Structure of the crust and upper mantle in the western United States

Pakiser, L.C.

doi:10.3133/70039282

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The crust along this profile is more nearly like that in the Basin and Range province than it is in other provinces covered by U.S. Geological Survey refraction profiles (Pakiser, 1963 Ab8tract.-The degree to which the water level in an open well responds to a seismic wave is determined by (1) the dimensions of the well, (2) the transmissibility, storage coefficient, and porosity of the aquifer, and (3) the period and amplitude of the wave. The amplitude of the vertical landsurface motion associated with Rayleigh waves may be computed, provided sufficient data regarding the above parameters are available.…”

Section: Discussion Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Geological Survey research 1965, Chapter C

1965

Professional Paper

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Ground water Hydrologic instrumentation LimnologyBennett 51 GeochemistryFractionation of uranium isotopes and daughter products in uranium-bearing sandstone, Gas Hills, Wyo., by J. N. Rosholt, Jr., and C. P. Ferreira 58 GeochronologyPliocene age of the ash-flow deposits of the San Pedro area, Chile, by R. J. Dingman 63 Jurassic age of a mafic igneous complex, Christian quadrangle, Alaska, by H. N. Reiser, M. A. Lanphere, and W. P.Brosge 68 Paleontology and stratigraphy Marine geologyComposition of basalts dredged from seamounts off the west coast of Central America, by C. G. Engel and T. E. Chase_ _ 161 Data analysisOn the statistics of the orientation of bedding planes, grain axes, and similar sedimentological data, by A. E. Scheidegger_ 164 Analytical methodsA spectrophotometric method for the determination of traces of gold in geologic materials, by H. W. Lakin and H. M. Nakagawa 168 A field method for the determination of silver in soils and rocks, by H. M. Nakagawa and H. W. Lakin 172 HYDROLOGIC STUDIES Quality of water Hydrologic instrumentationA portable sampler for collecting water samples from specific zones in uncased or screened wells, by R. N. Cherry 214 INDEXES Subject 217Author 219 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY RESEARCH 1965This collection of 44 short papers is the second published chapter of Geological Survey Research 1965. The papers report on scientific and economic results of current work by members of the Conservation, Geologic, and Water Resources Divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey.Chapter A, to be published later in the year, will present a summary of significant results of work done during the present fiscal year, together with lists of investigations in progress, reports published, cooperating agencies, and Geological Survey offices.Geological Abstract.-The possible origin of some filled basin-range valleys as pull-aparts or tensional rifts on the back edge of a thrust plate was mentioned by Rubey and Hubbert in 1959. The concept was subsequently applied to Gem Valley, mainly as an interpretation of gravity and other data in the northern part of the valley. New stratigraphic information indicates that Paleozoic units on opposite sides of the valley contrast markedly in thickness and fades. Original sites of deposition, therefore, probably were not closer together than the 7 to 12 miles now separating the exposures. THE PULL-APART CONCEPTThe development of pull-apart gaps on the back edges of thrust plates has been suggested as a probable corollary of the hypothesis of overthrusting by gravitational sliding not accompanied by regional compression (Rubey and Hubbert, 1959, p. 194). The manner in which a pull-apart or tensional rift may form has been illustrated by Rubey and Hubbert (1959, fig. 9) as shown on figure 1. A thick plate of rock starts moving down the flank of a geosyncline FIGURE 1.-Development of a pull-apart rift under the gravitational-sliding hypothesis. An incipient bedding-plane glide surface develops in a zone of abnormal fluid pressure on the flank of a geosyncline and breaks...

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Section: Discussion Of Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Geological Survey research 1965, Chapter C

1965

Professional Paper

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“…5). If isostatic balance is assumed (Pakiser, 1963;Mabey, 1960), the crust in the area of Little Fish Lake and Monitor Valleys is thicker than is normal for the Great Basin. Seismic data support the inference that the crust is thicker in this central zone (Eaton, 1963;Hill and Pakiser, 1966;Warren, 1968;and Prodehl, 1970).…”

Section: Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Journal of Research of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1974, volume 2, issue 1

1974

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“…Active observational programmes, natural earthquakes covering a wide range of epicentral distances and the nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site in the Basin and Range Province have combined to place the region among the seismologically best-observed on the planet. Refraction profiles have revealed regional variations of the Pn velocity in the upper mantle just under the M -discontinuity (HERRIN and TAGGART, 1962;PAKISER 1963) and in crustal thickness and composion (PAKISER and RoBINsoN, 1966). Pn velocities are lower in the western superprovince than under the Great Plains, and lowest under the Basin and Range; and a thin silicic crust is characteristic of the western region.…”

Section: Structure From Seismologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical conductivity under Western North America in relation to heat flow, seismology, and structure.

Gough

1974

J. geomagn. geoelec

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Western North America between the coastal ranges and the Great Plains, and from the Mexican-United States border to the Trans-Canada Highway has been studied by means of three large two-dimensional arrays of recording magnetometers. The paper discusses the conductive structures found by these arrays in the upper mantle of the region. Highly conductive mantle material at least 100 km thick for conductivity 0.2 S/m underlies the Basin and Range Province and ridges of still higher conductivity (or greater thickness for a given conductivity) underlie the Wasatch Fault Belt and Southern Rockies. Under the Great Plains the upper mantle is more resistive and is of sub-shield type. North of the Basin and Range the Cordillera have a thin layer (10-20 km at 0.2 S/m) of conductive material in the upper mantle and the conductivity indicates a lower level of tectonic activity than in the midlatitudes of the U.S.A. Under the Colorado Plateau the conductivity is of Great Plains type or intermediate between this and that beneath the Basin and Range. Alternative conductive models satisfying variation-field anomalies are discussed with special reference to the poor depth and excellent lateral resolution of magnetometer arrays. The distribution of heat-flow is compared with that of electrical conductivity and it is shown that there is generally close correspondence and full support for association of high conductivity with high temperature. Seismological velocity-depth profiles, station terms in P and S teleseismic times and other parameters are considered and are again consistent with the conductivity and geothermal information.The case for partial melting is considered. It is strongly supported by seismological parameters in the lowvelocity layer and gives the most plausible hypothesis for the contrasts of order 100 in conductivity required by the magnetometer array results. Three tentative suggestions are made concerning tectonics of the region.

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Structure of the crust and upper mantle in the western United States

Cited by 20 publications

References 8 publications

Geological Survey research 1965, Chapter C

Geological Survey research 1965, Chapter C

Journal of Research of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1974, volume 2, issue 1

Electrical conductivity under Western North America in relation to heat flow, seismology, and structure.

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