Proterozoic rocks in the Needle Mountains include ca. 1750 Ma amphibolite-grade, metavolcanic and metaplutonic gneisses and ca. 1690 Ma granitoids that comprise the basement to the siliciclastic Uncompahgre Group. The mafic and felsic gneisses underwent synkinematic metamorphism and two phases of isoclinal folding and foliation development during D_B, prior to emplacement of the ca. 1690 Ma plutons. D_BC deformation caused folding of D_B fabrics in the gneisses, development of a subvertical, east-striking foliation in the granitoids, and generation of a macroscopic sigmoidal foliation pattern throughout the area prior to 1430 Ma. D_BC structures in the basement are correlated with macroscopic structures in the Uncompahgre Group, which was deformed into an east-trending cuspate synclinorium during this event. Gently plunging mineral lineations and asymmetric kinematic indicators in the basement record a component of dextral strike-slip shearing in domains of east-striking foliation and sinistral shearing in areas of northeast-striking foliation. A model for D_BC involving the development of conjugate strike-slip shear zones in response to north-northwest shortening is most consistent with the kinematic and fabric orientation data. A zone of phyllite, derived largely from basement, occurs everywhere along the basement-cover contact. Kinematic indicators along and near the contact record upward movement of the cover relative to the basement on each side of the synclinorium and imply that the cover rocks are parautochthonous. Stratigraphic facing of the cover rocks away from the basement supports the interpretation of this contact as an unconformity at the base of the Uncompahgre Group. Alteration of the basement rocks along this contact involved hydration and the loss of CaO, MgO, SiO₂, and Na₂O. The phyllite zone is interpreted as a metamorphosed and deformed regolith that localized out-of-synform movement while the basement and its parautochthonous cover were folded together during D_BC. Rocks in the Needle Mountains comprise part of the Colorado Province, one of several terranes that were possibly accreted to the Archean Wyoming Craton during the Proterozoic. Age constraints on the timing of deformation indicate that D_B and D_BC are representative of two regionally extensive deformational episodes. Pre-1700 Ma deformation is attributed to the assembly of volcanogenic terranes and their accretion to the Wyoming Craton along the Cheyenne Belt. Post-1700 Ma deformation resulted from regional north-northwest crustal shortening induced by tectonic interactions along the southern margin of the Colorado Province. These results support the hypothesis that terrane accretion was important in the Proterozoic crustal evolution of southwestern North America. / Ph. D.

Siliciclastic sediments of the Proterozoic Uncompahgre Group can be subdivided into stratigraphic units of quartzite (Q) and pelite (P); these units include a basal, fining- and thinning-upward retrogradational sequence (Q1-P1) that records the transition from an alluvial to a shallow-marine setting. Overlying the basal sequence are three thickening- and coarsening-upward progradational sequences (P2-Q2, P3-Q3 and P4-Q4) that were influenced by tide-, storm- and wave-processes. The progradational units are subdivided into the following facies associations in a vertical sequence. Outer-to inner-shelf mudstones, Bouma sequence beds and storm beds of association A are succeeded by inner-shelf to shoreface cross-stratified sandstones of association B. Conglomerates and cross-bedded sandstones of upper association B represent alluvial braid-delta deposits. Tidal cross-bedded facies of the inner shelf/shoreface (association C) gradationally overlie association B. Interbedded within the tidal facies in upper association C are single pebble layers or <1 m-thick conglomerate beds and trough cross-bedded pebbly sandstones. Single pebble layers could be due to storm winnowing whereas conglomerates and pebbly sandstones may record shoaling to an alluvial/ shoreface setting. A temporally separated storm/alluvial and tidal shelf model best explains the origin and lateral distribution of facies in the progradational sequences. The presence of smaller progradational increments in the mudstone dominated units (P3) and the recurrence of facies associations in the thick quartzite/conglomerate units (Q2, Q3, Q4) suggests that external cyclic factors controlled sedimentation. A composite relative sea level curve integrating glacio-eustatic oscillations and long-term subsidence may account for the evolution of the thick progradational sequences of the Uncompahgre Group. Sedimentary rocks of the Uncompahgre Group have been subjected to polyphase deformation and greenschist facies metamorphism. Phase 1 structures (localized to the West Needle Mountains) include bedding-parallel deformation zones, F₁ folds and an S₁ cleavage. Phase 2 coaxial deformation resulted in the development of upright, macroscopic F₂ folds and an axial-planar crenulation cleavage, S₂. In addition basement-cover contacts were folded. Phase 3 conjugate shearing generated strike-parallel offset in stratigraphic units, a macroscopic F₃ fold, and an S₃ crenulation cleavage. In addition, oblique-slip, reverse faults were activated along basement-cover contacts. The Uncompahgre Group unconformably overlies and is inferred to be parautochthonous upon ca. 1750 Ma gneissic basement that was subjected to polyphase deformation (D_B) and amphibolite facies metamorphism. Basement was intruded by ca. 1690 Ma granitoids. Deformation of gneissic and plutonic basement together with cover (D_BC) postdates deposition of the Uncompahgre Group. The structural evolution of the Uncompahgre Group records the transition from a ductile, north-directed, fold-thrust belt to the formation of a basement involved “megamullion" structure which was subjected to conjugate strike-slip faulting to accommodate further shortening. D_BC deformation may be analogous to the deep foreland suprastructure of an orogenic belt that developed from ca. 1690 to 1600 Ma in the southwestern U.S.A .. / Ph. D.