Paleomagnetism and the alpine tectonics of Evrasia III : Paleomagnetic research in the Central Lebanon Mountains and in the tartous area (Syria)

Abstract

Oriented samples of basalt, basaltic tuff and limestone from the central Lebanon Mountains and the Tartous coastal area were studied with regard to their paleomagnetic characteristics.

The age of the Lebanese samples varies from Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous. The Syrian basalts are from Pliocene age. The initial remanent magnetization vectors were rather scattered, but after cleaning with a.c. fields up to 3,000 Oe they concentrated on the following average directions: Upper Jurassic : D = 93°, I = 10°; Lower Cretaceous : D = 314°, I = 9°; Pliocene : D = 170°, I = −35°.

The Jurassic and the Pliocene direction are considered to be reversed.

These results show a great discrepancy with pole positions already known for Eurasia and for Africa. The deviations may be explained in terms of local tectonic movements or continental drift. The local tectonic disturbances, however, are small.