Reconstructing the Avalonia palaeocontinent in the Cambrian: A 519 Ma caliche in South Wales and transcontinental middle Terreneuvian sandstones

Landing, Ed; Westrop, Stephen R.; Bowring, Samuel A.

doi:10.1017/s0016756813000228

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 126 publications

(276 reference statements)

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“…This province is stronger related to the second province (II) that includes Siberia and Avalonia, comprising Nova Scotia, East Massachusetts, England (including the Comley, Nuneaton and Rushton regions) and the northern and southern Siberia Platform. This province further supports a unified terrane with parts of eastern and western Avalonia and its independence from Western Gondwana (Landing et al, 2013b). However, it also suggests closer links between Avalonia with Siberia during Cambrian Stage 3.…”

Section: Palaeobiogeography Of Cambrian Stage 3 Ssfsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Early Cambrian palaeobiogeography of the Zhenba–Fangxian Block (South China): Independent terrane or part of the Yangtze Platform?

2015

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Section: Palaeobiogeography Of Cambrian Stage 3 Ssfsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Early Cambrian palaeobiogeography of the Zhenba–Fangxian Block (South China): Independent terrane or part of the Yangtze Platform?

2015

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“…Schofield et al, 2016); and whether crust in the southern North Sea belongs to Avalonia (see discussion in 2006) and Winchester et al (2002). Landing (2013) has objected to the use of the term 'Midland Microcraton' (e.g. Turner, 1949;Soper et al, 1987;Pharaoh et al, 1987) as true cratonic behaviour is not exhibited.…”

Section: Previous Work and Terminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most authors favour separation of Avalonia as a microcontinent from Gondwana in late Early Ordovician (Floian) time (Scotese and McKerrow, 1990;McKerrow et al, 1992;Prigmore et al, 1997;Fortey and Cocks, 2003;Cocks and Torsvik, 2006;Woodcock, 2012a) although other authors have argued for late Cambrian (Van Staal et al, 2012) or even Ediacaran departure (e.g. Pillola, 1993;Landing, 1996;Landing et al, 2013). For example, Landing (op.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Anglo-Brabant Massif: Persistent but enigmatic palaeo-relief at the heart of western Europe

Pharaoh

2018

Proceedings of the Geologists' Association

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The research collaborations established resulted in numerous further publications, including a special publication of the Geological Society (Winchester et al., 2002). One of the most significant results was the elucidation of the history of the Anglo-Brabant Deformation Belt (not to be confused with the ABM) which links the Caledonides of England and Belgium. Many of the same authors contributed to the Southern Permian Basin Atlas (SPBA) published by TNO and EAGE (Pharaoh et al., 2010; De Vos et al., 2010). 2. Crustal and lithospheric structure The crustal structure of the ABM is less well known than that of surrounding regions, e.g. northern England and the region south of the Variscan Front. It was recognised from the exploration boreholes drilled in the pre-seismic era (1940s-1950s) that although coal-bearing basins are locally present on its northern margins, the massif is poorly prospective for oil and gas (Lees and Taitt, 1946; Falcon and Kent, 1960). Thus the dense networks of seismic reflection data acquired since 1970 in northern and southern England, which are so informative about the upper crustal and sedimentary basin structure in those areas (e.g. Whittaker, 1985; Kirby et al., 2000; Smith et al., 2005; Pharaoh et al., 2011) are largely absent over the massif. Significant coverage is only present in the NW (Staffordshire), the Worcester Graben and Oxfordshire Concealed Coalfield areas (Butler, in press). A small number of seismic reflection profiles, gathered by the British Geological Survey (Chadwick, 1985; Chadwick and Smith, 1988) and academic institutions (e.g. Maguire, 1987) provide limited insights to crustal structure. The massif is crossed by only one long lithospheric-scale seismic refraction profile (Lithospheric Seismic Profile in Britain, LISPB) acquired in 1974 (Bamford et al., 1976). The GAMMA segment ends in Buxton, just beyond the northern edge of the massif (Barton, 1992). The DELTA segment extends from North Wales to the Isle of Portland and an interpretation was published by Maguire et al. (2011). The segment crosses the massif in its west central part, intersecting shorter refraction profiles in the Bristol Channel area (Mechie and Brooks, 1984). Deep seismic reflection data, recorded to 12 or 15 s Two-Way Travel Time (TWTT) by the British Institutions Reflection Profiling Syndicate (BIRPS), based at Cambridge University, cover only the offshore area (Klemperer and Hobbs, 1991). These profiles are nevertheless useful in assessing the tectonic milieu of the massif. Deep seismic reflection data from northern France (Cazes and Toreilles, 1988) and Belgium (Bouckaert et al., 1988; Meissner and Bortfeld, 1990) demonstrate a gently southward-dipping Variscan detachment, with the crust of the ABM forming a tapering wedge in the footwall (Blundell, 1993). The latter extends some 60 to 100 km south of the Variscan Front, and its nature is confirmed by the continuity of the South Central England Magnetic Anomaly beneath the Variscan nappes (Beamish et al., 2016). Interpretations of crustal...

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“…Avalonia was a small continent that separated from West Gondwana in the terminal Ediacaran and later collided with Laurussia (combined Laurentia and the Baltica paleocontinents) in the Acadian-Caledonian orogeny (Landing et al 2013). The elongate Avalonia paleocontinent is characterized by siliciclastic-dominated successions that non-and unconformably overlie lower-middle Ediacaran arc sequences in down-folded and down-faulted inliers.…”

Section: Avalonian Paleocontinentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pseudocryptic species of the Middle Cambrian trilobiteEodiscusHartt, in Walcott, 1884, from Avalonian and Laurentian Newfoundland

2018

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Two species of the Middle Cambrian trilobite Eodiscus Hartt, in Walcott, 1884, E. punctatus (Salter, 1864) and E. scanicus (Linnarsson, 1883), have been reported from several paleocontinents. However, in their respective type areas of Avalonian Britain and Baltica (Sweden), both species are poorly documented from moulds preserved in siliciclastic mudstone that are variably compacted and distorted. Moreover, variation in such characters as surface sculpture between putative occurrences suggests that widespread use of these names may mask species differentiation within and between paleocontinents. Detailed examination of Eodiscus sclerites that are exquisitely preserved in full relief in limestone from the Manuels River Formation of Avalonian Newfoundland and the Shallow Bay Formation of Laurentian Newfoundland demonstrates the presence of multiple species that are distinct from both E. punctatus and E. scanicus. We interpret them as a group of pseudocryptic species that are comparable to groups that are now identified routinely among modern invertebrates. New species are E. confossus, E. tuberculus, and E. coloholcus. At the current state of knowledge, E. punctatus and E. scanicus are best restricted to their respective types.

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Reconstructing the Avalonia palaeocontinent in the Cambrian: A 519 Ma caliche in South Wales and transcontinental middle Terreneuvian sandstones

Cited by 30 publications

References 126 publications

Early Cambrian palaeobiogeography of the Zhenba–Fangxian Block (South China): Independent terrane or part of the Yangtze Platform?

Early Cambrian palaeobiogeography of the Zhenba–Fangxian Block (South China): Independent terrane or part of the Yangtze Platform?

The Anglo-Brabant Massif: Persistent but enigmatic palaeo-relief at the heart of western Europe

Pseudocryptic species of the Middle Cambrian trilobiteEodiscusHartt, in Walcott, 1884, from Avalonian and Laurentian Newfoundland

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