NEOPROTEROZOIC PALEOMAGNETIC DIRECTIONS IN ROCKS FROM A KEY SECTION OF THE PROTOGINE ZONE, SOUTHERN SWEDEN

New palaeomagnetic data from the Protogine Zone (PZ) of southern Swede n are presented together with data from east and west of the zone. The y confirm previous palaeomagnetic results from the PZ that indicate a difference in magnetic properties between rocks north and south of a s ection at 57 degrees N, here called the Alvesta-Ljungby Palaeomagnetic Borderzone (ALPB). The results are divided into four groups: group I [declination (D) = 297 degrees, inclination (I) = -78.5 degrees, alpha (95) = 2.4 degrees, pole position 42.7 degrees S, 220.9 degrees E]; gr oup II (D = 129.4 degrees, I = 52.2 degrees, alpha(95) = 4.2 degrees, pole position 9.4 degrees S, 235.5 degrees E); group III (D = 155.4 de grees, I = 61.3 degrees, alpha(95) = 4.9 degrees, pole position 11.6 d egrees S, 211.2 degrees E); group IV (D = 125.5 degrees, I = 35.4 degr ees, alpha(95) = 5.4 degrees, pole position 0.8 degrees N, 244.1 degre es E). A fifth, poorly defined, group has a mean direction D = 304.5 d egrees, I = 5.4 degrees, alpha(95) = 15.1 degrees and pole position 21 .3 degrees N, 255.9 degrees E. These palaeopoles fall on the c. 1050-9 00 Ma Sveconorwegian Loop of the Fennoscandian apparent polar wander p ath. Together with previously published data from southern Norway, the group I poles define the high-latitude apex of the loop at c. 950-930 Ma. The groups II-V palaeopoles are situated at low latitudes but it is difficult to place them in chronological order owing to a lack of a ge data and two possible interpretations, that is of an open or a clos ed loop. The study shows that the part of the PZ extending south of th e ALPB belongs to the Southwest Granulite Region and the rocks became remagnetized during the tectonic stacking and uplift processes that cr eated that region. Dolerites from east of the PZ have primary magnetiz ations and the data indicate that they belong to the Blekinge-Dalarna dolerites, a suite of dykes east of the PZ with ages between 995 and 8 80 Ma. Dolerites west of the PZ yield low-latitude Sveconorwegian pala eopoles but it is not certain if their magnetizations are primary or a re due to remagnetization during the Sveconorwegian Orogeny.