Late Cretaceous paleomagnetism and clockwise rotation of the Silver Bell Mountains, south central Arizona

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
By:  and 

Links

Abstract

Late Cretaceous ash flow volcanism in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona (32.3°N, 248.5°E) was associated with caldera formation and porphyry copper mineralization. Oriented samples from 34 sites in volcanic, volcaniclastic, and intrusive units related to this episode of igneous activity (73–69 Ma) yield a mean paleomagnetic direction of I = 61.2°, D = 24.0°, α95 = 7.6°. Primary remanent magnetizations are indicated by the presence of both normal and reversed polarities and by the significantly improved grouping (95% confidence level) of site-mean directions for a widespread tuff unit after structural correction. A comparison of this direction with a direction at Silver Bell calculated from contemporaneous units for stable North America (I = 58.8°, D = 342.3°, α95 = 7.7°) indicates a Late Cretaceous paleolatitude anomaly of −2.4°±7.6° (not significant at the 95% confidence level) and a declination anomaly of 41.7°±14.3° for the Silver Bell Mountains. Previously determined paleomagnetic data for southeastern Arizona suggest that this apparent clockwise rotation in the Silver Bell Mountains is a local phenomenon. Although preliminary, the average paleomagnetic direction for Oligocene and lower Miocene rocks in the Silver Bell area (I = 43.8°, D = 357.3°, α95 = 16.5°) is similar to that calculated for stable North America (I = 50.2°, D = 352.2°, α95 = 3.9°), implying that the observed rotation in the Silver Bell Mountains occurred before 26 Ma and was most likely associated with dextral strike-slip movement along the Ragged Top and related WNW trending faults bounding the Silver Bell Mountain block. These data, in conjunction with plate reconstructions and other paleomagnetic data from southwestern North America, imply that WNW trending strike-slip faults may have played an important role during Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary deformation in southern Arizona.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Late Cretaceous paleomagnetism and clockwise rotation of the Silver Bell Mountains, south central Arizona
Series title Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
DOI 10.1029/JB094iB12p17847
Volume 94
Issue B12
Year Published 1989
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Description 14 p.
First page 17847
Last page 17860
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details