Paleomagnetism of latest Cambrian-early Ordovician and latest Cretaceous-early Tertiary rocks of the Florida Mountains, southwest New Mexico

Paleomagnetic investigations have been carried out on latest Cambrian to Early Ordovician alkaline intrusions, their contact intermediate to mafic composition metaigneous rocks, and overlying lower Paleozoic and early Tertiary strata in the Florida Mountains. A well-defined, predominantly normal polarity magnetization of high median destructive induction and high, usually discrete laboratory unblocking temperatures is isolated from sites in metaigneous rocks in contact with syenites exposed on the northwestern flank of this Cenozoic uplift. The Florida Mountains data support recent constructions of apparent polar wander paths for North America and thus the hypothesis that significant counterclockwise rotation of North America occurred during the Ordovician. -from Authors