The paleomagnetism of the Salt Pseudomorph Beds of Middle Cambrian age from the Salt Range, West Pakistan

Abstract

Oriented cores for a paleomagnetic investigation were collected from ten sites in the sedimentary redbeds of the Salt Pseudomorph Beds of Middle Cambrian age in the Salt Range near Khewra. All samples were subjected to progressive, thermal demagnetization procedures which revealed the characteristic direction of magnetization.

The material of ten sites with a total number of 71 specimens was included in the analysis, giving an overall mean direction with D = 215.9°, I = + 42.4°, α95 = 13.7°. In the ultimate analysis the material of six sites was included, because four sites show fairly strong deviations from the mean direction. The virtual magnetic pole position is located at 26.6° S, 33.5° E, with A95 = 5.1°. A Phanerozoic polar wander curve is given for India-Pakistan. The result presented here supports the view that in Gondwana reconstructions the west coast of the Indian subcontinent is best fitted alongside the northeast coast of Africa.