Juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets from the Carolinas: A preliminary assessment

Abstract

Research Article| July 01, 1983 Juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets from the Carolinas: A preliminary assessment Paul C. Ragland; Paul C. Ragland 1Department of Geology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert D. Hatcher, Jr.; Robert D. Hatcher, Jr. 2Department of Geology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David Whittington David Whittington 3Department of Geology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Paul C. Ragland 1Department of Geology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 Robert D. Hatcher, Jr. 2Department of Geology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 David Whittington 3Department of Geology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1983) 11 (7): 394–399. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1983)11<394:JMDDSF>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Paul C. Ragland, Robert D. Hatcher, David Whittington; Juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets from the Carolinas: A preliminary assessment. Geology 1983;; 11 (7): 394–399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1983)11<394:JMDDSF>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Aeromagnetic anomaly maps of the North Carolina Piedmont provide confirming evidence of juxtaposed Mesozoic diabase dike sets. Dikes in North Carolina may be divided into four domains, on the basis of dike orientations. Most dikes are olivine normative, but there are apparent systematic differences in chemical compositions that are reflected in different orientations and ages. Two orientations dominate: northwest and north-south. The northwest-trending set dominates in the South Carolina Piedmont, and the north-south set extends through much of the central Virginia Piedmont and under the Coastal Plain in South Carolina. The north-south dikes are part of a set that converges near Charleston and Georgetown, South Carolina, and diverges northward into Virginia. Preliminary information suggests that the north-south dikes are younger than the more common northwest-trending dikes. Current models proposed for stress regimes associated with the breakup of Pangea can accommodate the northwest set, but not the north-south convergent set. This convergent set may be evidence for crustal deformation above a mantle plume centered near Charleston and Georgetown in Middle Jurassic time. It is possible that presumed mafic plutons under the Coastal Plain near Charleston, regional seismicity patterns, and orientations of the diabase dikes are all related to an intersection of zones of crustal weakness inherited from mid-Mesozoic time. The western margin of northwest-trending dikes may be related to tectonic features inherited from pre-Mesozoic time. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.