The mineral resources of the Tintic Mining District are influenced by three major events in its geologic history; the Mesozoic Sevier Orogeny, Paleogene volcanism and Late Neogene Basin and Range extension. In this paper a detailed analysis of each these geologic events is presented to help us understand the structural host, mineralization and exhumation of the Tintic Mining District ore. A kinematic analysis of the faults was completed to determine the origin of NE-trending faults, Sevier Orogeny or Basin and Range extension, in the northern part of the East Tintic Mountains in Allens Ranch 7.5' quadrangle, near the eastern margin of the Great Basin of central Utah. The structural history of the NE-trending faults found in the quadrangle was reconstructed to determine stress directions and fault kinematics. Maximum paleostress direction for the East Tintic fold and thrust system is between 80º–100º with fold axes oriented at ~350º. For example, the Gardison Ridge and Tintic Prince faults are NE-trending right-lateral transverse faults that formed at ~30º to paleostress directions similar to those of the Sevier Orogeny. The dominant NE-trending faults in the region are likely due to (1) differential shortening during progressive orocline development, (2) the pre-deformational Pennsylvanian-Permian Oquirrh basin geometry, and (3) the influence of the Leamington transverse zones of the Provo salient. Conversely, mixed paleostress directions for the north-trending Tintic Davis Canyon fault show it is a Basin and Range extension-related normal fault that may have originated as a Sevier related fault. Other N-trending faults within the quadrangle are only related to Basin and Range extension. However, large offset, range-bounding faults are buried by valley fill throughout the quadrangle and no young fault scarps are identified cutting Lake Bonneville deposits. An Oligocene to Miocene suite of extrusive volcanic units in the quadrangle correlates well with those of the East Tintic and Soldiers Pass volcanic fields. The Paleogene volcanic section is dominated by a suite of high-K calc-alkaline extrusive rocks (35 to 32 Ma). This intermediate to silicic sequence was followed by eruption of the mildly alkaline Mosida Basalt during the Miocene (19.5 Ma) marking the transition from subduction-related intermediate and silicic volcanism to extension-related mafic volcanism in the eastern Great Basin.

Though stratigraphic correlations are abundant in the Cordilleran basin-fill, they rarely include along-strike transects providing a spatio-temporal sense of deformation, sediment-supply and subsidence. A new, high-resolution, regional strike-correlation of the Castlegate Formation reveals progressive northward-growth of the San Rafael Swell during two embryonic episodes of Laramide-style deformation in central Utah. The intrabasinal deformation-events produced gentle lithospheric-folding punctuated by erosional-truncation of upwarped regions. The earliest episode occurred at 78 Ma in the southern San Rafael Swell likely causing soft-sediment deformation and stratal-tilting. Following this the alluvial-plain was leveled and rapid, extensive-progradation took place. A second episode, at 75 Ma, where deformation was focused in the northern San Rafael Swell, also caused sediment-liquefaction and erosional beveling. The stratal-tilting and sediment-liquefaction is attributed to seismicity induced by basal-traction between a subducting flat-slab and continental-lithosphere. The south-to north time-transgression of uplift is spatio-temporally consistent with NE-propagation of an oceanic-plateau subducted shallowly beneath the region.

A detailed structural study of Rock Canyon (near Provo, Utah) provides insight into Wasatch Range tectonics and fold-thrust belt kinematics. Excellent exposures along the E-W trending canyon allow the use of digital photography in conjunction with traditional field methods for a thorough analysis of Rock Canyon's structural features. Detailed photomontages and geometric and kinematic analyses of some structural features help to pinpoint deformation mechanisms active during the canyon's tectonic history. Large-scale images and these structural data are synthesized in a balanced cross section, which is used to reconstruct the structural evolution of this portion of the range. Projection of surficial features into the subsurface produces geometrical relationships that correlate well with a fault-bend fold model involving one or more subsurface imbrications. Kinematic data (e.g. slickenlines, fractures, fold axes) indicate that the maximum stress direction during formation of the fault-bend fold trended at approximately 120°. Following initial thrusting, uplift and development of a thrust splay produced by duplexing may have caused a shift in local stresses in the forelimb of the Rock Canyon anticline leading to late-stage normal faulting during Sevier compression. These normal faults may have activated deformed zones previously caused by Sevier folding, and reactivated early-stage decollements found in the folded weak shale units and shaly limestones. Movement on most of these normal faults roughly parallels stress directions found during initial thrusting indicating that these extensional features may be coeval with thrusting. Other zones of extension and brittle failure produced by lower ramp geometry appear to have been activated during Tertiary Basin and Range extension along the Wasatch Fault Zone. Slickenline data on these later normal faults suggest a transport direction of nearly E-W distinguishing it from earlier events.