georefid:2006-010816SEDIS Publication Catalogue

ana.macario@awi.de

http://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/informationpointOfContact2011-06-23T00:00:00Zhttp://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/index.php?id=10.1130/2005.2388(05)2005-01-01publicationgeorefid:2006-010816doi:10.1130/2005.2388(05)Baksi, Ajoy K.Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA, United StatesauthorGeological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United StatespublisherdocumentHardcopyIn: Foulger, Gillian R. (editor), Natland, James H. (editor), Presnall, Dean C. (editor), Anderson, Don L. (editor), Plates, plumes, and paradigms38855-70Hotspot activity has been invoked to explain a number of geological observations and phenomena. The genetic relationship between hotspots and continental flood basalts, as well as "tracks" in many oceans, appears to be commonly accepted by Earth scientists. One critical test that must be applied to such connections or hypotheses is that the pertinent radiometric data must be robust. Herein I critically reexamine some sets of data in this regard. The pertinent (super 40) Ar/ (super 39) Ar step-heating data must (1) satisfy rigorous statistical tests for validity and (2) be based on material that can be shown to be fresh or minimally altered. I show that most age data published recently for the Isle of Mull (British Tertiary Igneous Province) are invalid as proper estimates of the crystallization age. I apply a similar mode of examination to rocks thought to represent the tracks of (1) the Yellowstone hotspot, Pacific Northwest, USA, (2) the Tristan da Cunha and Great Meteor hotspots, Atlantic Ocean, and (3) the Kerguelen and Reunion hotspots, Indian Ocean. Few, if any, valid crystallization ages were recovered. These hotspot tracks cannot be temporally defined. Conclusions based on the data rejected herein, in particular those pertaining to the extrapolated paths of such tracks and the calculation of plate velocities, should be subject to critical scrutiny.completedGeochronologySolid-earth geophysicsabsolute ageaccuracyalterationAr/ArArgyllshire ScotlandAtlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean IslandsbasaltsCenozoiccrystallizationdatesDeep Sea Drilling ProjectDSDP Site 254emplacementEuropeGreat BritainGreat Meteor SeamountHebrideshot spotsigneous rocksIndian Ocean IslandsInner HebridesKerguelen IslandsKerguelen PlateauLeg 115Leg 121Leg 26mantlemantle plumesMascarene IslandsmovementMull IslandNorth AtlanticOcean Drilling ProgramODP Site 715ODP Site 758PaleocenePaleogeneplate tectonicsReunionScotlandSouth Atlanticstatistical analysisStrathclyde region ScotlandTertiarytracksTristan da CunhaUnited Kingdomvelocityvolcanic rocksWalvis RidgeWestern Europewhole rockYellowstone Hot Spoturn:org.iodp:exp:115urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:121urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:26urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:26:site:254urnlargerWorkCitationstudyurn:org.iodp:exp:26urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:115:site:715urnlargerWorkCitationstudyurn:org.iodp:exp:115urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:121:site:758urnlargerWorkCitationstudyurn:org.iodp:exp:121urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignEnglishgeoscientificInformation39.0000113.0000-38.00005.2304