Chronology of Precambrian events in the Front Range, Colorado

1968 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 749-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zell E. Peterman ◽  
Carl E. Hedge
Keyword(s):  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
Volcanic Pile ◽  
Metamorphic Terrane ◽  
Geologic Record ◽  
Intrusive Activity

The Precambrian rocks of the Front Range have undergone a long and complex history involving multiple periods of metamorphism, deformation, and intrusive activity. Before 1750 m.y. ago sedimentation and volcanism resulted in the accumulation of many thousands of feet of sandstone and shale, and lesser amounts of calcareous and volcanic rocks on a basement terrane that has not yet been recognized.Regional and dynamic metamorphism at 1700 to 1750 m.y. ago converted the sedimentary-volcanic pile to a metamorphic terrane of dominantly medium- to high-grade gneisses and schists. Plutonic rocks typified by Boulder Creek Granite were emplaced during this event. After this orogeny, there is a time span of 250 to 350 m.y. for which there is no obvious geologic record. The interval 1390 to 1450 m.y. was a period of major igneous activity during which the extensive Silver Plume Granite, Sherman Granite, granitic and mafic dikes, and pegmatites were emplaced. Regional heating attendant with this plutonism was effective in resetting most K-Ar and Rb-Sr mineral ages of the older rocks. Tectonic activity along the great shear zone that trends northeast through Idaho Springs probably began during this orogeny and may have continued intermittently until about 1200 m.y. ago.The Pikes Peak batholith and smaller related granites were emplaced at 1040 m.y. ago. This event was not accompanied by regional metamorphism. There is no recognized sedimentary record between the earlier orogeny and this igneous activity. The Pikes Peak igneous activity is the youngest recognized Precambrian event, but it appears to be limited to the Pikes Peak batholith and satellite plutons.

scholarly journals Fission track dating of lower Tertiary rhyolitic glass rocks from Disko

1985 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 28-30
Author(s):  
K Hansen ◽  
A.K Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Late Stage ◽  
Fission Track ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Fission Track Dating ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Lower Tertiary ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
Geomagnetic Anomaly ◽  
Age Determinations

The Tertiary igneous activity in West Greenland has not been dated in detail. Sediments contemporaneous with, or slightly older than, the early volcanic rocks are assigned amiddle Paleocene age from palaeontological evidence (Henderson et al., 1981), and palaeomagnetic work by Athavale & Sharma (1975) indicates that the Vaigat Formation picrites and the lower 500 m or so of the overlying Maligât Formation (Hald & Pedersen, 1975) were erupted in the time span represented by geomagnetic anomaly 25 together with the long reversal period between anomalies 25 and 24. The age estimated for this period is 56 to 52 Ma (Butler & Coney, 1981). The late Stage lamprophyre magmatism on Ubekendt Ejland appears to be much younger, about 30 to 40 Ma (Parrott & Reynolds, 1975). No reliable radiometric age determinations have been published from the Disko-Nûgssuaq area.

The Mugford Group Volcanics of Labrador: Age, Geochemistry, and Tectonic Setting

1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1196-1208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackson M. Barton Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Tectonic Setting ◽  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Phosphorus Fractionation ◽  
Flood Basalts ◽  
Continental Flood Basalts ◽  
The North ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
North Atlantic Craton

The Mugford Group is a sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks exposed within the Khaumayät (Kaumajet) Mountains of Labrador. Separated from an intensely deformed and deeply eroded Archean basement complex by an angular unconformity, these rocks are nearly everywhere flat-lying and only locally altered. The volcanic rocks within the Mugford Group are of three types: tholeiitic basalts, komatiitic basalts and greenstones. A phosphorus fractionation diagram indicates that the tholeiitic and komatiitic basalts may be differentiates of a common magma. The greenstones, however, have undergone a separate crystallization history, but plot within the field of tholeiitic basalts on a FMA diagram, suggesting they were originally tholeiites. K–Ar whole-rock ages show that the Mugford volcanics are at least 1490 m.y. old. Rb–Sr whole-rock isotopic analyses of the tholeiitic and komatiitic basalts and the greenstones define an isochron of 2369 ± 55 m.y. with an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7033 ± 0.0002. This age is interpreted as approximating the time of extrusion of the Mugford volcanics. The low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio indicates that the magmas giving rise to these rocks were not appreciably contaminated with older crustal material.The Mugford volcanics are presently the oldest recognized continental flood basalts. Their extrusion apparently occurred contemporaneously with the intrusion of the Okhakh granite at Okhakh (Okak) Harbour, 25 km to the south. This suggests that while no regional metamorphism accompanied extrusion of these volcanics, some local igneous activity did occur at that time. The Mugford volcanics may represent the extrusive equivalents of numerous basic dikes that were intruded during the final stages of stabilization of the North Atlantic craton.

A Discussion on global tectonics in Proterozoic times - Early and Middle Proterozoic history of the Great Lakes area, North America

1976 ◽  
Vol 280 (1298) ◽  
pp. 605-628 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Tectonic Event ◽  
Early Proterozoic ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
Area North ◽  
Orogenic Belts

Two major supracrustal sequences, the Huronian Supergroup in Ontario and the Marquette Range Supergroup and Animikie Group of Michigan and Minnesota, overlie an Archean basement. These sequences are about 2200—2300 Ma and 1900-2000 Ma old respectively. The major Early Proterozoic tectonic event is the ‘Penokean Orogeny’, which occurred about 1850-1900 Ma ago and included deformation, high-grade regional metamorphism, and extrusive and intrusive igneous activity. This was followed by formation of rhyolitic, ignimbritic volcanic rocks and emplacement of associated granites about 1790 Ma ago. The entire region was subsequently subjected to low-grade regional metamorphism 1650-1700 Ma ago, followed by emplacement of anorogenic quartz-monzonite, in part rapakivi, plutons 1500 Ma ago. Late Proterozoic Grenville and Keweenawan events represent the youngest major Precambrian activity in the region. The rocks involved in the Penokean Orogeny lie along the southern margin of the Archean craton of the Superior Province and are interpreted as representing Early Proterozoic cratonic-margin orogenic activity. The distribution of rocks types and structures associated with the Penokean Orogeny and with similar orogenic belts along the margin of the Archean craton of North America suggest that these orogenic belts may have formed as a result of processes similar to modern plate tectonics, although the data are far from conclusive at present.

Stages of Late Palaeozoic deformation and intrusive activity in the western part of the North Patagonian Massif (southern Argentina) and their geotectonic implications

2008 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. VON GOSEN
Keyword(s):  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
The North ◽  
Magmatic Rocks ◽  
Late Palaeozoic ◽  
Intrusive Rocks ◽  
Gondwana Margin ◽  
Intrusive Activity ◽  
Magmatic History ◽  
Crust Deformation ◽  
Deformational Event

AbstractAnalyses of structures in the western part of the North Patagonian Massif (southern Argentina) suggest a polyphase evolution, accompanied by continuous intrusive activity. The first two deformations (D1, D2) and metamorphism affected the upper Palaeozoic, partly possibly older Cushamen Formation clastic succession and different intrusive rocks. A second group of intrusions, emplaced after the second deformational episode (D2), in many places contain angular xenoliths of the foliated country rocks, indicating high intrusive levels with brittle fracturing of the crust. Deformation of these magmatic rocks presumably began during (the final stage of) cooling and continued under solid-state conditions. It probably coincided with the third deformational event (D3) in the country rocks. Based on published U–Pb zircon ages of deformed granitoids, the D2-deformation and younger event along with the regional metamorphism are likely to be Permian in age. An onset of the deformational and magmatic history during Carboniferous times, however, cannot be excluded. The estimated ~W–E to NE–SW compression during the D2-deformation, also affecting the first group of intrusive rocks, can be related to subduction beneath the western Patagonia margin or an advanced stage of collisional tectonics within extra-Andean Patagonia. The younger ~N–S to NE–SW compression might have been an effect of oblique subduction in the west and/or continuing collision-related deformation. As a cause for its deviating orientation, younger block rotations during strike-slip faulting cannot be excluded. The previous D2-event presumably also had an effect on compression at the northern Patagonia margin that was interpreted as result of Patagonia's late Palaeozoic collision with the southwestern Gondwana margin. With the recently proposed Carboniferous subduction and collision south of the North Patagonian Massif, the entire scenario might suggest that Patagonia consists of two different pieces that were amalgamated with southwestern Gondwana during Late Palaeozoic times.

scholarly journals Active tectonics around the Mediterranean region: site studies and application of new methodologies

2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Cucci ◽  
Paolo Marco De Martini ◽  
Eulalia Masana ◽  
Kris Vanneste
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Active Tectonics ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Tectonic Processes ◽  
Critical Facilities ◽  
Basic Studies ◽  
Tectonic Movements

<p>More than 25 years have passed since the definition of Active Tectonics as "tectonic movements that are expected to occur within a future time span of concern to society", formulated in a milestone book by the National Research Council on this topic (Studies in Geophysics, Active Tectonics, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1986), and those words have still to be considered the most suitable and exhaustive way to explain this branch of the Earth Sciences. Indeed only bridging together basic studies ("tectonic movements"), rates of occurrence ("time span") and hazard assessment ("society") can we fully evaluate ongoing tectonic activity and its associated hazards. The broad Mediterranean Sea region is a paradigmatic area from this point of view, as on one hand this region displays in a relatively limited geographic extent a great variety of tectonic processes such as plate collision, subduction, volcanic activity, large-magnitude earthquakes, active folding and faulting, vertical uplift and/or subsidence. On the other hand, all the above mentioned tectonic processes can potentially affect a total population of about 450 million, mostly concentrated in fast-growing urban areas and/or close to industrial compounds and critical facilities often located nearby hazard sources. […]</p>

scholarly journals “Trachytes” from Sardinia: Geoheritage and Current Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Careddu ◽  
Silvana Maria Grillo
Keyword(s):  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Mineralogical Composition ◽  
Building Stone ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Current State ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
Mineral Components ◽  
Granitoid Rocks ◽  
The Aesthetic

Sardinia was affected by an intense igneous activity which generated calc-alkaline products during the Oligo-Miocene period. The volcanic substance shows large variations, ranging from pyroclastic flow deposits, lava flows and domes. By composition, the deposits are all primarily dacites and rhyolites, with subordinate andesites and very scarce basalts. The rhyolite lavas show porphyritic and ash-flow tuffs. Ignimbrite structures are found in the dacitic domes and rhyolitic lavas. These rocks—commercially known as “Trachytes of Sardinia”—used to be quarried in all historical provinces, mainly in the central part of the island to be used as ornamental and building stone. They continue to be commonly used nowadays, but their use dates back to the prehistoric age. They are easily found in many nuraghi, “domus de janas”, holy wells, Roman works (mosaics, paving, roads, bridges), many churches built in Sardinia and practically in all kinds of structural elements in public and private buildings, such as walls, houses, and bridges. Contrary to the granitoid rocks, whose appearance is largely influenced by the mineralogical composition, the aesthetic feature of volcanic rocks is rather affected by the widest range of colors, structure and texture, i.e., shape, size and distribution of mineral components, porphyric index, etc. “Trachyte” is quarried opencast with the “single low step” method, with descending development, with prevalent use of double-disc sawing machines. Whenever the stone deposit allows higher steps, the chain cutting machine, in combination with diamond wire, becomes the preferred extraction solution. This study aims to at look Sardinian “trachytes” from a geoheritage perspective. After a geological-petrographic framework, the paper discusses the historical uses of “trachyte” in Sardinia. The current state of the art of “trachyte” quarrying, processing and usage in the Island is also described. An analysis of the “trachyte” production has been carried out. Finally, a consideration about how to enhance geotourism in the area is suggested.

Evolution of Mt. St. Joseph—an Archaean Volcano

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Clifford ◽  
Robert H. McNutt
Keyword(s):  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Eruptive History ◽  
Iron Enrichment ◽  
Severe Deformation ◽  
Continuous Activity ◽  
Volcanic Pile ◽  
Mixed Flows

A 6650-m thickness of volcanic rocks at Lake St. Joseph is here interpreted as an Archaean composite strato-volcano. Despite severe deformation, primary mesoscopic fabrics are well-preserved. They permit the inference of a physical eruptive history, to which the chemistry can be related.The lowermost 2700-m of flows, pillow breccias, and autobreccias are exclusively basaltic, and indicate quiet, probably semi-continuous activity. Interruption of this activity is shown by an intraformational conglomerate developed on a metadiorite, which has thermally metamorphosed argillite lenses intercalated with the flows. Subsequently, activity became more episodic and violent, yielding, first, 750-m of mixed flows and fragmental rocks, substantially andesitic; and then 3200-m of fragmental rocks, substantially salic. Basaltic dikes ramify through the volcanic pile. Several rhyolitic or dacitic flows are regarded as flank eruptions.Generally, these volcanic rocks have trends somewhat similar to trends for other Archaean volcanics. However, there is an iron enrichment trend which we suggest indicates an initially low pO2 increasing as the volcano ages. This increase may indicate an increase in total gas pressure, compatible with the change from quiet to violent eruptive mode.

THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY SYSTEM: A NORTH AMERICAN EQUIVALENT OF THE EAST AFRICAN RIFT VALLEY SYSTEM

1966 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Kumarapeli ◽  
V. A. Saull
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Rift Valley ◽  
Continental Drift ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Rift System ◽  
East African ◽  
Igneous Activity ◽  
Distinctive Type ◽  
African Rift

The St. Lawrence valley system (including the St. Lawrence, Ottawa, and Champlain valleys, and the St. Lawrence or Cabot trough) is coextensive with a well-defined pattern of seismic activity. The valley system is in a region of general updoming, normal faulting, and alkaline igneous activity of a distinctive type. The main phase of tectonic activity probably dates back to Mesozoic time. The above and other evidence presented in this paper indicate the existence of a major rift valley system that may be called the St. Lawrence rift system.The Rough Creek – Kentucky River fault zone, and the normal fault zones in Texas and Oklahoma, and the Lake Superior fault zone probably represent extensions of the St. Lawrence rift system. However, current seismicity indicates that the present tectonic activity is along a straight zone running through lakes Ontario and Erie into the Mississippi embayment. The St. Lawrence rift system may also be connected with the mid-Atlantic rift, in the region of the Azores plateau.The rift hypothesis presented may be useful as a regional guide in the search for niobium-bearing alkaline complexes and diamond-bearing kimberlites.Crustal tension in the St. Lawrence region may be genetically related to the opening of the Atlantic basin as postulated in the hypothesis of continental drift.

Coeval sedimentation, magmatism, and fold-thrust belt development in the Trans-Hudson Orogen: geochronological evidence from the Wekusko Lake area, Manitoba, Canada

1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M Ansdell ◽  
Karen A Connors ◽  
Richard A Stern ◽  
Stephen B Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Thrust Belt ◽  
Fold And Thrust Belt ◽  
Minimum Age ◽  
Flin Flon ◽  
Felsic Volcanic

Lithological and structural mapping in the east Wekusko Lake area of the Flin Flon Belt, Trans-Hudson Orogen, suggested an intimate relationship between magmatism, fluvial sedimentation, and initiation of fold and thrust belt deformation. Conventional U-Pb geochronology of volcanic rocks in fault-bounded assemblages provides a minimum age of 1876 ± 2 Ma for McCafferty Liftover back-arc basalts, and ages of between 1833 and 1836 Ma for the Herb Lake volcanic rocks. A rhyolite which unconformably overlies Western Missi Group fluvial sedimentary rocks has complex zircon systematics. This rock may be as old as about 1856 Ma or as young as 1830 Ma. The sedimentary rocks overlying this rhyolite are locally intercalated with 1834 Ma felsic volcanic rocks, and yield sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb and Pb-evaporation detrital zircon ages ranging from 1834 to 2004 Ma. The Eastern Missi Group is cut by an 1826 ± 4 Ma felsic dyke, and contains 1832-1911 Ma detrital zircons. The dominant source for detritus in the Missi Group was the Flin Flon accretionary collage and associated successor arc rocks. The fluvial sedimentary rocks and the Herb Lake volcanic rocks were essentially coeval, and were then incorporated into a southwest-directed fold and thrust belt which was initiated at about 1840 Ma and active until at least peak regional metamorphism.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document