Detrital-zircon U-Pb evidence precludes paleo–Colorado River sediment in the exposed Muddy Creek Formation of the Virgin River depression

Dickinson, William R.; Karlstrom, Karl E.; Hanson, Andrew D.; Gehrels, George E.; Pecha, Mark; Cather, Steven M.; Kimbrough, David L.

doi:10.1130/ges01097.1

Cited by 12 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…6 Ma. Detrital-zircon spectra from red siltstones underlying the Hualapai Limestone in Grand Wash and Temple basins (Dickinson et al, 2014) also suggest that they were separate basins prior to ca. 6 Ma.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…These freshwater carbonates rest on locally derived fanglomerate and red siltstone that have variably been called Muddy Creek Formation (Lucchitta, 2013; see nomenclature discussion in Young, 2008), rocks of Grand Wash Trough (Bohannon, 1984), and rocks of Overton Arm (Beard et al, 2007). In contrast to Young (2008), we use the local names and recommend that propagation of the name Muddy Creek Formation outside of the Virgin River depression should be abandoned because of the sedimentary and tectonic complexity of internally drained basins of the Grand Wash region (see Dickinson et al, 2014). Here, we use the term Hualapai Limestone for the interbedded carbonates and red siliciclastic rocks above the first appearing limestone in each measured section.…”

Section: Geochronologymentioning

confidence: 94%

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Importance of groundwater in propagating downward integration of the 6–5 Ma Colorado River system: Geochemistry of springs, travertines, and lacustrine carbonates of the Grand Canyon region over the past 12 Ma

et al. 2015

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We applied multiple geochemical tracers ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, [Sr], d 13 C, and d 18 O) to waters and carbonates of the lower Colorado River system to evaluate its paleohydrology over the past 12 Ma. Modern springs in Grand Canyon reflect mixing of deeply derived (endogenic) fluids with meteoric (epigenic) recharge. Travertine (<1 Ma) and speleothems (2-4 Ma) yield 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and d 13 C and d 18 O values that overlap with associated water values, providing justification for use of carbonates as a proxy for the waters from which they were deposited. The Hualapai Limestone (12-6 Ma) and Bouse Formation (5.6-4.8 Ma) record paleohydrology immediately prior to and during integration of the Colorado River. The Hualapai Limestone was deposited from 12 Ma (new ash age) to 6 Ma; carbonates thicken eastward to ~210 m toward the Grand Wash fault, suggesting that deposition was synchronous with fault slip. A fanningdip geometry is suggested by correlation of ashes between subbasins using tephrochronology. New detrital-zircon ages are consistent with the "Muddy Creek constraint," which posits that Grand Wash Trough was internally drained prior to 6 Ma, with limited or no Colorado Plateau detritus, and that Grand Wash basin was sedimentologically distinct from Gregg and Temple basins until after 6 Ma. New isotopic data from Hualapai Limestone of Grand Wash basin show values and ranges of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, d 13 C, and d 18 O that are similar to Grand Canyon springs and travertines, suggesting a long-lived springfed lake/marsh system sourced from western Colorado Plateau groundwater. Progressive up-section decrease in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and d 13 C and increase in d 18 O in the uppermost 50 m of the Hualapai Limestone indicate an increase in meteoric water relative to endogenic inputs, which we interpret to record progressively increased input of high-elevation Colorado Plateau groundwater from ca. 8 to 6 Ma. Grand Wash, Hualapai, Gregg, and Temple basins, although potentially connected by groundwater, were hydrochemically distinct basins before ca. 6 Ma. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, d 13 C, and d 18 O chemostratigraphic trends are compatible with a model for downward integration of Hualapai basins by groundwater sapping and lake spillover.The Bouse Limestone (5.6-4.8 Ma) was also deposited in several hydrochemically distinct basins separated by bedrock divides. Northern Bouse basins (Cottonwood, Mojave, Havasu) have carbonate chemistry that is nonmarine. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data suggest that water in these basins was derived from mixing of high-87 Sr/ 86 Sr Lake Hualapai waters with lower-87 Sr/ 86 Sr, first-arriving "Colorado River" waters. Covariation trends of d 13 C and d 18 O suggest that newly integrated Grand Wash, Gregg, and Temple basin waters were integrated downward to the Cottonwood and Mojave basins at ca. 5-6 Ma. Southern, potentially younger Bouse basins are distinct hydrochemically from each other, which suggests incomplete mixing during continued downward integration of internally drained basins. Bouse carbonates display a southward trend ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Geochronologymentioning

confidence: 94%

Importance of groundwater in propagating downward integration of the 6–5 Ma Colorado River system: Geochemistry of springs, travertines, and lacustrine carbonates of the Grand Canyon region over the past 12 Ma

et al. 2015

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“…The late Miocene Muddy Creek Formation in the Virgin River area has been explored as possible terminal deposits of an ancestral paleo-Colorado River prior to the integration of the river through the western Grand Canyon. Comparison of the PCR reference to detrital zircon ages from the Muddy Creek Formation support this conclusion (Dickinson et al, 2014). Comparison of the PCR reference to detrital zircon ages from the Muddy Creek Formation support this conclusion (Dickinson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…For example, the Girty and Armitage (1989) results from a large sample suite (n = 25) demonstrate that modern Colorado River sands average Q 67 F 18 L 15 . However, Colorado River sediment could still be present in unexposed lower Muddy Creek or sub-Muddy Creek strata in the subsurface of the Virgin River depression (Dickinson et al, 2014). However, Colorado River sediment could still be present in unexposed lower Muddy Creek or sub-Muddy Creek strata in the subsurface of the Virgin River depression (Dickinson et al, 2014).…”

Section: (C) Oligocene-miocene(?) Crooked Ridge River (Price Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lucchitta (1989) proposed that headward erosion across the western Grand Canyon region formed the modern Colorado River by capturing an ancestral Colorado River that transited the Kaibab uplift through a paleocanyon near the present eastern Grand Canyon and crossed the Shivwits Plateau north of the western Grand Canyon into the Virgin River depression (cf. However, paleo-Colorado River sediment is absent in the exposed Miocene-Pliocene basin fill of the Virgin River depression (Dickinson et al, 2014). However, paleo-Colorado River sediment is absent in the exposed Miocene-Pliocene basin fill of the Virgin River depression (Dickinson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Detrital zircon U-Pb provenance of the Colorado River: A 5 m.y. record of incision into cover strata overlying the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions

et al. 2015

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New detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions from 49 late Cenozoic sandstones and Holocene sands (49 samples, n = 3922) record the arrival of extraregional early Pliocene Colorado River sediment at Grand Wash (western USA) and downstream locations ca. 5.3 Ma and the subsequent evolution of the river's provenance signature. We define reference age distributions for the early Pliocene Colorado River (n = 559) and Holocene Colorado River (n = 601). The early Pliocene river is distinguished from the Holocene river by (1) a higher proportion of Yavapai-Mazatzal zircon derived from Rocky Mountain basement uplifts relative to Grenville zircon from Mesozoic supracrustal rocks, and (2) distinctive (~6%) late Eocene-Oligocene (40-23 Ma) zircon reworked from Cenozoic basins and volcanic fields in the southern Rocky Mountains and/or the eastern Green River catchment. Geologic relationships and interpretation of 135 published detrital zircon age distributions throughout the Colorado River catchment provide the interpretative basis for modeling evolution of the provenance signature. Mixture modeling based upon a modified formulation of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic indi cate a subtle yet robust change in Colorado River provenance signature over the past 5 m.y. During this interval the contribution from Cenozoic strata decreased from ~75% to 50% while pre-Cretaceous strata increased from ~25% to 50%. We interpret this change to reflect progressive erosional incision into plateau cover strata. Our finding is consistent with geologic and thermochronologic studies that indicate that maximum post-10 Ma erosion of the Colorado River catchment was concentrated across the eastern Utahwestern Colorado region.

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Zircon provenance of Quaternary cover beds using U–Pb dating: Regional differences in the Southwestern USA

Richter‐Krautz

Hofmann

Zieger

et al. 2021

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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U-Pb dating of detrital zircons (DZ) in Quaternary slope deposits (cover beds) and examination of the surface structure of single zircon grains may enable reconstruction of the provenance of their aeolian components and help to reconstruct sedimentary palaeo-transportation cascades. We distinguish several layers of slope deposits (cover beds) using a palaeosol-supported sequence-stratigraphic approach. In a pilot study, we demonstrate the usability of using end-member-modelled analyses of grain sizes to identify the aeolian matter, multi-dimensional scaling and density functions (probability density functions (PDF) and Kernel density estimations (KDE)) of the U-Pb data, and the grain morphology of DZ, and show that the age and appearance variation of DZ in the Great Basin differ remarkably from those of the Colorado Plateau.All samples contain aeolian matter. Density functions of the DZ ages show similarities within each of the two regions. The Great Basin samples are dominated by late Cretaceous and Paleogene zircons, which are assumed to derive from volcanism. In contrast, the Colorado Plateau samples are almost free of these contributions. Presumably, the difference is due to palaeolakes, which were frequent in the Great Basin only, whose sediments contain a similar spectrum of DZ ages. Zircon morphology indicates that most grains have a history of aeolian transportation, whereas the grains assumed to be of volcanic origin often do not show similar transportation marks; this indicates that their transportation was dominated by the eruptive process but fewer steps of a transportation cascade. Multidimensional scaling of age data defines clusters of samples with similar DZ ages andcompared with published ages from possible sourcesallows first interpretations of provenance. Quaternary aeolian sediments have not been studied in, and the applied mix of methods has not been applied to, the southwestern USA before. We demonstrate their feasibility for this study area.

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Detrital-zircon U-Pb evidence precludes paleo–Colorado River sediment in the exposed Muddy Creek Formation of the Virgin River depression

Cited by 12 publications

References 53 publications

Importance of groundwater in propagating downward integration of the 6–5 Ma Colorado River system: Geochemistry of springs, travertines, and lacustrine carbonates of the Grand Canyon region over the past 12 Ma

Importance of groundwater in propagating downward integration of the 6–5 Ma Colorado River system: Geochemistry of springs, travertines, and lacustrine carbonates of the Grand Canyon region over the past 12 Ma

Detrital zircon U-Pb provenance of the Colorado River: A 5 m.y. record of incision into cover strata overlying the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions

Zircon provenance of Quaternary cover beds using U–Pb dating: Regional differences in the Southwestern USA

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