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The geology of the western part of the Fintona Block, Northern Ireland: evolution of Carboniferous basins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

W. I. Mitchell  and
B. Owens
W. I. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, 20 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS, U.K.
B. Owens
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, U.K.
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Abstract

The western part of the Fintona Block is divided into four fault-bounded segments that contain red-bed sediments formerly assigned to the Lower Old Red Sandstone.Dating by miospores indicates the presence of deposits of early Devonian age in the Irvinestown Segment, late Viséan–early Silesian age in the Tempo–Lisbellaw Segment, and late Viséan–early Silesian and late Silesian ages in the Milltown Segment. Northward migration of the early Carboniferous marine transgression in the northern part of Ireland coincided with the sequential propagation of back-stepping faults and resulted in the development of diachronous facies belts between late Courceyan and Arundian times. Tectonic uplift, of a possible southwesterly extension of the Tyrone Igneous Complex, gave rise to the deposition of Asbian to Pendleian red-beds to the south of a massif. An interface between these red-beds and contemporaneous marine sediments farther to the south is recognized and dated. A new non-marine basin, containing Brigantian and Pendleian red-beds, also developed to the north of the massif A waterlogged floodplain that developed during Westphalian A times may be coeval with more widespread coal-bearing sequences elsewhere in Ireland. Alluvial fans prograded southwards over this plain during Westphalian B times when faults bordering a northern landmass were reactivated.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 127 , Issue 5 , September 1990 , pp. 407 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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