Geophysical Characteristics of the Tow Valley Fault Zone in North-East Ireland

The Tow Valley Fault Zone in north-east Ireland consists of number of ENE-WSW trending major fault segments and shorter N-S ones with different dips, downthrows and geophysical characteristics. The fault zone is associated with high magnetic gradients and a marked north-westerly decrease in gravity....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Irish journal of earth sciences 2004-01, Vol.22 (1), p.1-13
Main Author: Gibson, Paul J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basalt
Earth sciences
Fault lines
Fault zones
Geological surveys
Geology
Magnetic anomalies
Reflectors
Sediments
Valleys
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Tow Valley Fault Zone in north-east Ireland consists of number of ENE-WSW trending major fault segments and shorter N-S ones with different dips, downthrows and geophysical characteristics. The fault zone is associated with high magnetic gradients and a marked north-westerly decrease in gravity. Modelling of gravity data suggests that near Garvagh (south-west) and Ballycastle (north-east) the major fault plane dips to the north-west at about 20°-25° whereas the central section dips at 56° to the north-west. Thick sediments (c. 2.4km), mainly Permo-Triassic in age, occur beneath the Tertiary basalts north-west of the fault zone. Ground-based magnetic profiles across the fault zone yield a range of signatures. At some localities the fault is characterised by a 1km-wide zone of fracturing in the Tertiary basalts. Seismic data indicate that the fault zone continues offshore to the north-east of Rathlin Island.
ISSN:0790-1763
2009-0064
DOI:10.3318/ijes.2004.22.1.1