Magnetic fabric in ilmeniterich norites of the Bjerkreimer-Sokndal Layered Intrusion, Norway

Abstract

The Bjerkreim-Sokndal (BKS) is a layered intrusion, located in the Mid- Proterozoic Egersund anorthosite-norite province within the Sveconorwegian province of the Baltic Shield, south Norway. The layered intrusion formed by influxes of more primitive magma into more evolved magma to produce six Megacyclic units (MCU), each of which can be divided into up to six subunits. From bottom to top in each megacycle the rocks consist of early plagioclase-rich norites, intermediate hemo-ilmenite-rich norites and later magnetite-rich norites. Aeromagnetic maps over the intrusion show large negative and positive anomalies. A negative anomaly with amplitude to - 13000 nT at 60m above ground is associated with hemo-ilmenite-rich norite layer MCU Ive. This layer IVe contains plagioclase, orthopyroxene, hemoilmenite, magnetite, and minor clinopyroxene, biotite, apatite and sulfides. Multi-domain (MD) magnetite makes up 2–3% of the rock. The negative magnetic anomaly associated with MCU IVe reaches its most negative value on the east limb of the Bjerkreim Lobe near Heskestad. The anomaly at Heskestad is part of a longer negative anomaly, which follows MCU IVe for more than 20 km around a large syncline. The average NRM intensity decreases from 25AM−1 along the east fold limb to 10AM−1 towards the hinge area to 7AM−1 at the hinge. The BKS has a penetrative deformation fabric within the syncline with the weakest deformation found in the hinge area and the strongest on the east limb. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to determine the lattice-preferred orientation (LPO) of orthopyroxene and ilmenite. The (100)-planes of the orthopyroxenes are found to lie parallel to a foliation in the rock, which is subparallel to the cumulate layering. Orthopyroxene c-axes form the steep lineation within the foliation plane. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) was measured for samples that were taken at five locations from the eastern limb to the hinge area of the syncline to investigate if the change in NRM intensity could be related to magnetic fabric.