Use of the Paleomagnetic Databases for geodynamical studies : Some examples from the Mediterranean Region

ABSTRACT

The publication of Global Paleomagnetic Database allows an easier use of the paleomagnetic data, which are fundamental tools to constraint regional and global geodynamic models. The Stable Africa and Stable Europe, the Arabian plate and finally the Mediterranean region paleomagnetic data, over Mesozoic-Cenozoic, have been critically re-examined using suitable computer programs developed at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica. The data have been selected on the basis of space, time and quality filtering with the convinction that the higher quality data are more useful for geodynamic studies, than averaging larger databases without any filtering of original studies. Besides the extraction software, a mapping program to plot sampling localities and paleopoles with associate confidence ellipses, using cartographic projections, enhances the understanding of the mutual relations among groups of paleopole belonging to different areas. The African and European Apparent Polar Wander Paths (APWPs) has been computed, using only higher quality African and European data respectively, and compared with some already published APWPs. Some applications to regional tectonics of the Mediterranean region have been done. In particular Italy and Istria have been considered