Paleogeographic isolation of the Cretaceous to Eocene Sevier hinterland, east-central Nevada: Insights from U-Pb and (U-Th)/He detrital zircon ages of hinterland strata

Research Article| May 01, 2011 Paleogeographic isolation of the Cretaceous to Eocene Sevier hinterland, east-central Nevada: Insights from U-Pb and (U-Th)/He detrital zircon ages of hinterland strata P. Druschke; P. Druschke † 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA †E-mail: peterdruschke@exxonmobil.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A.D. Hanson; A.D. Hanson 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M.L. Wells; M.L. Wells 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar G.E. Gehrels; G.E. Gehrels 2Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar D. Stockli D. Stockli 3Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information P. Druschke † 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA A.D. Hanson 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA M.L. Wells 1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA G.E. Gehrels 2Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA D. Stockli 3Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA †E-mail: peterdruschke@exxonmobil.com Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 07 Feb 2009 Revision Received: 22 Nov 2009 Accepted: 30 Nov 2009 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 © 2011 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2011) 123 (5-6): 1141–1160. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30029.1 Article history Received: 07 Feb 2009 Revision Received: 22 Nov 2009 Accepted: 30 Nov 2009 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation P. Druschke, A.D. Hanson, M.L. Wells, G.E. Gehrels, D. Stockli; Paleogeographic isolation of the Cretaceous to Eocene Sevier hinterland, east-central Nevada: Insights from U-Pb and (U-Th)/He detrital zircon ages of hinterland strata. GSA Bulletin 2011;; 123 (5-6): 1141–1160. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B30029.1 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 The Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Sevier hinterland of east-central Nevada is widely regarded as an orogenic plateau that has since undergone topographic collapse. New U-Pb detrital zircon age data consisting of 1296 analyses from the Lower Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation and the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene Sheep Pass Formation indicate that Precambrian detrital zircon populations recycled from local Paleozoic strata are dominant. Subordinate Mesozoic zircon populations are derived mainly from local backarc volcanic centers of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age, while ca. 38–36 Ma detrital zircon age peaks record the local onset of Eocene volcanism. Sevier hinterland deposits of east-central Nevada lack significant Triassic, Early Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous populations common in terranes of western Nevada and the Sierra Nevada magmatic arc. These data suggest that long-term evolution of the Sevier Plateau involved geographic isolation through a combination of high relief and rugged topography related to Early Cretaceous shortening, and continued isolation through development of latest Cretaceous to Eocene internally drained, extensional basins.The (U-Th)/He zircon ages obtained from the Sheep Pass Formation record late Paleo zoic, Early Cretaceous, and Late Cretaceous cooling through 180 °C. Preservation of late Paleozoic (ca. 265 Ma) cooling ages indicates that much of the Upper Paleozoic section within east-central Nevada that contributed detritus to the Sheep Pass basin was unaffected by deep thrust burial, or by burial beneath thick Mesozoic sedimentary cover. Early Cretaceous (ca. 135 Ma) cooling ages are potentially coeval with shortening along the central Nevada fold-and-thrust belt, although ca. 80 Ma cooling ages within the Sheep Pass Formation are coeval with hinterland midcrustal extension. Together, these new data provide support for previous interpretations that the Sevier hinterland represents an ancient high-elevation orogenic plateau, and that the latest Cretaceous locally marks a transition from contraction to extension. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.