Detrital zircon geochronology of the Shoo Fly Complex, northern Sierra terrane, northeastern California

Special Papers of the Geological Society of America
By: , and 
Edited by: M. J. Soreghan and George E. Gehrels

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Abstract

U-Pb analyses have been conducted on 92 individual detrital zircon grains from 4 of the main thrust sheets of the Shoo Fly Complex. Samples from the Culbertson Lake allochthon, Duncan Peak allochthon, and Lang sequence yield mainly 1.80-2.10, 2.20-2.45, and 2.55-2.70 Ga ages, which suggests that sediments in these units originated in a cratonal region containing Paleoproterozoic and Archean igneous rocks. These ages match those of basement provinces from the northwestern Canadian shield, suggesting a provenance link with northwestern North America during early Paleozoic time. The Sierra City melange, however, has significantly different zircon ages of 551-635 and 1170-1319 Ma, with only a subordinate population of >1.8 Ga grains. These grains apparently were derived originally from an outboard Neoproterozoic-Cambrian(?) volcanic arc and from 1.0-1.7 Ga basement rocks of south-western North America. The occurrence of all three sets of ages in a sandstone that accumulated outboard of the Lang, Culbertson Lake, and Duncan Peak thrust sheets indicates that most rocks of the Shoo Fly Complex formed inboard of a volcanic arc located in proximity to the southern portion of the Cordilleran margin.

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Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Detrital zircon geochronology of the Shoo Fly Complex, northern Sierra terrane, northeastern California
Series title Special Papers of the Geological Society of America
DOI 10.1130/0-8137-2347-7.43
Volume 347
Year Published 2000
Language English
Publisher American Geosciences Institute
Description 13 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Monograph
Larger Work Title Paleozoic and Triassic paleogeography and tectonics of western Nevada and northern California
First page 43
Last page 55
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial Shoo Fly Complex
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