Collaborative Research: Distribution and Kinematics of Late Paleozoic Deformation from Southeastern California to Northeast Nevada

这是一项跨学科研究，涉及地质填图、地层学、沉积学、生物地层学和构造地质学。目的是确定内华达州晚古生代变形的分布和运动学(变形样式)。对北美西部演化的传统认识认为，在古生代时期，只有两次造山事件。然而，这组调查人员在内华达州的皮农山脉和Adobe山脉发现了以前未被识别的密西西比、宾夕法尼亚和二叠纪收缩变形事件的明确证据。他们的工作，以及许多其他工作人员发布的地图，表明这些事件可能是广泛的。这种广泛的地理范围和先前发现的造山运动之间收缩的时间持续性，提出了一些关于晚古生代作用于北美西部的构造过程的基本问题。该项目将调查范围向北延伸至爱达荷州边境，并向南延伸至加利福尼亚州东部。这项研究有可能修正目前关于北美西部古生代演化统一构造模式的想法。毫无疑问，这将有助于更好地了解内华达州晚古生代变形的范围、几何学、运动学和时间。这也可能导致对大陆西部何时以及为什么发生收缩变形的重新解释。这项研究的结果将对采矿和能源行业有用，因为这些岩石和构造对生产和圈闭碳氢化合物以及内华达州金矿的赋存具有重要意义。它们还可能与内华达州不断增长的人口的地下水供应有关，因为这些结构可能会扰乱或取代含水层。这些工作人员的研究成果已经被用于在内华达州南部当地建立更准确的水文模型。

This is an interdisciplinary study, entailing geologic mapping, stratigraphy, sedimentology, biostratigraphy and structural geology. The purpose is to determine the distribution and kinematics (deformational style) of late Paleozoic deformation across Nevada. The conventional understanding of the evolution of western North America recognizes only two orogenic (mountain-building) events during Paleozoic time. However, this team of investigators has found unequivocal evidence for previously-unrecognized Mississippian, Pennsylvanian and Permian contractional deformation events in the Pinon Range and Adobe Range, Nevada. Their work, along with published mapping by numerous other workers, indicates that these events may be widespread. This broad geographic extent and temporal persistence of contraction between the previously recognized orogenies raises some fundamental questions regarding the tectonic processes acting on western North America in Late Paleozoic time. This project is extending the investigation north to the Idaho border, and south into eastern California. This study has the potential to revise current thinking about unifying tectonic models for the Paleozoic evolution of western North America. It will, unequivocally, result in a better understanding of the extent, geometry, kinematics and timing of Late Paleozoic deformation in Nevada. It may also result in a reinterpretation of when and why contractional deformation occurred in the western part of the continent.The results of this study will be of use to the mining and energy industries, because of the importance of these rocks and structures to producing and trapping hydrocarbons and to hosting gold deposits in Nevada. They may also relate to groundwater supplies for the ever-growing population of Nevada, because the structures may disrupt or displace aquifers. Research results from these workers are already being used to build more accurate hydrologic models locally in southern Nevada.