The Geology of Donegal: A Geochronological Study of Granite Emplacement and Unroofing (Insights Into Terminal Orogenesis)

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Many mountain belts are characterized by late stage normal faults and bimodal igneous activity, both considered to be reflective of orogenic collapse. This proposal will address a classic example of such activity, the Donegal granitic suite of northern Ireland by collecting a suite of very high quality radiometric ages on igneous rocks and fabric-forming minerals in shear zones believed to related to plutonism. The ages of plutonic rocks coupled with ages of activity on major shear zones will provide critical data needed to evaluate various mechanisms which produced the late stage activity.