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

这是一项跨学科的研究，涉及地质制图、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，在古生代只有两次造山活动。然而，该研究小组在内华达州的Pinon山脉和Adobe山脉发现了之前未被发现的密西西比、宾夕法尼亚和二叠纪收缩变形事件的确凿证据。他们的工作，以及许多其他工作者发表的地图表明，这些事件可能是普遍存在的。这种广泛的地理范围和先前确认的造山带之间持续收缩的时间，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，向南延伸至加州东部。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、几何形状、运动学和时间。它还可能导致对大陆西部收缩变形发生的时间和原因的重新解释。这项研究的结果将对采矿和能源行业有用，因为这些岩石和结构对生产和捕获碳氢化合物以及内华达州的金矿很重要。它们也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破坏或取代含水层。这些工作人员的研究成果已经被用于在内华达州南部地区建立更精确的水文模型。

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.