stable Europe obtained from a doleritic dyke system in Brittany, France is given at latitude 61°N and longitude 79°E (K = 36 and A95 = 10.2°) based on seven equivalent sites and more than a hundred samples demagnetized by alternating field and thermal treatments (D = 41°, I = 62°, k = 66, α95 = 7.5°). Radiometric datings provide ages between 190 and 200 Ma. This result represents the first indication obtained from European igneous data for a very westerly cusp in the Apparent Polar Wander Path around 200 Ma. The European data also tend to support the hypothesis of a higher latitude track for the Jurassic APWP as already proposed from North American data. © 1993.