including structural and provenance studies
The Ballantrae Complex is made up of Ordovician fault- bounded units of mainly basalts,
associated sediments and serpentinites, which are ENE - WSW striking, steeply inclined and
younging northwestward. It is interpreted as an ophiolite complex, which was obducted in
Arenig times. The characteristic lithologies of an ophiolite are present, although a sheeted dyke
sequence was never found.
The Lavas are water lain and mostly well pillowed. There is some evidence of shallow water
eruptions, e.g. vesicular pillows, hyaloclastites, reddened horizons and well rounded
volcanogenic clasts indicating an intertidal accumulation facies..
The complex is unconformably overlain by late Ordovician to early Silurian coarse grained neritic sediments which are derived
A) from the Ballantrae Complex itself
B) from an acidic magmatic complex,
and by fine grained pelagic sediments.
A very complex deformation history is evident throughout the whole complex.
The purpose of our studies is to reveal more information on the brittle and ductile deformation
history and the provenance of the adjacent sediments in order to become famous, honoured,
rich, beautiful and good.
Individual studies:
Dittmers, Klaus Strain analysis of the dynamothermal aureole which is associated with
the northern serpentinite belt
George, Michael Provenance of volcanoclastics through XRF analysis
Mühlebach, Georg Ductile deformation analysis of the Ballantrae Complex
Thiel, Stefan Provenance of the sedimentary cover in comparison to the greywackes of
the Southern Uplands A) geological B) geochemical
Vött, Ulrike Brittle deformation analysis of the Ballantrae Complex