Oligocene or Younger Thrust Faulting in the Ruby Mountains, Northeastern Nevada

Research Article| November 01, 1967 Oligocene or Younger Thrust Faulting in the Ruby Mountains, Northeastern Nevada RONALD WILLDEN; RONALD WILLDEN U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar HERMAN H THOMAS; HERMAN H THOMAS Laboratory for Theoretical Studies, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar T. W STERN T. W STERN U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information RONALD WILLDEN U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado HERMAN H THOMAS Laboratory for Theoretical Studies, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland T. W STERN U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 19 Sep 1966 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Copyright © 1967, The Geological Society of America, Inc. Copyright is not claimed on any material prepared by U.S. government employees within the scope of their employment. GSA Bulletin (1967) 78 (11): 1345–1358. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1967)78[1345:OOYTFI]2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 19 Sep 1966 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation RONALD WILLDEN, HERMAN H THOMAS, T. W STERN; Oligocene or Younger Thrust Faulting in the Ruby Mountains, Northeastern Nevada. GSA Bulletin 1967;; 78 (11): 1345–1358. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1967)78[1345:OOYTFI]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract A klippe of unmetamorphosed Devonian carbonate rocks rests on the Harrison Pass intrusive body south of Toyn Creek in the central Ruby Mountains, Elko County, Nevada. This klippe and other klippen of Carboniferous strata—first mapped by R. P. Sharp (1942)—that rest on lower Paleozoic strata are believed to represent a once-continuous thrust sheet that developed after emplacement of the intrusive body. This intrusion of coarse-grained granodiorite to quartz monzonite is exposed over an area of about 45 square miles.Potassium-argon and lead-alpha age determinations on four samples of the intrusive body establish Oligocene or younger age for the thrusting. Potassium-argon age determinations on biotites from the four samples range from 29 to 36 m.y. with a possible analytical error of ±10 percent. Lead-alpha age determinations (all with a possible analytical error of ±10 m.y.) on zircon showed 40 m.y. for three of the samples and 30 m.y. for the fourth. Lead-alpha and potassium-argon dates on a fifth sample collected by R. R. Coats also fall within these ranges. The agreement of the radiometric dates indicates a lack of thermal activity subsequent to the emplacement of the intrusion and establishes a maximum age of Oligocene for the thrust faulting.The present distribution of thermally metamorphosed Paleozoic rocks in the Ruby Mountains seems to preclude the possibility that the thrust plate originated within the Ruby Mountains. Sharp suggested a western source with displacement of from 7 to 10 miles. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.