This award will support collaborative research between Dr. R. Damian Nance, Ohio University and Dr. Robin Strachan, Department of Geology, Oxford Polytechnic Institute, Oxford, England. The objective of the project is an examination and evaluation of the nature and extent of terrane linkages between the Late Precambrian Avalonian Belt of the Northern Appalachians and the tectonostratigraphically similar Cadomian Belt of Britain and France. The Avalon terrane forms a distinctive but enigmatic belt of rocks characterized by Late Precambrian volcanic sedimentary successions and co-genetic granitoid plutons, overlain by a Lower Paleozoic shallow-marine overstep sequence bearing Atlantic-realm fauna. The presence of this fauna links the Avalon terrane to Europe rather than to North America during the Early Paleozoic period and has encouraged correlation with the Late Precambrian rocks of Britain's Midland Platform and the Armorican Massif of France. Recent studies by Dr. Nance suggest that the Avalonian-Cadomian Belt represents a single tectonic system whose evolution may relate to the breakup of a late Precambrian supercontinent. In this joint project, Dr. Nance proposes to combine his expertise in Avalonian tectonostratigraphy with the complementary tectonic skills of Dr. Strachan and his colleagues of the Cadomian Research Group at Oxford Polytechnic Institute in order to undertake a detailed examination of terrane linkages within the Avalonian Cadomian Belt, focusing in particular on the nature and kinematic history of its terrane boundaries. The results of this survey will contribute to a greater under- standing of the tectonic evolution of the Avalonian-Cadomian Belt.
