The study area lies within the marginal part of the Caledonian orogen of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The aim of the thesis was to attempt to correlate events from the marginal Moine thrust zone eastward into the Mobile Belt. The correlations included stratigraphy, structure and metamorphism. Stratigraphie correlations were restricted to Moine lithologies hitherto undifferentiated; they included rocks on the Sleat Peninsula of Skye, and in Eastern Knoydart. Structural and metamorphic events are closely related, and developed as a result of two distinct orogenic episodes. The earliest of these orogenic episodes occurred during the Pre-Cambrian and resulted in deformation on a regional scale producing tight, often flat lying structures. The metamorphic grade increased from west to east. Microfabric studies enabled a close correlation between the second phase of deformation and the advance of the meta-morphic front. The youngest orogenic event is the Caledonian event which produced open profile, upright structures, associated with a second metamorphic event, which also advanced from east to west. It has proved possible to correlate structural and metamorphic events over an area of some 1,100 sq.kms. within the Moine nappe. Further studies established that structural and metamorphic events recorded in the Moine nappe may be extended to include the underlying Tarskavaig nappe. Wider correlations were also attempted; firstly in immediately adjacent areas and subsequently on a more regional scale. The discussion of regional correlations includes data presented in the literature for areas both within the Moine thrust zone and within the Mobile Belt. Although the suggested correlations may be only tentative, there would appear to be some basis for regional correlation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:704306 |
| Date | January 1977 |
| Creators | James, J. A. |
| Publisher | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/9eabc0ec-798d-43c2-97d5-da56d2146fd2/1/ |
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