Batholiths are large bodies of intrusive igneous rock. Plutonism in the central part of the sierra nevada batholith, california. Seismic and gravity data indicate the sierra nevada batholith to be probably thin, and gravity data. A survey of sierra nevada magmatism using great valley. Geologic trips, sierra nevada by ted konigsmark isbn 09661657. Sierran uplift and a change in regional volcanism to more primitive compositions. The most igneous rocks in the sierra nevada batholith. Youll also see a large roof pendant of metamorphic rocks exposed in the walls of the canyon. For sale by the books and openfile report sales, u. Magmatic and tectonic processes and their tempos field guide geological society of america paperback september 3, 2014. The sierra nevada batholith map mosaic project is an effort to catalog and compile various usgs maps from the sierra nevada region and surrounding areas into one easily accessible location. The sierra nevada batholith is a large batholith which forms the core of the sierra nevada mountain range in california, exposed at the surface as granite. Magma accumulation rates and thermal histories of plutons. The sierra nevada batholith also displays a pronounced transverse age gradient with mafic magmatism commencing.
The sierra nevada batholith for example is a continuous granitic structure that from phsc 210 at liberty university. Oroclinal bending of the southern sierra nevada batholith. The nature of batholiths c3 part of the batholith was interpreted by ernst cloos 1932, 1935a to have sent a flat tongue westward over its wallrocks. The sierra made up of granitic rock of the sierra batholith. Jul 20, 2016 the sierra nevada mountains, for example, are made up of a granitic batholith, thrust into its position over several million years. The mammoth peak sheeted complex, tuolumne batholith, sierra. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. The number of electron shells shield volcanoes commonly involve fluid lava flows shield volcanoes. Each pluton has a slightly different chemistry, but all of the rock is made up of some form of granite. The mammoth peak sheeted complex, tuolumne batholith. This idea of coeval subduction zones would produce melts of varying compositions which would tend to get more sialic to the east.
The next time you hike across a outcrop of intrusive rocks in one of our national parks, keep your eyes open for interesting features that reflect its formation. Most of the plutons in the sierra nevada batholith range from a few miles to a few tens of miles across. The mesozoic sierra nevada batholith preserves an extensive record of continentalmargin arc magmatism which serves as a classic, worldwide model for such tectonic environments. However, about onethird of the batholith actually extends northward from the sierra nevada proper into the basin and range province of northwest nevada, where it has received little study. One such batholith is the sierra nevada batholith, which is a continuous granitic formation that makes up much of the sierra nevada in california. Polonium radiohalos tuolumne intrusive suite, yosemite. A classic location for the widespread outcropping of granites is in the sierra nevada of eastern central california fig. The batholith is conventionally of mesozoic age, and lies along the western edge of the paleozoic north. The sierra nevada batholith is composed of over 100 different plutons. Magma accumulation rates and thermal histories of plutons of.
The sierra nevada batholith is localized in the axial region of a complex faulted synclinorium that coincides with a downfold in the mohorovicic discontinuity and in pwave velocity boundaries within the crust. The sierra nevada mountains, for example, are comprised of a granitic batholith, which is made up of hundreds of individual plutons intruded over a period of several million years. Potassiumargon ages for plutons in the eastern and southern. Zircon upb geochronology results indicate that the john muir intrusive suite of the central sierra nevada batholith, california, was assembled over a period of at least 12 ma between 96 and 84 ma. Day 4 of the field forum is dedicated entirely to the magmatic evolution of the tuolumne intrusive complex. Biotites from plutonic recks of the central sierra nevada and inyo mountains, california, have been examined and characterized by powder xray diffraction and optical and chemical methods. Oceaniccontinent convergence a porphyritic igneous texture indicate that. The full maps have been included for reference, but.
Eocene drainage evolution and erosion of the sierra nevada. Formation of the sierra nevada batholith geoscienceworld. In southern california, a compelling case has been made for a late cenozoic nevada batholith 6,7,8,9,10. Sierra nevada batholith geologic map mosaic project. The white mountains and the alabama hills are considered part of the same batholith, but. Sep 03, 2014 buy formation of the sierra nevada batholith.
Magmatic and tectonic processes and their tempos edited by vali memeti, scott r. This range not only forms a major mountain chain, but also was responsible for driving the california gold rush. Many batholiths cover hundreds to thousands of square miles. Geology of the sierra nevada by mary hill goodreads. The sierra nevada, along with most of north america west of the cordillera, is composed of tectonically accreted terranes of paleozoic and mesozoic age. A batholith has an irregular shape with side walls that incline steeply against the host rock. The wellcharacterized sierra nevada magmatic arc offers an unparalleled opportunity to improve our understanding of continental arc magmatism, but present bedrock exposure provides an incomplete record that is dominated by cretaceous plutons, making it challenging to decipher details of older magmatism and the dynamic interplay between plutonism and volcanism. Time scales and processes of cordilleran batholith. The sierra nevada batholith a synthesis of recent work.
Emplacement of the sierra nevada batholith occurred during a mountain building episode known as the nevadan orogeny, initiated during the jurassic. Intrusive, uplift and erosional history of the northern. Esp eastern sierra pendants, mpsc mammoth peak sheeted complex, snb sierra nevada batholith, tb tuolumne batholith, wmb western. Bulk mineral thermochronology upb zircon and titanite, 40ar39ar hornblende and biotite of rocks from multiple plutons comprising the muir suite indicates rapid cooling through. Granitic rocks of different compositions and colors are juxtaposed on the. Included on this website are various scanned geological maps and their associated georeference files. Rock of sierra nevada are divided into 3 groups, batholithic, prebatholithic, and postbatholitihic. Age dates show that they were emplaced between about 225 and 80 million years ago, as big blobs of magma rose from the depths. Important batholiths in the united states include the idaho batholith, 18,000 sq mi 45,000 sq km, and the sierra nevada batholith, 16,000 sq mi 40,000 sq km. Very large batholiths like the sierra nevada batholith are. Geological survey professional paper, 1483 bateman p on.
Plutonism in the central part of the sierra nevada. The sierra continues to have uplift, which has caused prebatholithic rocks to be pushed aside. Magma modification in the central sierra nevada batholith. Detrital zircon analysis of eocene to oligocene fluvial sediments auriferous gravels in the yuba and feather river drainages, northern california, provides new constraints on the evolution of the paleodrainage system, sediment provenance, and the timing of sediment deposition and erosion of the sierra nevada batholith. Pdf disruption of regional primary structure of the. Geologic map of yosemite national park and vicinity, california, with key and notes. The sierra nevada batholith comprises the plutonic rocks of. Disruption of regional primary structure of the sierra nevada batholith by the kern canyon fault system, california article pdf available in special paper of the geological society of america. Disruption of regional primary structure of the sierra nevada. The publications warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication at. Bar graphs showing composition of hornblende and biotite in samples collected from margin to core. Feb 20, 2012 clouds and stars streak across the sky in this time lapse of the beautiful views of the sierra nevada mountains from yosemite, desolation, and ansel adams wilderness. Geology of the sierra nevada central sierra historical society.
Plutonism in the central part of the sierra nevada batholith. The sierra nevada batholith for example is a continuous. A batholith is much larger up to hundreds of km long and 100 km across and consists of many plutons that are similar in composition and appearance. This is because precious minerals including gold are commonly associated with granitic batholiths. The sierra nevada batholith is a large batholith which forms the core of the sierra nevada mountain range in california, exposed at the surface as granite the batholith is composed of many individual masses of rock called plutons, which formed deep underground during separate episodes of magma intrusion, millions of years before the sierra itself first began to rise.
Most of the granite in the sierra nevada batholith was emplaced between 120 and 85 million years ago during the jurassic and cretaceous periods. According to some estimates, the sierra nevada batholith contains more than one hundred separate granite plutons. Magmatic and tectonic processes and their tempos field guide geological society of america paperback september 3, 2014 by vali memeti other contributor see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. This classic cordilleran stitching batholith was constructed in a com. A granitic body often displays areas of mafic rock, and mafic bodies often display felsic areas. Magmatic evolution of the tuolumne intrusive complex. Most of the granite in the sierra nevada batholith was emplaced between 120. Although most plutons are distinguished by their composition and age, plutons may have many other. Active foundering of a continental arc root beneath the. Clouds and stars streak across the sky in this time lapse of the beautiful views of the sierra nevada mountains from yosemite, desolation, and ansel adams wilderness. Media in category sierra nevada batholith the following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total.
The activities are designed to give petrology students a capstone experience for the igneous portion of the upperlevel petrology. The sierra nevada batholith of eastern california forms the largest mountain range in the continental u. This is one of the most rapid periods of continental crust. By definition, a batholith must cover at least 39 mi 2 100 km 2, although most are even larger. Formed when magma cools and crystallizes beneath earths surface, batholiths are the largest type of pluton. One such batholith is the sierra nevada batholith, which is a continuous granitic. The sierra nevada mountains, for example, are made up of a granitic batholith, thrust into its position over several million years. Batholith, large body of igneous rock formed beneath the earths surface by the intrusion and solidification of magma. This guide also includes data on the basement terranes intruded by these intrusions, mesozoic volcanicsedimentary sections, and data derived of several sierra nevadawide data sets plutonic, volcanic and sedimentary geochronology, strain analyses, structures, and geochemistry.
One of the largest single batholiths in north america is the coast range batholith of w canada and alaska, encompassing an area of about 73,000 sq mi 182,500 sq km. Known as the sierra nevada batholith, hundreds of granite plutons outcrop over an area of 40,00045,000 km 2. Closeup shots the next time you hike across a outcrop of intrusive rocks in one of our national parks, keep your eyes open for interesting features that reflect its formation. The most igneous rocks in the sierra nevada batholith formed from.
Shown are also positions and ages of the samples dated by coleman et al. Potassiumargon ages for plutons in the eastern and. Analytic data for samples with multiple k 2 0 analyses 4 2. Topography and structure of sierra nevada characteristics. The most igneous rocks in the sierra nevada batholith formed. Second, the three exposed sections of the midcrustal arc rocks have intermediate compositions and are dominated by. A batholith is a large mass of intrusive igneous rock also called plutonic rock, larger than 100. Biotites from granitic rocks of the central sierra nevada. Structural, magmatic, and isotopic features of the southern sierra nevada batholith are deflected clockwise with respect to its central and northern parts. The quartz diorite and minor granodiorite bodies listed as numbers 3 and 4 above intrude the noritic rocks.
Prebatholithic rocks in the sierra today are mostly metamorphic. This guide also includes data on the basement terranes intruded by these intrusions, mesozoic volcanicsedimentary sections, and data derived of several sierra nevada wide data sets plutonic, volcanic and sedimentary geochronology, strain analyses, structures, and geochemistry. Apr 08, 2009 a classic location for the widespread outcropping of granites is in the sierra nevada of eastern central california fig. A large amalgamation of plutons is called a batholith. Bulk mineral thermochronology upb zircon and titanite, 40ar39ar hornblende and biotite of rocks from multiple plutons comprising the muir suite indicates rapid cooling through titanite and. The activities are designed to give petrology students a capstone experience for the. Instead, it is made up of over one hundred individual plutons. About cookies, including instructions on how to turn off cookies if you wish to do so. Feb 09, 2007 they may have a surface exposure of 40 sq mi 100 sq km or more and may be 69 mi 1015 km thick.
Although the prospect of walking across huge areas of one type of rockgranitemight seem dull, in fact the sierras offer spectacular scenery and lots of interesting details about what went on in the magma chambers of a suite of subduction zone volcanoes that were active from roughly. Yosemite is situated within the 70milewide, 300milelong sierra nevada batholith. The tuolumne intrusive complex is mostly located in yosemite national park and is superbly exposed due to a series of glaciations that started 23 million years ago and ended ca. Tuolumne batholith in the central sierra nevada, ca. The publications warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate rock types, such as granite, quartz monzonite, or diorite see also granite dome. As the batholith began to rise, about 80 million years ago, the layer of marine sedimentary rock that lay over the mountain was gradually eroded. The sierra nevada batholith although the prospect of walking across huge areas of one type of rockgranitemight seem dull, in fact the sierras offer spectacular scenery and lots of interesting details about what went on in the magma chambers of a suite of subduction zone volcanoes that were active from roughly 150 to 80 million years ago. An even larger batholith, the coast plutonic complex, is found predominantly in the coast mountains of western canada. A wellknown batholith is located in the sierra nevada range of california.
Writing with verve and clarity, mary hill tells the st. Kar ages of and analytical data for intrusive rocks, eastern and southern sierra nevada batholith, california 6 contents ill. A study of the structure, composition, and pretertiary history of the sierra nevada batholith in the mariposa 1o by 2o quadrangle u. This batholith is not just one homogenous body of granite. Batholith is a result from subduction of the ocean crust beneath the north american plate caused formation of a pool of. Many of these terranes are exotic, in that they originated far from north america, and have complex histories of amalgamation and rotation. During this geologic trip, youll drive down into kings canyon and gain an appreciation of the work that the rivers and glaciers did in cutting the canyon. The sierra nevada batholith a synthesis of recent work across the central part.