Paleomagnetism at Serpent Mound
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Date
1978-06
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Eight hand samples, three from the Brassfield Formation (Lower Silurian), five from the Tymochtee Formation (Middle Silurian) were collected from the core and flanks of the Serpent Mound crypto-explosion structure in southwestern Ohio. The magnetic moment of over sixty cores were measured in a Superconducting Cryogenic Magnetometer. By determining the paleomagnetic age of one of the episodes of iron and zinc mineralization, it is concluded that Serpent Mound has been active at least twice. The first time was in the Carboniferous when the structure was formed. The second was the inflowing of iron and zinc bearing fluids in the Upper Triassic. This is strong evidence for including Serpent Mound in a group of thirteen similar structures which suggest partial development of a rift valley tectonic structure during Middle Paleozoic through Early Mesozoic time.