A reconstruction of late Miocene to Recent transtension in the southwestern United States and northwesternmost Mexico

Dembosky, John A.; Anderson, Terry

doi:10.1130/0-8137-2393-0.523

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(171 reference statements)

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“…Regionally, post‐15 Ma basins in southern and western Arizona predominantly trend ~N‐S [e.g., Scarborough et al , ], indicating that the middle Miocene transition to dominantly ~E‐W extension was widespread [ Menges and Pearthree , ]. It is possible that many of the N‐S basins in southwestern Arizona are transtensional pull‐apart structures related to NW‐striking dextral faults [ Dembosky and Anderson , ]. Accommodation of ~E‐W extension with distributed transtensional and dextral faulting in the Buckskin‐Rawhide core complex and other areas in the lower Colorado River extensional corridor is likely due to the influence of both inherited faults and the diffuse Pacific‐North America plate boundary.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The transition from large-magnitude extension to distributed dextral faulting in the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona

Singleton

2015

Tectonics

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Brittle fault data from the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona, document the Miocene transition from large-magnitude, NE directed extension to distributed E-W extension and dextral faulting. The Buckskin-Rawhide detachment fault locally records a clockwise rotation of the slip direction from dominant top-NE directed slip to ENE and E directed slip during the last stages of activity. Postmylonitic brittle deformation is dominated by normal and dextral slip along moderately to steeply NE dipping faults. Relative timing relationships indicate that most postmylonitic normal faulting was coeval with middle Miocene detachment fault slip, whereas dextral and oblique dextral faulting postdates detachment fault slip (post~11 Ma). Based on the persistent SW dip of lower plate fabrics and NE dip of abundant normal faults, the amount of NE-SW brittle extension across the mylonitic lower plate is estimated to be 20-30% in several areas. The end of detachment faulting in the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex was marked by a transition to dominantly E-W extension and associated dextral-normal faulting. At least 10 NE dipping postdetachment faults record~0.1-1 km dextral or oblique dextral displacement. The cumulative amount of dextral shear across the core complex is probably 7-9 km, which is the amount needed to restore the topographic trend of lower plate corrugations into alignment with the dominant extension direction. Postdetachment dextral/transtensional faulting across the core complex reflects the increasing influence of the diffuse Pacific-North America transform plate boundary toward the end of the middle Miocene.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The transition from large-magnitude extension to distributed dextral faulting in the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona

Singleton

2015

Tectonics

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“…Oceanic crust is affected by plate "reorganization," characterized by fractured oceanic crust and formation of microplates (Menard, 1978), whereas stretch of continental crust resembles pure shear (cf. Anderson, 1942), accommodated mainly by a network of sinistral and dextral strike-slip faults (Dembosky and Anderson, 2005;Beard et al, 2007).…”

Section: Noncritical Capturementioning

confidence: 99%

Plate convergence, consumption, collision, coupling, capture, and formation of mantle waves—Linkages to global orogenesis and epeirogeny

Anderson

2022

In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton: New Ideas in Earth Science

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Widespread episodes of major contractional orogenesis correlate commonly with ages of high-pressure eclogitic rocks formed during bottom-driven, induced subduction of crustal terranes. Rapid exhumation of the deeply emplaced crust has led to the development of the concept of a “tectonic dunk.” The dunk process is a hallmark component of a suite of linked tectonic, magmatic, metamorphic, and sedimentologic processes that systematically follow plate interactions, including collision, coupling, and capture resulting in plate reconfiguration and changes of movement. Plate capture, which takes place during mechanical connection of plates within a “clutch” zone, is followed generally by an abrupt transition to plate stretching in response to drag or plate spin. Plate stretch, which is accommodated during drag by a network of complementary strike-slip and normal faults or during spin by regional domains of transtension, is recorded by “postorogenic,” back-arc extension, basin formation, and magmatism, extensive domains of which comprise large igneous provinces. As a captured continental plate is dragged or rotates, ductile mantle is disrupted and displaced by protuberances, such as a slab coupled against the base of an overriding plate and/or orogenic roots extending down from a cratonic core. The mantle turbulence resembles a wave-like ship’s wake with tsunami-like movement, albeit below crust. The arrival of a moving mantle bulge or wave is inferred to be focused along continental plate margins where subduction is induced, as recorded by magmatism and eclogitic rocks that form during deep emplacement of crustal terranes. Concurrent shortening of crust in the vicinity of the plate margin is inferred from inversion and uplift of marginal rift basins, obduction, and development of fold-and-thrust belts. As the mantle wave passes beneath plate interiors, tens to hundreds of meters of uplift, recorded by oceanic atolls, continental stream incision, regional unconformities, and local transitions to evaporite within shelf settings, record epeirogeny. After passage of the wave, common development of sheet-like bodies of quartzose sandstone, especially during the early Paleozoic, suggest postwave, regional subsidence. Resumption and re-invigoration of extension are recorded by eduction of dunked crust and conspicuous, widespread, volcanic eruptions recorded by tuffaceous layers intercalated with carbonaceous black shale within broad basins developed above thickened crust.

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The record of volcanism in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation: Implications for the Late Jurassic of western North America

Christiansen

Kowallis

Dorais

et al.

Geological Society of America Special Papers

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A reconstruction of late Miocene to Recent transtension in the southwestern United States and northwesternmost Mexico

Cited by 3 publications

References 55 publications

The transition from large-magnitude extension to distributed dextral faulting in the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona

The transition from large-magnitude extension to distributed dextral faulting in the Buckskin-Rawhide metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona

Plate convergence, consumption, collision, coupling, capture, and formation of mantle waves—Linkages to global orogenesis and epeirogeny

The record of volcanism in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation: Implications for the Late Jurassic of western North America

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