Paleomagnetism of four late Miocene gabbroic plugs in south-central British Columbia

1969 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. A. Symons

A paleomagnetic study was made of 101 cores from 20 sites representing about equally 4 small olivine gabbro plugs which intrude tectonically undisturbed olivine-rich plateau basalts of late Miocene age in the southern Cariboo region of south-central British Columbia. After alternating-field cleaning, statistical analysis of the stable remanence indicates that the site mean directions are significantly distinct within each plug so that even such small intrusive bodies (250–800 ft (78–248 m) in diameter) must be thoroughly sampled to derive a representative mean remanence direction. Both Tin Cup Mountain and Lone Butte plugs have normally polarized remanence, whereas Mount Begbie and Forestry Hill plugs have reversely polarized remanence. Statistical analysis indicates that these plugs were emplaced over a short span of geologic time of possibly less than 1 × 106 years and that at least three polarity intervals are represented. The geomagnetic pole position computed from the normalized site mean directions is 146.7 °W, 84.9 °N (δp = 4.8°, δm = 5.5°). This pole position is almost coincident with the pole position determined for the surrounding plateau basalts, and it is consistent with those obtained from other Miocene formations. These results support the hypothesis that the plugs represent the original volcanic vents from which the plateau basalts were extruded.

1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1340-1344 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. A. Symons

The 198 Ma Guichon batholith outcrops in the southern end of the Intermontane Belt or composite Terrane I of the western North American Cordillera. Thermal demagnetization of specimens from 19 sites at 200, 450, and 560 °C isolates a stable primary component at 560 °C in 13 sites, giving a pole position of 347°W, 52°N (δp = 5°, δm = 9°). These data support earlier results obtained by the author that indicate the batholith has undergone a clockwise rotation about a vertical axis of ~43 ± 7°. They also show that the batholith has undergone northward motion of 13 ± 6°, which supports recent arguments that the terrane underwent 14 ± 2° of northward translation between Late Cretaceous and pre-Miocene time.


1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1388-1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. A. Symons

The Guichon Batholith, located near the south end of the Interior Plateau in south–central British Columbia, is composed of unmetamorphosed massive felsic intrusive rocks in several distinct phases (Northcote 1969). Stratigraphic and radiometric evidence indicate that the batholith was emplaced during the Late Triassic (198 ± 8 m.y.) and unroofed by Early Jurassic. Analysis of the remanence of 92 cores (184 specimens) from 19 representative sites led to the isolation of a stable primary remanent magnetism at 15 sites after alternating-field demagnetization. Variance ratio analysis of the remanence directions indicates that the phases cannot be distinguished by the paleomagnetic method. This supports the evidence from contact relationships and K–Ar isotopic dating of biotites that the phases cooled nearly contemporaneously. The pole position determined for the Guichon Batholith (12.9° E, 65.6° N) is discordant with other Upper Triassic pole positions determined for North American formations. The discordance may be explained by a clockwise rotation 40° ± 10° of the batholith and surrounding rocks in the southern end of the Interior Plateau, with most of the Plateau to the north acting as a stable non-rotated tectonic block. Other evidence is cited which is consistent with this hypothesis.


1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. A. Symons ◽  
E. J. Schwarz

Sixty-nine specimens representing 49 late Miocene (10–15 m.y. ago) basaltic lava flows and 4 associated gabbroic intrusive plugs were studied in an attempt to estimate the paleointensity of the earth's magnetic field in south-central British Columbia. The paleointensity determination was based on the comparison of the decay of natural remanent magnetism intensity with that of an artificial thermoremanent magnetism (H = 0.35 Oe) in progressively higher alternating demagnetizing fields (peak: 800 Oe). Only 22 of the 69 specimens were considered to yield reliable paleointensity determinations which give an estimated average equatorial intensity for the late Miocene earth's field of 0.18 Oe ± 0.11. This result agrees reasonably well with those from contemporaneous rocks from North America, Japan, and Iceland. Several low determinations with consistent, normal, or reversed remanence directions suggest that the intensity of the non-dipole components of the late Miocene earth's field must have been very small in the sampled area.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1287-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. Fahrig ◽  
A. Larochelle

The Michael gabbro forms a belt of thick, predominantly southerly-dipping sheets which extends 200 km inland from the south-central coast of Labrador. The intrusions lie largely within the Makkovik subprovince, have a radioisotopic age of 1500 m.y., and are reversely magnetized with a paleomagnetic pole position of 163 °E, 10 °N. The paleomagnetic results indicate that most of the rocks internal to this belt have not been deformed since the intrusions acquired a stable remanent magnetization, presumably at the time of cooling 1500 m.y. ago. However, the Michael pole position differs significantly from those of rocks of similar age elsewhere in North America. This suggests rotation of the block containing the Michael intrusions relative to these other rocks. The Aillik dikes which also lie within the Makkovik sub-province have a radioisotopic age of about 1100 m.y. and a pole position consistent with that of rocks of similar age elsewhere in the Canadian Shield. The postulated Michael rotation must then have taken place between 1500 and 1100 m.y. ago.The rock at two of the most southerly sites sampled for paleomagnetic study proved to be magnetically unstable and the rock at a third such site, though stably magnetized has a magnetization significantly different from the main body of Michael gabbro intrusions. These three sites may indicate a post-consolidation thermal and tectonic event and their position may help define the Grenville Front in this region.


2004 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
George W. Douglas

In Canada, Lemmon's Holly Fern, Polystichum lemmonii, is restricted to the Baldy Mountain area on the eastern side of the Okanagan River valley in south-central British Columbia. This population represents the northern limits of the species which ranges south through northern Idaho, Washington and Oregon to northern California. In British Columbia, P. lemmonii is associated with ultramafic rocky ridges within a montane forest at an elevation of 1900 m. The population in the Baldy Mountain area is relatively small, unprotected and potentially imperilled by mining exploration, forest road construction or wildfires.


2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
George W. Douglas ◽  
Jenifer L. Penny ◽  
Ksenia Barton

In Canada, Dwarf Woolly-heads, Psilocarphus brevissimus var. brevissimus, is restricted to the Similkameen River valley, south of Princeton in southwestern British Columbia and the extreme southeast and southwest corners of Alberta and Saskatchewan, respectively. This paper deals with the three British Columbia populations which represent the northwestern limit of the species which ranges from south-central British Columbia, southward in the western United States to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, California and Baja California, Mexico. In British Columbia, P. brevissimus is associated with calcareous vernal pools and ephemeral pond edges in large forest openings. This habitat is rare in the area the few existing populations could easily be extirpated or degraded through slight changes in groundwater levels, coalbed methane gas drilling, housing development or recreational vehicles.


2010 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Landolt ◽  
D. Thomas Lowery ◽  
Lawrence C. Wright ◽  
Constance Smithhisler ◽  
Christelle Gúedot ◽  
...  

AbstractLarvae of Abagrotis orbis (Grote) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are climbing cutworms and can damage grapevines, Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae), in early spring by consuming expanding buds. A sex attractant would be useful for monitoring this insect in commercial vineyards. (Z)-7-Tetradecenyl acetate and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate were found in extracts of female abdominal tips. In multiple field experiments, male A. orbis were captured in traps baited with a combination of these two chemicals but not in traps baited with either chemical alone. Males were trapped from mid-September to early October in south-central Washington and south-central British Columbia. Other noctuid moths (Mamestra configurata Walker, Xestia c-nigrum (L.), and Feltia jaculifera (Guenée)) were also captured in traps baited with the A. orbis pheromone and may complicate the use of this lure to monitor A. orbis. Abagrotis discoidalis (Grote) was captured in traps baited with (Z)-7-tetradecenyl acetate but not in traps baited with the two chemicals together.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Teresa A. Newsome ◽  
Jean L. Heineman ◽  
Amanda F. Linnell Nemec

Critical height ratios for predicting competition between trembling aspen and lodgepole pine were identified in six juvenile stands in three south-central British Columbia ecosystems. We used a series of regression analyses predicting pine stem diameter from the density of neighbouring aspen in successively shorter relative height classes to identify the aspen-pine height ratio that maximizedR2. Critical height ratios varied widely among sites when stands were 8–12 years old but, by age 14–19, had converged at 1.25–1.5. MaximumR2values at age 14–19 ranged from 13.4% to 69.8%, demonstrating that the importance of aspen competition varied widely across a relatively small geographic range. Logistic regression also indicated that the risk of poor pine vigour in the presence of aspen varied between sites. Generally, the degree of competition, risk to pine vigour, and size of individual aspen contributing to the models declined along a gradient of decreasing ecosystem productivity.


1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1669-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.N. Church

New localities of shackanite and related analcite-bearing lavas have been discovered in a broad field of early Tertiary phonolite and mafic phonolite in south-central British Columbia. The development of primary and secondary analcite in these rocks is probably the result of cooling lava during and shortly after extrusion.The possibility of leucite to analcite transformation in Daly's shackanite is unlikely because of lack of petrographic evidence and a preponderance of Na2O over K2O in bulk rock composition. It is also unlikely that analcite, and particularly groundmass analcite, crystallized at great depth and was transported to surface during eruption.


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