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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources

USGS2005

Paleoproterozoic metamorphism in the northern Wyoming province: Implications for the assembly of Laurentia

U-Pb ages measured on zircons from the Tobacco Root Mountains and monazite from the Highland Mountains indicate that the northwestern Wyoming province experienced an episode of high-grade metamorphism at ???1.77 Ga. Leucosome emplaced in Archean gneisses from the Tobacco Root Mountains contains a distinctive population of zircons with an age of 1.77 Ga but also contains zircons to ???3.5 Ga; it is interpreted to have been derived primarily by anatexis of nearby Archean schist. A granulite facies mafic dike that cuts across Archean gneissic banding in the Tobacco Root Mountains contains two distinct populations of zircons. A group of small (<50 ??m) nonprismatic grains is interpreted to be metamorphic and yields an age of 1.76 Ga; a group of slightly larger prismatic grains yields an age of 2.06 Ga, which is interpreted to be the time of crystallization of the dike. Monazite from a leucogranite from the Highland Mountains yields a well-defined age of 1.77 Ga, which is interpreted as the time of partial melting and emplacement of the leucogranite. These results suggest that the northwestern Wyoming province, which largely lies within the western part of the Great Falls tectonic zone, experienced a metamorphic maximum at 1.77 Ga. This age is ???100 m.yr. younger than the proposed time of Wyoming-Hearne collision in the central Great Falls tectonic zone (1.86 Ga) and suggests that the northwestern Wyoming province may have been involved in a separate, younger collisional event at ???1.77 Ga. An event at this time is essentially coeval with collisions proposed for the eastern and southeastern margins of the province and suggests a multiepisodic model for the incorporation of the Wyoming craton into Laurentia. ?? 2005 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS2006

Calcite-graphite thermometry of the Franklin Marble, New Jersey Highlands

We present new stable-isotope data for the Mesoproterozoic Franklin Marble from outcrops along an 80-km traverse parallel to and across strike of the structural grain of the western New Jersey Highlands. Calcite and dolomite from marble have an average ??13C of 0.35??? ?? 0.73??? PDB (n = 46) and a more limited range than other Mesoproterozoic marbles from the Adirondacks and the Canadian Grenville Province. The small range of ??13C values from the New Jersey samples is consistent with the preservation of a primary marine isotopic signature and limited postdepositional isotopic modification, except proximal to Zn or Fe ore deposits and fault zones. Fractionations between calcite and well-formed graphite (??13C[Cal-Gr]) for analyzed Franklin Marble samples average 3.31???. ?? 0.25??? (n = 34), and dolomite-graphite fractionations average 3.07??? ?? 0.30??? (n = 6). Taken together, these indicate an average temperature of 769?? ?? 43??C during metamorphism associated with the Ottawan Orogeny in the New Jersey Highlands. Thus, carbon isotope fractionations demonstrate that the Franklin Marble was metamorphosed at granulite facies conditions. Metamorphic temperatures are relatively constant for the area sampled and overprint the metamorphosed carbonatehosted Zn-Fe-Mn ore deposits. The results of this study support recent work proposing that pressure and temperature conditions during Ottawan orogenesis did not vary greatly across faults that partition the Highlands into structural blocks. ?? 2006 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS1998

Early proterozoic evolution of the saskatchewan craton and its allochthonous coyer, trans-hudson Orogen

The composition, chronology, and structural relations of the Saskatchewan Craton and enveloping mylonitic rocks exposed in basement windows of the Glennie Domain, Trans‐Hudson Orogen, have been determined by geochemical, geochronologic, and structural studies accompanying detailed field mapping. Basement windows lie along the hinge zone of a regional crustal culmination and consist mostly of 2.4–2.5 Ga felsic plutonic rocks enveloped by the Nistowiak Thrust. The Nistowiak Thrust is a folded, 1–2 km thick, upper amphibolite facies mylonite zone formed during emplacement of the Flin Flon–Glennie Complex across the Saskatchewan Craton. It is likely correlative to the Pelican Thrust, which envelops basement windows in the Hanson Lake Block ∼100 km to the east. An internal high strain zone within the overlying nappe pile, the Guncoat Thrust, is composed primarily of mylonitized porphyroclastic pelitic and psammitic migmatites. U‐Pb geochronological results suggest calc‐alkaline plutonism from 1889–1837 Ma, thrust stacking, peak metamorphism and associated anatexis between 1837 and 1809 Ma, isotopic closure of titanite at 1790–1772 Ma, and intrusion of late granitic rocks at 1770–1762 Ma. This is in agreement with ages from the Hanson Lake Block, and La Ronge, Kisseynew, and Flin‐Flon domains in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and from the Ungava‐Baffin portion of Trans‐Hudson Orogen, suggesting broadly synchronous thermotectonic processes along a strike length of 2000 km. We speculate that the Saskatchewan Craton, rather than representing an exotic continental fragment, rifted from the Superior and/or Hearne Provinces at ca. 2.1 Ga and that the Trans‐Hudson Orogen is an internal orogen. In this scenario the Maniwekan Ocean, developed between the Rae‐Hearne and Superior cratons, opened and closed about similar pole(s) of plate motion.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS2009

Assembling and disassembling california: A zircon and monazite geochronologic framework for proterozoic crustal evolution in southern California

The Mojave province in southern California preserves a comparatively complete record of assembly, postorogenic sedimentation, and rifting along the southwestern North American continental margin. The oldest exposed rocks are metasedimentary gneisses and amphibolite, enclosing intrusive suites that range from tonalite and quartz mon-zodiorite to granite with minor trondhjemite. Discrete magmatic episodes occurred at approximately 1790-1730 and 1690-1640 Ma. Evidence from detrital and premagmatic zircons indicates that recycling of 1900-1790 Ma Paleopro-terozoic crust formed the unique isotopic character of the Mojave province. Peak metamorphic conditions in the Mojave province reached middle amphibolite to granulite facies; metamorphism occurred locally from 1795 to 1640 Ma, with widespread evidence for metamorphism at 1711-1689 and 1670-1650 Ma. Structures record early, tight to isoclinal folding and penetrative west-vergent shear during the final metamorphic event in the west Mojave province. Proterozoic basement rocks are overlain by siliciclastic-carbonate sequences of Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Cambrian age, recording environmental change over the course of the transition from stable Mojave crust to the rifted Cordilleran margin. Neoproterozoic quartzites have diverse zircon populations inconsistent with a southwest North American source, which we infer were derived from the western conjugate rift pair within Rodinia, before establishment of the miogeocline. Neoproterozoic-Cambrian miogeoclinal clastic rocks record an end to rifting and establishment of the Cordilleran miogeocline in southern California by latest Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian time. ?? 2009 by The University of Chicago.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS1991

Geochemical recognition of a captured back-arc basin metabasaltic complex, southwestern Oregon

An extensive fault-bounded amphibolite terrane of Late Jurassic ( ) metamorphic age occurring in the northeastern Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon has been recognized as the remnants of an ancient back-arc basin. In spite of thorough metamorphic recrystallization under amphibolite-facies conditions, the amphibolite locally displays relict igneous textures which suggest that the protoliths included basaltic dikes or sills, shallow diabase intrusions, and gabbros. The major- and minor-element chemistry of the amphibolite indicates that some alteration of original compositions has occurred. Nevertheless, certain elements (e.g. Zr, Ti, Y, Hf, P, Th, Ta, and the REE) were probably immobile and retain their original igneous abundances. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are similar to those of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB): concave-downward and flat or slightly LREE-depleted, with abundances about six to 30 times chondritic values. Patterns are slightly LREE-enriched and HREE-depleted relative to average MORB. Most samples plot in or near MORB fields in tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams, but relative enrichment in Th and the LREE suggest the involvement of subduction-related fluids in magma genesis. In this regard, the amphibolite is very similar to some back-arc basin basalts. The geochemical data, together with the present-day geologic context, indicate that the tectonic setting of eruption/intrusion was probably within a back-arc basin that existed inboard (east) of a pre-Nevadan volcanic arc. The basalt (now amphibolite) and the overlying sediments (now the May Creek Schist) were metamorphosed and deformed during accretion to North America during the Late Jurassic Nevadan orogeny.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS1994

Biostratigraphic constraints on formation and timing of accretion in a subduction complex: An example from the Franciscan Complex of Northern California

The determination of the total age coverage of pelagic bedded chert is particularly important in studies of ancient accretionary complexes because the time span represents the minimum travel time of an oceanic plate before accretion at an island arc or continental margin. The Yolla Bolly terrane of the Franciscan Complex consists of rare metabasalt overlain by bedded radiolarian chert which in turn is overlain by metagraywacke and subordinate slaty mudstone and conglomerate. The bedded chert ranges in age from Aaleian (early Middle Jurassic) to Tithonian (latest Jurassic). A lithologic gradation from pelagic bedded chert through hemipelagic siliceous mudstone occurred during the Tithonian and thus marks the arrival of the oceanic sediments at the continental margin. The Tithonian age also agrees with previously reported Tithonian to Valanginian (Early Cretaceous) fossils in the overlying terrigenous metagraywacke. Both chert and metagraywacke are intruded by gabbroic sills, suggesting off-ridge volcanism, probably in a near-trench environment. Following the intrusive activity, all of the rocks were subducted to depths of 20-30 km, imbricated, and recrystallized to the lower blueschist facies (lawsonite-aragonite ± jadeitic pyroxene). Metamorphic ages, using a variety of isotopic methods, range from 90-105 Ma and thus indicate a long interval (ca. 30-40 Ma) between accretion and subduction. Two possible models include: (1) a long period of storage in an accretionary prism prior to subduction, or (2) accretion and subsequent northward transport.

California↗

USGS1999

The chemical and isotopic differentiation of an epizonal magma body: Organ Needle pluton, New Mexico

Major and trace element, and Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of whole rocks and mineral separates from the Oligocene, alkaline Organ Needle pluton (ONP), southern New Mexico, constrain models for the differentiation of the magma body parental to this compositionally zoned and layered epizonal intrusive body. The data reveal that the pluton is rimmed by lower ε Nd (∼ −5) and higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (∼0.7085) syenitic rocks than those in its interior (ε Nd ∼ −2, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ∼0.7060) and that the bulk compositions of the marginal rocks become more felsic with decreasing structural depth. At the deepest exposed levels of the pluton, the ε Nd ∼ −5 lithology is a compositionally heterogeneous inequigranular syenite. Modal, compositional and isotopic data from separates of rare earth element (REE)-bearing major and accessory mineral phases (hornblende, titanite, apatite, zircon) demonstrate that this decoupling of trace and major elements in the inequigranular syenite results from accumulation of light REE (LREE)-bearing minerals that were evidently separated from silicic magmas as the latter rose along the sides of the magma chamber. Chemical and isotopic data for microgranular mafic enclaves, as well as for restite xenoliths of Precambrian granite wall rock, indicate that the isotopic distinction between the marginal and interior facies of the ONP probably reflects assimilation of the wall rock by ε Nd ∼ −2 mafic magmas near the base of the magma system. Fractional crystallization and crystal–liquid separation of the crustally contaminated magma at the base and along the margins of the chamber generated the highly silicic magmas that ultimately pooled at the chamber top.

Journal of Petrology↗

USGS1963

Glaucophane-bearing metamorphic rock types of the Cazadero area, California

A detailed field and laboratory study has been made of a well-exposed glaucophane schist sequence within the Jurassic and Cretaceous Franciscan Formation of northern California. Three types of glaucophane-bearing metamorphic rocks have been distinguished in and around the area of the detailed study. Each is characterized by distinctive textures and mineral assemblages that are interpreted to represent different grades of metamorphism within the glaucophane schist facies. From the combination of small- and large-scale mapping in the area described it is clear that coarsely schistose blocks, tens of feet in diameter, commonly rest directly upon and within less intensely metamorphosed terrain. In the Cazadero area these isolated blocks of coarsely crystalline rocks are concentrated in a band that is roughly concordant with some of the major faulting, and their metamorphic fabric shows no consistent relation to local or regional structures. It is tentatively suggested that these blocks have been transported upward tectonically and that they are not stratigraphically equivalent to the other types of glaucophane-bearing metamorphic rocks in the area. Chemical and petrographic evidence indicates that basalt and sediments have been converted to glaucophane-bearing rocks under conditions of metamorphism that were essentially isochemical, except for fugitive components and some minor elements.

California↗

USGS2001

Garnet granulite xenoliths from the Northern Baltic shield: The underplated lower crust of a palaeoproterozoic large igneous province

Garnet granulite facies xenoliths hosted in Devonian lamprophyres from the Kola Peninsula are interpreted to represent the high-grade metamorphic equivalents of continental flood tholeiites, emplaced into the Baltic Shield Archaean lower crust in early Proterozoic time. Geochronological data and similarities in major and trace element geochemistry suggest that the xenoliths formed during the same plume-related magmatic event that created a widespread Palaeoproterozoic large igneous province (LIP) at 2·4–2·5 Ga. They are, thus, the first samples of the lower crust of a Palaeoproterozoic LIP to be studied in petrological detail. The suite includes mafic granulites (gar + cpx + rutile ± plag ± opx ± phlog ± amph), felsic granulites (plag + gar + cpx + rutile ± qtz ± Kspar ± phlog ± amph) and pyroxenites (± phlog ± amph), but mafic garnet granulites predominate. Although some samples are restites, there is no evidence for a predominance of magmatic cumulates, as is common for Phanerozoic lower-crustal xenolith suites. Metasediments are also absent. Phlogopite and/or amphibole occur in xenoliths of all types and are interpreted to be metasomatic in origin. The K-rich metasomatic event occurred at ∼2·0 Ga, and led to substantial enrichment in Rb, K, LREE/HREE, Th/U, Th/Pb and, to a lesser extent, Nb and Ti. The fluids responsible for this metasomatism were probably derived from a second plume that arrived beneath the region at this time. Evidence for partial melting of mafic crust exists in the presence of migmatitic granulites. The timing of migmatization overlaps that of metasomatism, and it is suggested that migmatization was facilitated by the metasomatism. The metamorphism, metasomatism and migmatization recorded in the Kola granulite xenoliths may be representative of the processes responsible for converting Archaean LIP-generated proto-continents into continental crust.

Elovy Island, Kandalaksha Gulf, Kola Peninsula, Wh↗

USGS2007

Duration of a large Mafic intrusion and heat transfer in the lower crust: A SHRIMP U-Pb zircon Study in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone (Western Alps, Italy)

The Ivrea-Verbano Zone in the western Italian Alps contains one of the world's classic examples of ponding of mantle-derived, mafic magma in the deep crust. Within it, a voluminous, composite mafic pluton, the Mafic Complex, intruded lower-crustal, high-grade paragneiss of the Kinzigite Formation during Permian-Carboniferous time, and is now exposed in cross-section as a result of Alpine uplift. The age of the intrusion is still debated because the results of geochronological studies in the last three decades on different rock types and with various dating techniques range from 250 to about 300 Ma. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb zircon age determinations on 12 samples from several locations within the Mafic Complex were performed to better constrain the age of the igneous event. The results indicate a long history of magma emplacement and cooling, which reconciles the spread in previously published ages. The main intrusive phase took place at 288 ?? 4 Ma, causing a perturbation of the deep-crustal geotherm, which relaxed to the Sm-Nd closure temperature in garnet-free mafic rocks after about 15-20 Myr of sub-solidus cooling at c. 270 Ma. These results suggest that large, deep crustal plutons, such as those identified geophysically at depths of 10-20 km within extended continental crust (e.g. Yellowstone, Rio Grande Rift, Basin and Range) may have formed rapidly but induced a prolonged thermal perturbation. In addition, the data indicate that a significant thermal event affected the country rock of the Mafic Complex at about 310 Ma. The occurrence of an upper amphibolite- to granulite-facies thermal event in the Kinzigite Formation prior to the main intrusive phase of the Mafic Complex has been postulated by several workers, and is corroborated by other geochronological investigations. However, it remains uncertain whether this event (1) was part of a prolonged perturbation of the deep-crustal geotherm, which started long before the onset of intrusion of the Mafic Complex, or (2) corresponded to the intrusion of the first sills of the Mafic Complex, or (3) was related to an earlier, independent thermal pulse. ?? The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Journal of Petrology↗

USGS2012

Lower-crustal xenoliths from Jurassic kimberlite diatremes, upper Michigan (USA): Evidence for Proterozoic orogenesis and plume magmatism in the lower crust of the southern Superior Province

Jurassic kimberlites in the southern Superior Province in northern Michigan contain a variety of possible lower-crustal xenoliths, including mafic garnet granulites, rare garnet-free granulites, amphibolites and eclogites. Whole-rock major-element data for the granulites suggest affinities with tholeiitic basalts. P–T estimates for granulites indicate peak temperatures of 690–730°C and pressures of 9–12 kbar, consistent with seismic estimates of crustal thickness in the region. The granulites can be divided into two groups based on trace-element characteristics. Group 1 granulites have trace-element signatures similar to average Archean lower crust; they are light rare earth element (LREE)-enriched, with high La/Nb ratios and positive Pb anomalies. Most plot to the left of the geochron on a 206 Pb/ €204 Pb vs 207 Pb/ €204 Pb diagram, and there was probably widespread incorporation of Proterozoic to Archean components into the magmatic protoliths of these rocks. Although the age of the Group 1 granulites is not well constrained, their protoliths appear to be have been emplaced during the Mesoproterozoic and to be older than those for Group 2 granulites. Group 2 granulites are also LREE-enriched, but have strong positive Nb and Ta anomalies and low La/Nb ratios, suggesting intraplate magmatic affinities. They have trace-element characteristics similar to those of some Mid-Continent Rift (Keweenawan) basalts. They yield a Sm–Nd whole-rock errorchron age of 1046 ± 140 Ma, similar to that of Mid-Continent Rift plume magmatism. These granulites have unusually radiogenic Pb isotope compositions that plot above the 207 Pb/ €204 Pb vs 206 Pb/ €204 Pb growth curve and to the right of the 4·55 Ga geochron, and closely resemble the Pb isotope array defined by Mid-Continent Rift basalts. These Pb isotope data indicate that ancient continental lower crust is not uniformly depleted in U (and Th) relative to Pb. One granulite xenolith, S69-5, contains quartz, and has a unique peraluminous composition. It has the lowest εNd and εHf values of the suite. Its isotopic compositions indicate that it is significantly older than the other granulites. Broken zircon cores encased by younger overgrowths suggest that this granulite includes a large component of pre-existing sedimentary rocks. Two distinct populations of zircons from S69-5 were dated by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe. Abundant rounded zircons yield ages of 1104 ± 42 (2σ) Ma, which coincide with the Mid-Continent Rift flood basalt eruptions. Their morphology is similar to those found in lower-crustal rocks that have undergone granulite-facies metamorphism and thus they are considered to represent the age of Group 2 granulites. Also present are less abundant elongate zircon grains that yield a mean age of 1387 ± 32 (2σ) Ma. Their elongate shapes indicate growth from a melt or fluid, possibly associated with 1·3–1·5 Ga anorogenic granite magmatism exposed in the shallow crust to the south in Wisconsin, or related to an initial encroachment of the Keweenawan plume upon the lower crust. Older ages recognized in zircon cores are less well constrained but may be related to tectono-magmatic events in the southern Superior craton. Within the studied suite only S69-5 was recognized as a remnant of the Late Archean lower crust into which the Group 1 and 2 mafic granulite precursor basalts were intruded. Collectively, the data show that the lower crust beneath northern Michigan formed in Archean times and underwent a variety of tectono-magmatic processes throughout the Proterozoic, including orogenesis, partial melting and mafic magmatic underplating in response to upwelling mantle plumes.

Michigan↗

USGS2014

Geophysical and hydrologic studies of lake seepage variability

Variations in lake seepage were studied along a 130 m shoreline of Mirror Lake NH. Seepage was downward from the lake to groundwater; rates measured from 28 seepage meters varied from 0 to −282 cm/d. Causes of this variation were investigated using electrical resistivity surveys and lakebed sediment characterization. Two-dimensional (2D) resistivity surveys showed a transition in lakebed sediments from outwash to till that correlated with high- and low-seepage zones, respectively. However, the 2D survey was not able to predict smaller scale variations within these facies. In the outwash, fast seepage was associated with permeability variations in a thin (2 cm) layer of sediments at the top of the lakebed. In the till, where seepage was slower than that in the outwash, a three-dimensional resistivity survey mapped a point of high seepage associated with heterogeneity (lower resistivity and likely higher permeability). Points of focused flow across the sediment–water interface are difficult to detect and can transmit a large percentage of total exchange. Using a series of electrical resistivity geophysical methods in combination with hydrologic data to locate heterogeneities that affect seepage rates can help guide seepage meter placement. Improving our understanding of the causes and types of heterogeneity in lake seepage will provide better data for lake budgets and prediction of mass transfer of solutes or contaminants between lakes and groundwater.

Groundwater↗

USGS2007

Using SHRIMP zircon dating to unravel tectonothermal events in arc environments. The early Palaeozoic arc of NW Iberia revisited

Dating of zircon cores and rims from granulites developed in a shear zone provides insights into the complex relationship between magmatism and metamorphism in the deep roots of arc environments. The granulites belong to the uppermost allochthonous terrane of the NW Iberian Massif, which forms part of a Cambro-Ordovician magmatic arc developed in the peri-Gondwanan realm. The obtained zircon ages confirm that voluminous calc-alkaline magmatism peaked around 500Ma and was shortly followed by granulite facies metamorphism accompanied by deformation at c. 480Ma, giving a time framework for crustal heating, regional metamorphism, deformation and partial melting, the main processes that control the tectonothermal evolution of arc systems. Traces of this arc can be discontinuously followed in different massifs throughout the European Variscan Belt, and we propose that the uppermost allochthonous units of the NW Iberian Massif, together with the related terranes in Europe, constitute an independent and coherent terrane that drifted away from northern Gondwana prior to the Variscan collisional orogenesis.

Terra Nova↗

USGS2017

Shaler: in situ analysis of a fluvial sedimentary deposit on Mars

This paper characterizes the detailed sedimentology of a fluvial sandbody on Mars for the first time and interprets its depositional processes and palaeoenvironmental setting. Despite numerous orbital observations of fluvial landforms on the surface of Mars, ground-based characterization of the sedimentology of such fluvial deposits has not previously been possible. Results from the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover provide an opportunity to reconstruct at fine scale the sedimentary architecture and palaeomorphology of a fluvial environment on Mars. This work describes the grain size, texture and sedimentary facies of the Shaler outcrop, reconstructs the bedding architecture, and analyses cross-stratification to determine palaeocurrents. On the basis of bedset geometry and inclination, grain-size distribution and bedform migration direction, this study concludes that the Shaler outcrop probably records the accretion of a fluvial barform. The majority of the outcrop consists of large-scale trough cross-bedding of coarse sand and granules. Palaeocurrent analyses and bedform reconstruction indicate that the beds were deposited by bedforms that migrated towards the north-east, across the surface of a bar that migrated south-east. Stacked cosets of dune cross-bedding suggest aggradation of multiple bedforms, which provides evidence for short periods of sustained flow during Shaler deposition. However, local evidence for aeolian reworking and the presence of potential desiccation cracks within the outcrop suggest that fluvial deposition may have been intermittent. The uppermost strata at Shaler are distinct in terms of texture and chemistry and are inferred to record deposition from a different sediment dispersal system with a contrasting provenance. The outcrop as a whole is a testament to the availability of liquid water on the surface of Mars in its early history.

Sedimentology↗

USGS2021

Reconstruction of an extreme flood hydrograph and morphodynamics of a meander bend in a high-peak discharge variability river (Powder River, USA)

Understanding of morphodynamic processes associated with large-scale floods has recently improved following significant advances of modern technologies. Nevertheless, a clear link between flood discharge and in-channel sedimentation processes remains to be resolved. The hydrological and geomorphological data available for the meandering Powder River (Montana, USA) since 1977 makes it a perfect laboratory to investigate connections between flood discharge and point-bar sedimentation processes. This study focuses on a point-bar that accreted laterally ca 70 m during a 50-year recurrence flood, which lasted about 14 days in May 1978. In September 2018, a trench ca 2 m deep and 70 m long was excavated through the axial point-bar deposits, and the 1978 flood deposits were delineated based on georeferenced pre-flood and post-flood cross-section surveys. Sedimentological data show that point-bar deposits accumulated at the early and late flood stages, when the flow was confined to the channel, and have similarities with classical facies models in terms of palaeocurrent patterns and vertical grain-size trend. However, during high-stage flood conditions, when the flow overtopped the bar, cross-cutting of the bar and armouring were typical processes. Integration of sedimentological and palaeo-hydrological data highlight that the relation between channel cross-sectional area and flood discharge play a key role in preserving bar deposits. The integrated approach adopted here provides a basis for advancing palaeoflood hydrology beyond the stage of estimating peak discharges to the next stage of estimating palaeoflood hydrographs.

Montana↗

USGS2013

Clinoform deposition across a boundary between orogenic front and foredeep - an example from the Lower Cretaceous in Arctic Alaska

The Lower Cretaceous Fortress Mountain Formation occupies a spatial and temporal niche between syntectonic deposits at the Brooks Range orogenic front and post-tectonic strata in the Colville foreland basin. The formation includes basin-floor fan, marine-slope and fan-delta facies that define a clinoform depositional profile. Texture and composition of clasts in the formation suggest progressive burial of a tectonic wedge-front that included older turbidites and mélange. These new interpretations, based entirely on outcrop study, suggest that the Fortress Mountain Formation spans the boundary between orogenic wedge and foredeep, with proximal strata onlapping the tectonic wedge-front and distal strata downlapping the floor of the foreland basin. Our reconstruction suggests that clinoform amplitude reflects the structural relief generated by tectonic wedge development and load-induced flexural subsidence of the foreland basin.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Luminescence sediment tracing reveals the complex dynamics of colluvial wedge formation

Paleoearthquake studies that inform seismic hazard rely on assumptions of sediment transport that remain largely untested. Here, we test a widespread conceptual model and a new numerical model on the formation of colluvial wedges, a key deposit used to constrain the timing of paleoearthquakes. We perform this test by applying luminescence, a sunlight-sensitive sediment tracer, at a field site displaying classic colluvial wedge morphostratigraphy. The model and data comparison reveals complex sediment transport processes beyond the predictions of either conceptual or numerical models, including periods of simultaneous debris and wash facies forming processes, erosion, and reworking. These processes could lead to preservation bias, such as incomplete or overinterpretable paleoearthquake records, given the right environmental conditions. Attention to the site-specific mechanics of fault zone depositional systems, such as via sediment tracing, may buffer against the possible effects of preservation bias on paleoseismic study.

Science↗

USGS2003

Morphology and composition of the surface of Mars: Mars Odyssey THEMIS results

The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on Mars Odyssey has produced infrared to visible wavelength images of the martian surface that show lithologically distinct layers with variable thickness, implying temporal changes in the processes or environments during or after their formation. Kilometer-scale exposures of bedrock are observed; elsewhere airfall dust completely mantles the surface over thousands of square kilometers. Mars has compositional variations at 100-meter scales, for example, an exposure of olivine-rich basalt in the walls of Ganges Chasma. Thermally distinct ejecta facies occur around some craters with variations associated with crater age. Polar observations have identified temporal patches of water frost in the north polar cap. No thermal signatures associated with endogenic heat sources have been identified.

Science↗