SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN PALEOMAGNETIC POLES FROM NORTH CHINA AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GONDWANA

We have obtained paleomagnetic results from Silurian and Devonian rock s on the western margin of the North China Block (NCB), ages which pre viously were thought to be unrepresented throughout North China. High unblocking temperature components of magnetization isolated from both the Silurian and Devonian strata pass fold and reversal tests, suggest ing that they are primary remanence. The corresponding paleopoles, at 228.4-degrees-E, 26.2-degrees-N (Silurian) and 228.7-degrees-E, 34.2-d egrees-N (Devonian), imply low paleolatitude positions of North China during the middle Paleozoic, probably adjacent to east Gondwana.