Reconstruction of Basin and Range extension and westward motion of the Sierra Nevada Block

GSA Field Guides

Volumn 2, Issue , 2000, Pages 75-96

  Brady, Robert J ^a   Wernicke, Brian P ^a   Niemi, Nathan A ^a  

^a CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

GEOCHRONOLOGY; STRATIGRAPHY;

BASIN AND RANGE; DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT; GEODETIC MEASUREMENTS; MIDDLE MIOCENE; NORTHWEST EXTENSIONS; SIERRA NEVADA; SLIP DISPLACEMENTS; STRUCTURAL MAPPING;

LANDFORMS;

EID: 41749104128     PISSN: None     EISSN: None     Source Type: Book Series    
DOI: 10.1130/0-8137-0002-7.75     Document Type: Article

References (77)

1. Abolins, M.A., 1998, I. Stratigraphic constraints on the number of discrete Neoproterozoic glaciations and the relationship between glaciation and Ediacaran evolution, and II. The Kwichup Spring thrust in the northwestern Spring Mountains, Nevada: Implications for large-magnitude extension and the structure of the Cordilleran thrust belt [Ph.D. dissertation]: Pasadena, California Institute of Technology, 348 p.
2. Anderson, R.E., 1973, Large-magnitude late Tertiary strike-slip faulting north of Lake Mead, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 794, 18 p.
3. Anderson, R.E., Barnhard, T.P., and Snee, L.W., 1994, Roles of plutonism, midcrustal flow, tectonic rafting, and horizontal collapse in shaping the Miocene strain field of the Lake Mead area, Nevada and Arizona: Tectonics, v. 13, p. 1381-1410.
4. Applegate, J.D.R., Walker, J.D., and Hodges, K.V., 1992, Late Cretaceous extensional unroofing in the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex, California: Geology, v. 20, p. 519-522.
5. Atwater, T, and Stock, J.M., 1998, Pacific-North America plate tectonics of the Neogene southwestern United States - an update: International Geological Review, v. 40, p. 375-402. (Pubitemid 28431428)
6. Axen, G.J., 1993, Ramp-flat detachment faulting in and low-angle normal reactivation of the Tule Springs thrust, southern Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 1076-1090. (Pubitemid 23394734)
7. Axen, G.J., Wernicke, B.P., Skelly, M.J., and Taylor, W.J., 1990, Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics of the Sevier thrust belt in the Virgin River Valley area, southern Nevada, in Wernicke, B., ed., Basin and Range extensional tectonics near the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada: Geological Society of America Memoir 176, p. 123-153.
8. Axen, G.J., Taylor, W.J., and Bartley, J.M., 1993, Space-time patterns and tectonic controls of Tertiary extension and magmatism in the Great Basin of the western United States: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 56-76. (Pubitemid 23388498)
9. Bennett, R.A., Davis J.L., Wernicke B.P., 1999, Present-day pattern of Cordilleran deformation in the western United States: Geology, v. 27, p. 371-374. (Pubitemid 29384864)
10. Bohannon, R.G., 1979, Strike-slip faults of the Lake Mead region of southern Nevada, in Armentrout, J.M., Cole, M.R., and TerBest, H., Jr., eds., Cenozoic paleogeography of the western United States: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Section, Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symposium, 3rd., p. 129-139.
11. Bohannon, R.G., 1984, Nonmarine sedimentary rocks ofTertiary age in the Lake Mead region: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1259, 72 p.
12. Bohannon, R.G., Grow, J.A., Miller, J.J., and Blank, H.R., Jr., 1993, Seismic stratigraphy and tectonic development of Virgin River depression and associated basins, southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 501-520. (Pubitemid 23391214)
13. Brady, R.J., 1998, The geology of the Gold Butte breakaway zone and the mechanical evolution of normal fault systems [Ph.D. thesis]: Pasadena, California Institute of Technology, 200 p.
14. Brady, R., Wernicke, B., and Fryxell, J., 2000, Kinematic evolution of a largeoffset continental normal fault system, South Virgin Mountains, Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 112, no. 9, p. 1375-1397. (Pubitemid 32832301)
15. Burchfiel, B.C., Hamill, G.S., and Wilhelms, D.E., 1982, Stratigraphy of the Montgomery Mountains and the northern half of the Nopah and Resting Spring Ranges, Nevada and California: Geological Society of America Map and Chart Series MC44, scale 1:62,500, 1 sheet, 9 p. text.
16. Burchfiel, B.C., Hamill, G.S., and Wilhelms, D.E., 1983, Structural geology of the Montgomery Mountains and the northern half of the Nopah and Resting Spring Ranges, Nevada and California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 94, p. 1359-1376.
17. Cemen, I., and Wright, L.A., 1988, Stratigraphy and chronology of the Artist Drive Formation, Furnace Creek Basin, Death Valley, California, in Gregory, J.L., and Baldwin, E.J., eds., Geology of the Death Valley region: Santa Ana, California, South Coast Geological Society, Field Trip Guidebook 16, p. 77-87.
18. Cemen, I., Wright, L.A., Drake, R.E., and Johnson, F.C., 1985, Cenozoic sedimentation and sequence of deformational events at the southeastern end of the Furnace Creek strike-slip fault zone, Death Valley region, California, in Biddle, K.T., and Christie-Blick, N., eds., Strike-slip deformation, basin formation, and sedimentation: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication 37, p. 127-141.
19. Cemen, I, Wright, L.A., and Prave, A.R., 1999, Stratigraphy and tectonic implications of the latest Oligocene and early Miocene sedimentary succession, southernmost Funeral Mountains, Death Valley region, California, in Wright, L.A. and Troxel, B.W., eds., Cenozoic basins of the Death Valley region: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 333, p. 65-86.
20. Chamberlin, R.M., 1983, Cenozoic domino-style crustal extension in the Lemitar Mountains, Socorro County, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report No. 169, 3 plates, scale 1:12,000.
21. Cole, J.C., and Cashman, P.H., 1999, Structural relationships of pre-Tertiary rocks in the Nevada Test Site region, southern Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, v. P-1607, 39 p.
22. Corbett, K.P., 1990, Basin and Range extensional tectonics at the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada: Discussion: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 102, p. 267-268.
23. Davis, G.A., Fowler, T.K., Bishop, K.M., Brudos, T.C., Friedmann, S.J., Burbank, D.W., Parke, M.A., and Burchfiel, B.C., 1993, Pluton pinning of an active Miocene detachment fault system, eastern Mojave Desert, California: Geology, v. 21, p. 627-630. (Pubitemid 23394749)
24. Duebendorfer, E.M., and Sharp, W.D., 1998, Variation in displacement along strike of the South Virgin-White Hills detachment fault: Perspective from the northern White Hills, northwestern Arizona: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 110, p. 1574-1589. (Pubitemid 29158379)
25. Duebendorfer, E.M., Beard, L.S., and Smith, E.I., 1998, Restoration of Tertiary deformation in the Lake Mead region, southern Nevada; The role of strike-slip transfer faults, in Faulds, J.E., and Stewart, J.H., eds., Accommodation zones and transfer zones: The regional segmentation of the Basin and Range Province: Geological Society of America Special Paper 323, p. 127-148.
26. Fitzgerald, P.G., Fryxell, J.E., and Wernicke, B.P., 1991, Miocene crustal extension and uplift in southeastern Nevada: Constraints from fission track analysis: Geology, v. 19, p. 1013-1016.
27. Fryxell, J.E., Salton, G.S., Selverstone, J.E., and Wernicke, B., 1992, Gold Butte crustal section, South Virgin Mountains, Nevada: Tectonics, v. 11, p. 1099-1120. (Pubitemid 23389489)
28. Gans, P.B., and Miller, E.L., 1983, Style of mid-Tertiary extension in eastcentral Nevada, in Gurgel, K.D., ed., Geologic excursions in the overthrust belt and metamorphic core complexes of the intermountain region, Guidebook-Part 1: Utah Geological and Mineral Survey, Special Studies 59, p. 107-139.
29. Greene, R.C., 1997, Geology of the northern Black Mountains, Death Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-79, 110 p.
30. Hamblin, W.K., 1965, Origin of "reverse drag" on the downthrown side of normal faults: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 76, p. 1145-1164.
31. Hodges, K.V., and Walker, J.D., 1990, Petrologic constraints on the unroofing history of the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex, California: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 95, p. 8437-8445.
32. Holm, D.K., and Dokka, R.K., 1993, Interpretation and tectonic implications of cooling histories: An example from the Black Mountains, Death Valley extended terrane, California: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 116, p. 63-80. (Pubitemid 23392346)
33. Holm, D.K., and Wernicke, B.P., 1990, Black Mountains crustal section, Death Valley extended terrain, California: Geology, v. 18, p. 520-523.
34. Holm, D.K., Snow, J.K., and Lux, D.R., 1992, Thermal and barometric constraints on the intrusive and unroofing history of the Black Mountains: Implications for timing, initial dip, and kinematics of detachment faulting in the Death Valley region, California: Tectonics, v. 11, p. 507-522.
35. Longwell, C.R., 1945, Low angle normal faults in the Basin and Range province: Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 26, p. 107-118.
36. Longwell, C.R., 1974, Measure and rate of movement on Las Vegas Valley shear zone, Clark County, Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 85, p. 985-990.
37. McAllister, J.F., 1970, Geology of the Furnace Creek borate area, Death Valley, Inyo County, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Map Sheet 14, scale 1: 24,000, 1 sheet, 9 p. text.
38. McAllister, J.F., 1973, Geologic map and sections of the Amargosa Valley borate area - Southeast continuation of the Furnace Creek area, Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-782, scale 1:24,000, 1 sheet.
39. McKenna, L.W., and Hodges, K.V., 1990, Constraints on kinematics and timing of late Miocene-Recent extension between Panamint and Black Mountains, south-eastern California, in Wernicke, B.P., ed., Basin and Range extensional tectonics near the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada: Geological Society of America Memoir 176, p. 363-376.
40. Monsen, S.A., Carr, M.D., Reheis, M.C., and Orkild, P.P., 1992, Geologic map of Bare Mountain, Nye County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-2201, scale 1:24,000, 1 sheet, 6 p. text.
41. Morton, W.H., and Black, R., 1975, Crustal attenuation in Afar, in Pilger, A., and Roesler, A., eds., Afar Depression of Ethiopia, Volume 1, p. 55-65.
42. Niemi, N.A., Wernicke, B.P., Brady, R.J., Saleeby, J.B., and Dunne, G.C., 2001, Distribution and provenance of the middle Miocene Eagle Mountain Formation and implications for regional kinematic analysis of the Basin and Range province: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 113 (in press).
43. Parolini, J.R., and Rowland, S.M., 1988, Proximal Miocene debris flows in the Frenchman Mountain structural block: Implications for extension in the Lake Mead region: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 20, no. 3, p. 220.
44. Parolini, J.R., Smith, E.I., and Wilbanks, J.R., 1981, Fission track dating of rapakivi granite in the Rainbow Gardens and in the South Virgin Mountains, Clark County, Nevada: Isochron/West, v. 30, p. 9-10.
45. Parolini, J.R., Smith, E.I., and Wilbanks, J.R., 1982, Landslide masses in the Rainbow Gardens, Clark County, Nevada: Lithology, emplacement, and significance: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 14, p. 223.
46. Prave, A.R., and Wright, L.A., 1986, Isopach pattern of the Lower Cambrian Zabriskie Quartzite, Death Valley region, California-Nevada: How useful in tectonic reconstruction?: Geology, v. 14, p. 251-254.
47. Proffett, J.M., Jr., 1977, Cenozoic geology of the Yerington District, Nevada, and implications for the nature and origin of Basin and Range normal faulting: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 88, p. 247-266.
48. Reiners, P., Brady, R., Farley, K., Fryxell, J., Wernicke, B., and Lux, D., 2000, Helium and argon thermochronometry of the Gold Butte block, South Virgin Mountains, Nevada: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 178, p. 315-326. (Pubitemid 30392841)
49. Reynolds, M.W., 1969, Stratigraphy and structural geology of the Titus and Titanothere Canyons area, Death Valley, California [Ph.D. dissert.]: Berkeley, University of California, 310 p.
50. Reynolds,M.W., 1974, Geology of the Grapevine Mountains, DeathValley, California: Asummary, in Death Valley region, California and Nevada, Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section, Field Trip 1 Guidebook: Shoshone, California, Death Valley Publishing Company, p. 91-97.
51. Rowland, S.M., Parolini, J.R., Eschner, E., McAllister, A.J., and Rice, J.A., 1990, Sedimentologic and stratigraphic constraints on the Neogene translation and rotation of the Frenchman Mountain structural block, Clark County, Nevada, in Wernicke, B.P., ed., Basin and Range extensional tectonics near the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Memoir 176, p. 99-122.
52. Sawyer, D.A., Fleck, R.J., Lanphere, M.A., Warren, R.G., Broxton, D.E., and Hudson, M.R., 1994, Episodic caldera volcanism in the Miocene southwestern Nevada volcanic field: Revised stratigraphic framework, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, and implications for magmatism and extension: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 106, p. 1304-1318.
53. Serpa, L., and Pavlis, T.L., 1996, Three-dimensional model of the late Cenozoic history of the Death Valley region, southeastern California: Tectonics, v. 15, p. 1113-1128.
54. Snow, J.K.,1992, Large-magnitude Permian shortening and continental margin tectonics in the southern Cordillera: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 104, p. 80-105.
55. Snow, J.K., and Lux, D.R., 1999, Tectono-sequence stratigraphy of Tertiary rocks in the Cottonwood Mountains and northern Death Valley area, California and Nevada, inWright, L.A., and Troxel, B.W., eds., Cenozoic basins of the Death Valley region: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 333, p. 17-64.
56. Snow, J.K., and Prave, A.R., 1994, Covariance of structural and stratigraphic trends: Evidence for anticlockwise rotation within theWalker Lane belt, DeathValley region, California and Nevada:Tectonics, v. 13, p. 712-724. (Pubitemid 24428838)
57. Snow, J.K. and Wernicke, B., 1989, Uniqueness of geological reconstructions: An example from the Death Valley extended terrain: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 101, p. 1351-1362.
58. Snow, J.K., and Wernicke, B.P., 2000, Cenozoic tectonism in the central Basin and Range: Magnitude, rate, and distribution of upper crustal strain: American Journal of Science, v. 300 (in press).
59. Stevens, C.H., Stone, P., and Belasky, P., 1991, Paleogeographic and structural significance of an Upper Mississippian facies boundary in southern Nevada and east-central California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 103, p. 876-885.
60. Stevens, C.H., Stone, P., and Belasky, P., 1992, Paleogeographic and structural significance of an Upper Mississippian facies boundary in southern Nevada and east-central California: Reply: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 104, p. 1067-1069.
61. Stewart, J.H., Ross, D.C., Nelson, C.A., and Burchfiel, B.C., 1966, Last Chance Thrust: Amajor fault in the eastern part of Inyo County, California: Geological Survey Research 1966: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, v. P 0550-D, p. D23-D34.
62. Stewart, J.H., 1980, Geology of Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Special Publication, v. 4, 136 p.
63. Stewart, J.H., 1983, Extensional tectonics in the Death Valley area, California: Transport of the Panamint Range structural block 80 km northwestward: Geology, v. 11, p. 153-157.
64. Stone, P., and Stevens, C.H., 1993, Large-magnitude Permian shortening and continental-margin tectonics in the southern Cordillera: Discussion: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 279-280.
65. Topping, D.J., 1993, Paleogeographic reconstruction of the Death Valley extended region: Evidence from Miocene large rock-avalanche deposits in the Amargosa Chaos Basin, California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 1190-1213. (Pubitemid 24419521)
66. Wasserburg, G.J., and Lanphere, M.A., 1965, Age determinations in the Precambrian of Arizona and Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 76, p. 735-758.
67. Wernicke, B., 1992, Cenozoic extensional tectonics of the U.S. Cordillera, in Burchfiel, B.C., Lipman, P.W., and Zoback, M.L., eds., The Cordilleran Orogen; Conterminous U.S.: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, The Geology of North America, v. G-3, p. 553-581.
68. Wernicke, B., 1995, Low-angle normal faults and global seismicity: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 159-20,174.
69. Wernicke, B., and Axen, G.J., 1988, On the role of isostasy in the evolution of normal fault systems: Geology, v. 16, p. 848-851.
70. Wernicke, B.P., and Snow, J.K., 1998, Cenozoic tectonism in the central Basin and Range: Motion of the Sierran-Great Valley block: International Geology Review, v. 40, p. 403-410. (Pubitemid 28431429)
71. Wernicke, B., Walker, J.D, and Beaufait, M.S., 1985, Structural discordance between Neogene detachments and frontal Sevier thrusts, central Mormon Mountains, southern Nevada: Tectonics, v. 4, p. 213-246.
72. Wernicke, B., Axen, G.J., and Snow, J.K., 1988, Basin and Range extensional tectonics at the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 100, p. 1738-1757.
73. Wernicke, B., Snow, J.K., Hodges, K.V., and Walker, J.D., 1993, Structural constraints on Neogene tectonism in the southern Great Basin, in Lahren, M.M., Trexler, J.H., Jr., and Spinosa, C., eds., Crustal evolution of the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada: Cordilleran/Rocky Mountain Section, Geological Society of America Guidebook, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, p. 453-479.
74. Wilhelms, D.E., 1962, Geology of part of the Nopah and Resting Spring Ranges, Inyo County, California [Ph.D. dissertation]: Los Angeles, University of California, 224 p.
75. Wright, L.A., and Troxel, B.W., 1973, Shallow fault interpretation of Basin and Range structure, southwestern Great Basin, in de Jong, K.A., and Scholten, R., eds., Gravity and tectonics: New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 397-407.
76. Wright, L.A., Thompson, R.A., Troxel, B.W., Pavlis, T.L., DeWitt, E.H., Otton, J.K., Ellis, M.A., Miller, M.G., and Serpa, L.F., 1991, Cenozoic magmatic and tectonic evolution of the east-central Death Valley region, Califomia, in Walawender, M.J., and Hanan, B.B., eds., Geological excursions in Southern California and Mexico: Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America Guidebook, San Diego, California, p. 93-127.
77. Wright, L.A., Greene, R.C., Cemen, I., Johnson, F.C., and Prave, A.R., 1999, Tectonostratigraphic development of the Miocene-Pliocene Furnace Creek Basin, and related features, Death Valley region, California, in Wright, L.A., and Troxel, B.W., eds., Cenozoic basins of the Death Valley region: Geological Society of America Special Paper 333, p. 87-114.