PALAEOMAGNETISM OF UPPER BHANDER SANDSTONES FROM CENTRAL INDIA AND IMPLICATIONS FOR A TENTATIVE CAMBRIAN GONDWANALAND RECONSTRUCTION*

Abstract

Klootwijk, CT., 1973. Palaeomagnetism of Upper Bhander sandstones from Central India and implications for a tentative Cambrian Gondwanaland reconstruction. Tectonophysics, 18: 123- 145. A virtual geomagnetic pole position for the uppermost Vindhyan sediments in Central India, probably correlative with the Cambrian of the Salt Range (W. Pakistan), was obtained from 43 oriented cores (7 sites) drilled from the Upper Bhander sandstones in the Great Vindhyan basin. Alternating field and thermal dema~etization resulted in a mean direction: D = 207.5”, I = +9.5” (k = 137.5, “9s = 5.5”) and a virtual geomagnetic northpole position: 146S”W 48.5”N (dp = 3”, dm = 5.5”). This pole position disagrees with the Cambrian palaeomagnetic results from the Salt Range. Implications of this disagreement for the pre-drift configuration of Gondwanaland, based on pa1aeomagnet.c results, are discussed.