The East Traverse Mountains are an E-W trending mountain range dividing Utah and Salt Lake valleys in northern Utah. Geologically perplexing, the nature of the East Traverse Mountains has been under investigation for 140 years. Previously, the mountain range was proposed to be a dismembered but still coherent down-faulted block that experienced 4 km of post-thrusting extension within the Charleston-Nebo thrust sheet. However, new insight on the origin of the East Traverse Mountains indicate that it is a mega landslide, roughly ~100 km3 in size, which catastrophically slid from the upper reaches of the Little-Cottonwood stock to its present-day location. The primary evidence for this landslide includes two unusual dike swarms whose roots are in the Wasatch Range and whose upper reaches are now in the East Traverse Mountains, 16 km to the SW. A swarm of pebble dikes, indicative of porphyry mineralization is found at the center of the East Traverse Mountains and contain pebbles of Little-Cottonwood stock as well as two other intrusions found at the center of a mineralized zone. These granitic clasts have phyllic alteration, contain molybdenite grains and are sourced from a subeconomic molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit located 16 km to the NE. The other dike swarm occurs on the SE corner of the range near Alpine, Utah, which contains various andesitic and phaneritic dikes of intermediate-felsic compositions (56-69 wt.% SiO2) with localized marble on their southern margin. These dikes range in U-Pb ages from 36-29 Ma. Moreover, other evidence includes brecciation of the entire mountain range as well as along the slide path of this landslide. Breccia, as well as pseudotachylyte and cataclasite have been discovered that formed in the rapid transportation of the 1-2 km thick detached block. Devitrified pseudotachylyte veins range in thickness from 1 cm to 1 m and are present in the roof zone of the pluton. Sixteen kilometers of sliding caused 70-80% of the Oquirrh Group rocks of the East Traverse Mountains to be fractured to less than 1-inch diameter clasts in breccias and broken formations, as documented by 16 years of mining. U-bearing opal replaced significant areas of brecciated volcanic rocks when hot water seeped into highly-fractured, argillically altered rock. U-Pb ages of 6.1 ± 0.9 Ma from these opalite areas could provide a minimum age for the emplacement of the mountain block. Underlying the East Traverse Mountains slide block is a layer of fallout tuff deposited in the Jordan River Narrows member with 40Ar/39Ar ages of 6.62 ± 0.07 Ma which provides a maximum age of emplacement. Therefore, we propose that the East Traverse Mountains mega-landslide occurred between 6.1 ± 0.9 Ma and 6.62 ± 0.07 Ma. Our interpretation for the East Traverse Mountains mega-landslide model builds upon previous research and data, with the addition of these recent findings. This new interpretation is crucial for understanding the potential for large normal fault systems to create significant landslide hazards.

published_or_final_version / Applied Geosciences / Master / Master of Science

A la base du complexe filonien, les fluides réagissent avec le diabase à 400°C et 400 bars pour former des épidosites (roches riches en épidote et quartz). Ces épidosites seraient liées aux dépôts des VMS. Les relations entre la mise en place des dykes, leur altération en épidosite et la déformation régionale restent mal comprises. Des expérimentations sur du métadiabase échantillonné dans le complexe de Troodos (Chypre) ont été réalisées pour, 1) contraindre les conditions P-T-fO2-composition du fluide de la réaction d’épidotisation et 2) quantifier les relations entre la perméabilité et la lithologie au cours de la déformation.A Troodos, deux grands types d’épidosite ont été observés: 1) une épidosite pénétrative au cœur des dykes et parallèle aux bordures figées et 2) des assemblages d'épidote et quartz sous présentant des fronts d'altération dans les joints de refroidissement ou sous forme de veines.De l’épidote a été synthétisée dans un autoclave statique avec un chauffage externe à 500°C et 2500 bars. Deux paramètres sont essentiels à l’épidotisation du métadiabase : la fugacité en oxygène et la composition du fluide (enrichi en Ca et Fe). Cependant, il y a un problème évident de nucléation à 400°C et 400 bars.Des mesures de perméabilité ont été réalisées dans un autoclave dynamique type Paterson par infiltration d’Ar et d’eau durant la déformation coaxiale. La perméabilité du métadiabase avant déformation est d'environ 10-20 m2. Après fracturation de l'échantillon, la perméabilité a augmenté jusqu'à 10-19 m2. En outre, la perméabilité de l’épidosite est d'environ 10-19 m2. Ce qui suggère que l’épidotisation génère de la porosité.Le problème principal est l’initiation de l’écoulement du fluide hydrothermale en raison de l'imperméabilité du diabase. Deux hypothèses sont proposées : 1) le fluide circule via les fractures et les fissures et 2) les fluides circulent dans une roche à l’état subsolidus (importance du dégazage). / In the deepest zone of oceanic crust, the fluids react with the sheeted diabase dikes at 400°C and 400 bars to form epidosites by enrichment in epidote and quartz. These epidosites are suggested to be linked to VMS deposits. The relations and the timing of the emplacement of diabase dikes, their alteration in epidosite and the regional deformation remain unclear. Experiments on metadiabase sampled in the Troodos complex (Cyprus) were performed, 1) to stress the P-T-fO2-fluid composition conditions of the reaction of epidotization and, 2) to quantify interrelations between the permeability and the lithology during deformation.In Troodos, two major types of epidosite were observed: 1) a pervasive epidosite in the core of dikes and a banding which is parallel to chilled margins and, 2) assemblages of epidote and quartz as alteration fronts in cooling joints or in the form of veins cross-cutting non-epidotized dikes.Epidote was synthetized in a static autoclave with external heating at 500°C and 2500 bars. Two parameters are essential to synthesize epidote from metadiabase: the oxygen fugacity and the composition of the fluid (enriched in Ca and Fe). However, there is an obvious problem of nucleation at 400°C and 400 bars.Measurements of permeability during coaxial deformation have been performed in a Paterson apparatus by infiltration of Ar and water. The permeability of the metadiabase prior deformation is about 10-20 m2. After fracturation of the sample, the permeability increased rapidly up to 10-19 m2. Moreover, the permeability of epidosite is about 10-19 m2. So this suggests that epidotization generates porosity.The main problem is the initiation of fluid flow because of the impermeability of diabase. Two hypotheses are proposed: 1) fluids flow via fractures and cracks and, 2) fluids flow into a rock in a subsolidus state (importance of degassing).

The Troodos ophiolite is a type example of ophiolite and has been studied for more than 50 years. Albeit numerous findings have been derived from previous investigations, some questions about the details of its formation processes are still outstanding. One of them concerns the origin of the pyroxenites in the mantle and the lower crustal section, and this is the main theme of this thesis. Integrated field, petrographical and geochemical work was conducted in this study. On the basis of distribution, the pyroxenites can be divided into two categories, crustal pyroxenites and mantle pyroxenite dykes. The results show that the layered or massive crustal pyroxenites can be distinguished by their magmatic features, and their formations have been controlled by a series of factors, including the melt composition, change of pressure, magma replenishment and magma mixing. The crystallization sequences of the crustal ultramafic unit samples are classified into two trends. Trend (i) olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase has been derived from tholeiitic-boninitic transitional melts, whereas trend (ii) olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, orthopyroxene from depleted boninitic melts. Regarding the mantle section, the pyroxenite dykes have been formed by focused flow of melt during migration towards the crust. Data show that they are products of several processes, including melt-rock reactions and fractional crystallization. On the basis of modal composition, the pyroxenite dykes are divided into clinopyroxenites and orthopyroxenites. Geochemical compositions suggest that the clinopyroxenites have been derived from island arc tholeiitic melts, whereas the orthopyroxenites from boninitic melts. The important overlap of the tholeiitic and the boninitic series throughout the sections of the ophiolite, as well as the presence of lithologies with compositions transitional between the two series, suggests that the two magmatic suites existed together. A tectonic model of subduction initiation, during which the subducting slab rolled-back rapidly, triggering asthenospheric mantle flow into the mantle wedge, inducing partial melting at a shallow level of the mantle to generate a series of island arc tholeiitic magmas and at deeper level, a series of depleted boninitic magmas. The two magmatic series have possibly been mixed during migration in the mantle, producing transitional units of the two series. / published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 6, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Mémoire (M.Sc.A)- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1978. / "Mémoire présenté en vue de l'obtention de la maîtrise ès Sciences appliquées en géologie". CaQCU Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Mémoire (M.Sc.A)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1980. / "Mémoire présenté en vue de l'obtention de la maîtrise ès Sciences appliquées en géologie". CaQCU Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Mémoire (M.Sc.A.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1986. / "Mémoire présenté à Chicoutimi en vue de l'obtention d'une maîtrise en science appliquée (géologie)" CaQCU Bibliogr.: p. 129-134. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Mémoire (M.Sc.T.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1989. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Field work and mapping with the aid of aerial photographs have shown the north Gap Dyke to be a vertical intrusion 93½ miles long . It extends from a point about 4½ miles south of Cathcart to the coast where it enters the sea about 100 yards north of the Ngadla R lver mouth. It is composed of several rock types including dolerite pegmatite, granophyric dolerite, subophitic dolerite, and it has a more or less central core of mobilized sediment at the western end. The essential minerals of the dolerite types include zoned plagioclase, which is described in some detail, and augite. Less important are hornblende and micropegmatite. Accessories include apatite, ilmenite, magnetite, quartz, actinolite, prehnite, calcite and epidote. Iddingsite (?), saussurite and chlorite occur as alteration products. The mode of origin of the Gap Dyke magma remains an open question: it may have arisen as a result of normal crystal fractionation or as the result of hybridization in depth followed by differentiation.