Remanent magnetizations carried by pyrrhotite in deformed country rock sediments nearby the intrusive rocks indicate that tilting of the sedimentary rocks occurred prior or during the intrusion. The paleomagnetic study shows no evidence for either a measurable tilt of the IPC or a significant rotation of the forearc at this latitude range. Moreover, new 40Ar/39Ar ages exclude any medium- to low-temperature post-magmatic recrystallization/deformation event in the studied samples. AMS data show a magnetic foliation that is often sub-vertical. Despite an apparent N-S elongated shape of the IPC, the large variations in the orientation of the AMS foliation suggests that this plutonic complex could be made of several units distributed in a N-S trend rather than N-S elongated bodies.
Previous works have suggested for this area a major shift on tectonic evolution from highly extensional during Lower Cretaceous to a period around 100聽Ma, associated with exhumation and compressive deformation to conform the present day Coastal Range. The low degree of anisotropy and the lack of evidence for a tectonic fabric in the intrusive rocks indicate that the shift from extensional to compressional should postdate the emplacement of the IPC, i.e. is younger than 90Ma.