Time and duration of Tertiary igneous activity of Rhum and adjacent areas

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Abstract
Synopsis: Two new 40 Ar– 39 Ar plateau dates are given for the Rhum central complex (58.4 ± 0.8 (2σ) Ma) and lavas (60.1 ± 1.0 Ma). These are considered in conjunction with available geological, radiometric and palaeomagnetic evidence to show that the formation of the central intrusive complex of Rhum, its subsequent unroofing, followed by the intrusion of lavas in Rhum, Canna and Skye, together with the development of most or all of the Cuillins centre of Skye probably occurred within the single reversed polarity interval 26r lasting about 2.8 Ma about 59 Ma ago. In all three areas igneous activity extended into the following interval of normal magnetisation, though only just in the cases of Rhum and Canna.