1887
Volume 7 Number 3
  • E-ISSN: 1365-2117

Abstract

Abstract

The Northern Death Valley fault zone is a major right‐lateral structure that has accommodated 70 km or more of regional transtensional deformation in Tertiary to Recent time. Extension parallel to its north‐west transport direction in the Death Valley region of California has produced ‘pull‐apart’ structures that are responsible for opening the central Death Valley rhombochasm. In several ranges along the length of the Northern Death Valley fault zone, there is also evidence for extension directed to the south‐west, normal to strike‐slip movement. Evidence from the Funeral, Grapevine and Cottonwood Mountains suggests that a significant amount of down‐dip slip has occurred on the Northern Death Valley fault zone and parallel structures (together referred to as the Northern Death Valley fault system) coeval with the majority of right‐lateral slip and transform‐parallel extension. As a result of both these components of extension, a separate basin opened in northern Death Valley with an orientation and architecture very different from that of central Death Valley. In addition, the Northern Death Valley fault system may be responsible for the present topography of the Funeral and Grapevine Mountains. Transform‐normal extension appears to be the result of a misorientation of the Northern Death Valley fault zone within the regional stress field over the past 6 Myr, as suggested by simple geometric calculations.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1111/j.1365-2117.1995.tb00110.x
2007-11-06
2024-04-27
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Applegate, J. D. R. (1994) The unroofing history of the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex. California. PhD thesis; Cambridge , Massachusetts Institute of Tcchnology.
  2. Applegate, J. D. R., Walker, J. D. & Hodges, K. V. (1992) Late Cretaceous extensional unroofing in the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex, California. Geulogy, 20, 519–522.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Atwater, T. (1970) Implications of plate tectonics for the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of western North America. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 81, 3513–3536.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Aydin, D. & Nur, A. (1985) The types and role of stepovers in strike‐slip tectonics. In: Strike‐slip Deformation and Basin Formation (Ed. by K. T.Biddle and N.Christie‐Blick), Spec. Publ. Soc. econ. Paleont. Miner. 37, 35–44.
  5. Ben‐Avraham, Z. (1985) Structural framework of the Gulf of Hat (Aqaba), northern Red Sea, J. geophys. Res.. 90, 703–726.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Ben‐Avraham, Z. & Garfunkel., Z. (1986) Character of transverse faults in the Elat pull‐apart basins. Tectonics, 5, 1161–1169.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Ben‐Avraham, Z. & Zoback, M. D. (1992) Transform‐normal extension and asymmetric basins: an alternative to pull‐apart models. Geology. 20, 423–426.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Brogan, G. D., Kellogg, K. S., Slemmons, D. B. & Terhune, C. L. (1991) Late Quaternary faulting along the Death Valley‐Furnace Creek fault system, California and Nevada. Bull. U.S. geol. Surv., 1991, 1–23.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Burchfiel, B. C., Hodges, K. V. & Royden, L. H. (1987) Geology of the Panamint Valley‐Saline Valley pullapart system, California: palinspastic evidence for low‐angle geometry of a Neogene range‐bounding fault. J. geophys. Res., 92, 10422–10426.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Burchfiel, B. C. & Stewart, J. H. (1966) ‘Pull‐apart’ origin of the central segment of the Death Valley, California. Bull, geol. Soc. Am., 77, 439–442.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Cemen, I. (1983) Stratigraphjl, geochronology, and structure of selected areas of the norther Death Valley region, eastern California ‐western NevadaI and implications concerning Ceno‐zoic tectonics of the region. PhD thesis, University Park, Pennsylvania State University.
  12. Cemen, I. & Wright, L. A. (1990). Effect of Cenozoic extension on Mesozoic thrust surfaces in the central and southern Funeral Mountains, Death Valley, California. In: Basin and Range Extensional Tectonics Near the Latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada (Ed. by B. P.Wernicke), Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 176, 305–316.
  13. Cemen, I., Wright, L. A., Drake, R. E. & Johnson, F. C. (1985) Cenozoic sedimentation and sequence of deforma‐tional events at the southeastern end of the Furnace Creek strike‐slip fault zone. In: Strike‐slip Deformation and Basin Formation (Ed. by K. T.Biddle and N.Christie‐Blick), Spec. Publ. Soc. econ. Paleont. Miner. 37, 127–141.
  14. Christie‐Blick, N. & Biddle, K. T. (1985) Deformation and basin formation along strike‐slip faults. In: Strike‐slip Deformation and Basin Formation (Ed. by K. T.Biddle and N.Christie‐Blick), Spec. Publ. Soc. econ. Paleont. Miner. 37, 1–34.
  15. Giaramita, M. J. (1984) Structural evolution and metamorphic petrology of the Monarch Canyon area, northern Funeral Mountains. Death Valley, California. MS thesis, Davis , University of California.
  16. Green, P. F., Duddy, I. R., Laslett, G. M., Hegarty, K. A., Gleadow, A. J. W. & Lovering, J. F. (1989) Thermal annealing of fission tracks in apatite 4. Quantitative modeling techniques and extension to geological time scales. Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geoscience Section., 79, 155–182.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Hamilton, W. B. (1988) Detachment faulting in the Death Valley region. California and Nevada. Bull. U.S. geol. Surv., 1790, 51–85.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Hodges, K. V., McKenna, L. W. & Harding, M. B. (1990) Structural unroofing of the central Panamint Mountains, Death Valley region, southeastern California. In: Basin and Range Extensional Tectonics Near the Latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada (Ed. by B. P.Wernicke), Mem. geol. Soc. Am.. 176, 377–389.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Hodges, K. V., Walker, J. D. & Wernicke, B. P. (1987) Footwall structural evolution of the Tucki Mountain detachment system, Death Valley region, southeastern California. In: Continental Extensional Tectonics (Ed. by M. P.Cowardet al.), Spec. Publ. geol. Soc. Land. 28, 393–408.
  20. Hoisch, T. D. & Simpson, C. (1993) Rise and tilt of metamorphic rocks in the lower plate of a detachment fault in the Funeral Mountains, Death Valley, California. J. geophys. Res., 98, 6805–6827.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Holm, D. K. & Dokka, K. K. (1991) Major Late Miocene cooling of the middle crust associated with extensional orogenesis in the Funeral Mountains, California. Geophys. Res. Lett., 18, 1775–1778.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Holm, D. K. & Wernicke, B. P. (1990) Black Mountains crustal section, Death Valley extended terrain, California. Geology, 18, 520–523.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Hunt, C. B. & Mabey, D. R. (1966) Stratigraphy and structure, Death Valley, California. Prof. Paper U.S. geol. Surv., 494‐A.
  24. Kohler, G., Oldow, J. S., Sisslon, V. B. & Donelick, R. A. (1993) Displacement transfer system linking the Furnace Creek and Walker Lane fault systems, west‐central Nevada. Abstr. w. Prog. geol. Soc. Am., 25, 63.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Mabey, D. R. (1963) Complete Bouguer anomaly map on the Death Valley region, California. Geophys. Invest. Map U.S. geol. Surv., GP‐305.
  26. Maldonado, F. (1990) Structural geology of the upper plate of the Bullfrog Hills detachment fault system, southern Nevada. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 102, 992–1006.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Mann, P., Hempton, M. R., Bradley, D. C. & Burke, K. (1983) Development of pull‐apart basins. J. Geol., 91, 529–554.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. McAllister, J. F. (1971) Preliminary geologic map of the Funeral Mountains in the Ryan Quadrangle, Death Valley region, Inyo County, California, scale 1:62, 500. Open‐File Rep. U.S. geol. Surv.
  29. McKee, E. H. (1968) Age and rate of movement on the northern part of the Death Valley‐Furance Creek fault zone, California. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 79, 509–512.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. McKenna, L. W. & Hodges, K. V. (1990) Constraints on the kinematics and timing of late Miocene‐Recent extension between the Panamint and Black Mountains, southeastern California. In: Basin and Range Extensional Tectonics Near the Latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada (Ed. by B. P.Wernicke), Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 176, 363–376.
  31. Mount, V. S. & Suppe, J. (1987) State of stress near the San Andreas fault: implications for wrench tectonics. GeoIogy, 15, 1143–1146.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Prave, A. R. & Wright, L. A. (1986) Isopach pattern of the Lower Cambridge Zabriskie Quartzite, Death Valley region, California‐Nevada. Geology, 14, 251–254.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Reynolds, M. W. (1969) Stratigraphy and structural geology of the Titus and Titanothere Canyons area, Death Valley, California. PhD thesis, Berkeley , University of California.
  34. Reynolds, M. W., Wright, L. A. & Troxel, B. W. (1986) Geometry and chronology of late Cenozoic detachment faulting, Funeral and Grapevine Mountains, Death Valley, California. Abstr. w. Prog. geol. Soc. Am., 18, 175.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Rodgers, D. A. (1980) Analysis of pull‐apart basin develop ment produced by en echelon strike‐slip faults. In: Sedimentation in Oblique‐Slip Mobile Zones (Ed. by P. F.Hallance and H. G.Reading), Spec. Publ. int. Ass. Sediment. 4, 27–41.
  36. Serpa, L., De Voogd, B., Wright, L., Willemin, J., Oliver, J., Hanser, E. & Troxel, B. (1988) Structure of the central Death Valley pull‐apart basin and vicinity from COCORP profiles in the southern Great Basin. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 100, 1437–1450.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Snow, J. K. & Wernicke, B. (1989) Uniqueness of geological correlations: an example from the Death Valley extended terrain. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 101, 1351–1362.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Snow, J. K. & White, C. (1990) Listric normal faulting and synorogenic sedimentation, northern Cottonwood Moun tains, Death Valley region, California. In: Basin and Range Extensional Tectonics Near the Latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada (Ed. by B. P.Wernicke), Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 176, 413–445.
  39. Stewart, J. H. (1967) Possible large right‐lateral dis placement along fault and shear zones in the Death Valley‐Las Vegas area, California and Nevada. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 78, 131–142.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Stewart, J. H. (1983) Extensional tectonics in the Death Valley area, California: transport of the Panarnint Range structural block, 80 km northwestward. Geology, 11, 153–157.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Ten Brink, U. & Ben‐Avraham, Z. (1989) The anatomy of a pull‐apart basin: seismic reflection observation of the Dead Sea basin. Tectonics, 8, 333–350.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Troxel, B. W. (1988) A geologic traverse of the northern Funeral Mountains, Death Valley, California. In: This Extended Land, Geological Journeys in the Southern Basin and Range, Field Trip Guidebook (Ed. by D. L.Weide and M. L.Faber ), pp. 45–49. Cordilleran Section of the Geological Society of America, Las Vegas , Nevada .
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Wernicke, B. (1992) Cenozoic extensional tectonics of the U.S. Cordillera. In: The Cordilleran Orogen: Conterminous U.S. (Ed. by B. C.Burchfiel and others), pp. 553–581. The Geology of North America, G‐3. Geological Society of America, Boulder , Colorado .
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Wernicke, B., Axen, G. J. & Snow, J. K. (1988) Basin and Range extensional tectonics at the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 100, 1738–1757.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Wright, I., A. (1976) Late Cenozoic fault patterns and stress fields in the Great Basin and westward displacement of the Sierra Nevada block, discussion. Geology, 4, 489–494.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Wright, L. A. & Troxel, B. W. (1967) Limitations on right‐lateral, strike‐slip displacement, Death Valley and Furnace Creek fault zones, California. Bull. geol. Soc. Am., 78, 933–950.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Wright., L. A. & Troxel, R. W. (1993) Geologic map of the central and northern Funeral Mountains and adjacent areas, Death Valley region, southern California, scale 1:48,000. Misc. invest. Series U.S. geol. Surv., 1–2305.
  48. Zoback, M. D., Zoback, M. L., Mount, V. S., Suppe, J., Earm, J. P., Healy, J. H., Oppenheimer, D., Reasenberg, P., Jones, L., Raleigh, C. B., Wong, I. G., Scotti, O. & Wentworth, C. (1987) New evidence on the state of stress of the San Andreas fault system. Science, 238, 1105–1111.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1111/j.1365-2117.1995.tb00110.x
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error