Iberian Triassic paleomagnetism revisited: Intraplate block rotations versus polar wandering

A paleomagnetic study of over 220 samples, obtained from 21 sites from Triassic redbeds in the Algarve (S Portugal) and La Meseta (SE Spain), yields two paleomagnetic poles at lat = 62°N,lon = 202°E, A95 = 9 and lat=54°N, lon=178°E, A95=7 respectively. The Algarve paleopole reflects a rotation associated with the Alpine evolution of the Iberian Atlantic margin. A comparison of the La Meseta pole with other data indicates a progressive clockwise rotation of the Eurasian Plate from the Late Paleozoic to Middle Triassic, followed by rapid drift until the Upper Triassic. This late Triassic drift event may be related to the opening and spreading of the Tethys towards the west.