Paleomagnetic database in the Pyrenees: an assessment

Abstract

Paleomagnetic studies have been conducted in the Pyrenees (and in its foreland basins) since the earlier sixties and have continued duringthe next decades, particularly increasing in the nineties. At the moment, the research interest is still growing as regards of the increasing in number of publications. This vast amount of data is due to several reasons including the availability of synorogenic materials (allowing an accurate dating of deformation), excellent outcrops (including stratigraphic sequences with global interest), the existence of well-exposed zones of lateral transference of deformation (undergoing vertical-axis rotations) among other. This enviable frame has produced one of the densest and most homogeneous networks in orogenic zones of the world. Until now, the compiled data derive from more than 400 references, including 200 indexed papers, >40 academic memories and other publications (proceedings, technical reports, etc). In total, we have compiled more than 30000 demagnetizations coming from more than 1800 sampling points, 150 of them are magstrat profiles (>85 kilometers of sections). A significant effort of data standardization was done during the last few years to precise the geographic, structural, and stratigraphic information as well as the quality of the raw paleomagnetic data. So far, most part of this information is available in the IGME’s data servers (http ://wwwigmees/infoigme/visor/). Additional improvements in both data accessibility and updating are still in progress. This compilation was carried out by the Geokin3DPyr group during the last ten years under the financial support of the Pyrenean Network (European INTERREG program). In this contribution we will show the state of the art of the dataset.