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Crustal structure across the Caledonides from the ‘WINCH’ seismic reflection profile: influences on the evolution of the Midland Valley of Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

J. Hall ,
J. A. Brewer ,
D. H. Matthews  and
M. R. Warner
J. Hall
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland.
J. A. Brewer
Affiliation:
Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Madingley Rise, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, England.
D. H. Matthews
Affiliation:
Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Madingley Rise, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, England.
M. R. Warner
Affiliation:
Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Madingley Rise, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, England.
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Abstract

The Western Isles–North Channel (‘WINCH’) deep seismic reflection profile runs through the North Channel across the extension of the Midland Valley into the Firth of Clyde.

A variety of shallow Carboniferous and younger sedimentary basins dominates the upper crustal structure. The deep structure includes a reflective lower crust, bounded downwards by the Moho, and dipping ‘thrusts’. No margins to the Midland Valley are observed equivalent to the bounding faults on land. Thrusts below both the Highlands and the Southern Uplands have a variety of dip directions indicative of zig-zag crustal shortening of 100 km in the Highlands and 60 km in the Southern Uplands.

The Moho varies only a little in depth, despite the gross crustal deformation in the Caledonides. Isostatic recovery of the Moho on unlocking of collided crustal blocks may explain the formation of some sedimentary basins.

Keywords

crustcrustal extensioncrustal shorteningmantleMohosedimentary basinseismic profilethrust
Type
Regional framework
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 75 , Issue 2: Deep Geology of the Midland Valley of Scotland and Adjacent Regions. Bicentenary Symposium , 1984 , pp. 97 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1984

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