Potassium-argon dates of three pleistocene interglacial basalt flows from the Sierra Nevada, california

GSA Bulletin
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Abstract

Potassium-argon dates of 90,000 ± 90,000 years and 60,000 ± 50,000 years on the basalt in Sawmill Canyon of the Sierra Nevada, California, that underlies a moraine correlated with the Tahoe Glaciation and overlies pre-Tahoe till show that the Tahoe is probably less than 100,000 years old. Pre-Tahoe basalt near Sonora Pass gives a date of 150,000 ± 30,000 years. These data support the correlation of the Tahoe with early Wisconsin. Tahoe Glaciation in the southernmost Sierra Nevada seems to have been no less extensive than pre-Tahoe glaciation. The basalt that forms the Devils Postpile, believed by Matthes (1960) to have been extruded between his El Portal (Sherwin?) and Wisconsin glaciations, gives a date of 940,000 ± 160,000 years.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Potassium-argon dates of three pleistocene interglacial basalt flows from the Sierra Nevada, california
Series title GSA Bulletin
DOI 10.1130/0016-7606(1964)75[753:PDOTPI]2.0.CO;2
Volume 75
Issue 8
Year Published 1964
Language English
Publisher Geological Society of American
Description 6 p.
First page 753
Last page 758
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial Sierra Nevada
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