Post-Laramide (Oligocene) uplift in the Wind River Range, Wyoming

Steidtmann, James R.; Middleton, Larry T.; Shuster, Mark W.

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1989)017<0038:plouit>2.3.co;2

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…1). The crest of the range forms the continental divide with 47 peaks above 4000 m elevation (Steidtmann et al, 1989). These peaks are flanked on the west by a scoured upland plateau (ϳ3000 m), and to the east by a higher non-scoured surface (ϳ3700 m) incised by deep U-shaped canyons.…”

Section: Geological Setting and Glaciation Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Inferences from a Glaciological Reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene Wind River Ice Cap, Wind River Range, Wyoming

Birkel

Putnam

Denton

et al. 2012

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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Section: Geological Setting and Glaciation Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Inferences from a Glaciological Reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene Wind River Ice Cap, Wind River Range, Wyoming

Birkel

Putnam

Denton

et al. 2012

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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“…Vertical separation across the fault is 14 km at the surface and is interpreted as decreasing to 6-8 km at 20 km depth [Lynn et al, 1983]. Recent work [Steidtmann et al, 1983[Steidtmann et al, , 1986[Steidtmann et al, , 1989Steidtmann and Middleton, 1986] suggests that the traditional model of late Paleocene-earlyEocene deformation followed by a long period of quiescence extending into the late Miocene is incomplete. Steidttnann et al [1989] propose a sequence of events involving initial Eocene uplift, an additional 1-2 km of uplift in the core of the structure during the Oligocene, then regional uplift and 1 km of postcompressional collapse along the Continental fault …”

Section: Wind River Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

Uplift, unbuckling, and collapse: Flexural history and isostasy of the Wind River Range and Granite Mountains, Wyoming

Hall¹,

Chase²

1989

J. Geophys. Res.

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Two‐dimensional gravity and flexural models constrain the structure and isostatic compensation of the Wind River Range and Granite Mountains, Wyoming. These ranges are asymmetric, basement‐cored Laramide uplifts. Their large positive isostatic gravity anomalies imply that the topography of the uplifts is not locally compensated. For the Wind River Range, gravity data are consistent with thrusting along a listric fault which flattens and soles out at 30 km depth with no detectable offset on the Moho. We model the large Bouguer gravity high over the range with high‐density lower crustal rocks emplaced over lower‐density middle crustal rocks along the Wind River thrust. The high positive gravity anomaly over the Granite Mountains can be modeled as an extension of the South Pass greenstone belt from the southern Wind River Range eastward beneath the Emigrant Trail thrust. A crustal root, as required in local (Airy) compensation, for either range requires unreasonably high‐density material in the upper crust to obtain the observed anomaly. Combined gravity and flexural models show that a flexural rigidity at least 2.55×1022 N m (maximum deflection of 2 km of the Moho) is required to satisfy the gravity data. Our results are consistent with models of uplift due to horizontal compression and support of the resulting topography by lithospheric strength. An otherwise puzzling episode of Oligocene uplift of the Wind River Range can be explained as “unbuckling” (decrease of deflection of lithosphere) accompanying release of Laramide compressional stresses. Flexurally supported uplifts will collapse if the lithosphere is weakened. A number of Laramide uplifts have collapsed, primarily east‐west trending structures such as the Granite Mountains, the southern end of the Wind River Range, and the Uinta Mountains. We propose that collapse has occurred along zones of established weakness in the crust in response to north‐south extension.

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“…Interpretation of topographic, sedimentologic and apatite fission-track information by Steidtmann, Middleton & Shuster (1989) indicates that a large part of this relief is related to post-Laramide uplift of the crest of the range. Thus, Tang, Lerche & Cogan (1990) may have correctly modelled the magnitude of total uplift, but it is highly unlikely that the topographic relief was ever that great.…”

Section: Significance Of Implications and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…(2) Field observations by Groll & Steidtmann (1987) and Steidtmann, Middleton & Shuster (1989) indicate that during uplift of the range there was little relief between the Green River Basin and the Wind River Range.…”

Section: Significance Of Implications and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hagen, Shuster & Furlong (1985) postulated that the Green River Basin is a hybrid case where a broken elastic plate (upper lithosphere) overlies a continuous plate (lower lithosphere). Hall & Chase (1989) used a hybrid-case lithospheric model to explain the postLaramide uplift in the core of the Wind River Range proposed by Steidtmann, Middleton & Shuster (1989).…”

Section: Previous Flexural Models Of the Green River Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Discussion on elastic flexure with compressive thrusting of the Green River Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A.

1991

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Although we commend the authors for attempting to use a horizontally loaded flexural model to better understand the tectonic evolution of the Green River Basin, we are dismayed by the authors' complete lack of attention to both the geology of the Green River Basin-Wind River Range subsidence-uplift couple and to modelling work already completed and published. Some mention of these is needed in order to put the significance of the work by Tang, Lerche and Cogan (1990) into appropriate perspective. In particular: (1) at least two previous flexural models for subsidence of the Green River Basin have been published but were not mentioned, evaluated, or compared to their own modelling by the authors; and (2) many of the 'Implications of the model results' and 'Conclusions' are either really not implied by the results, are contrary to observations of the geologic record of the area (with no discussion of the apparent contradiction), or both. We discuss these below.

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Post-Laramide (Oligocene) uplift in the Wind River Range, Wyoming

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Climate Inferences from a Glaciological Reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene Wind River Ice Cap, Wind River Range, Wyoming

Climate Inferences from a Glaciological Reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene Wind River Ice Cap, Wind River Range, Wyoming

Uplift, unbuckling, and collapse: Flexural history and isostasy of the Wind River Range and Granite Mountains, Wyoming

Discussion on elastic flexure with compressive thrusting of the Green River Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A.

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