published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Earth Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Applied Geosciences / Master / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Applied Geosciences / Master / Master of Science

Jurassic volcanic rocks in southeastern Arizona provide an opportunity to study the paleomagnetism of an autochthonous segment of the Mesozoic Cordilleran magmatic arc. The Corral Canyon sequence in the Patagonia Mountains is a 650 meter thick homoclinal sequence consisting of interbedded volcaniclastic red-beds, welded ash-flow tuff, and lavas. Rb/Sr isotopic analysis of eight whole rock tuff samples yields an isochron age of 171 ± 3 Ma. Welded tuffs in the Corral Canyon sequence possess a stable, primary magnetization carried in both magnetite and hematite that defines a paleomagnetic pole at 61.8°N, 116.0°E, alpha₉₅= 6.2°. This pole is considered to be a reliable Middle Jurassic reference pole for cratonic North America. Paleomagnetic study of the Canelo Hills volcanics welded tuff member also yields a stable, primary magnetization throughout a stratigraphic thickness of 600 meters. However, results from this formation are enigmatic and the mean pole is discordant with respect to Middle Jurassic reference poles. Various aspects of the paleomagnetic data indicate that discordance of the Canelo Hills volcanics pole is probably due to acquisition of remanent magnetization during a period of non-dipole behavior of the geomagnetic field. Dispersion of paleomagnetic directions suggests that the welded tuff member represents at most two cooling units and can be interpreted as a caldera-fill sequence. A revised Jurassic APW path differs significantly from available paths and has important implications for North American plate motion and paleolatitude. The spatio-temporal progression of reliable Jurassic paleopoles, in conjunction with Triassic and Early Cretaceous poles, is well described by paleomagnetic Euler pole analysis. The APW path is divided into three tracks, separated by two cusps. These cusps represent changes in the direction of North American absolute plate motion and can be correlated with global plate motion and intraplate deformation events at approximately 200-210 Ma and 150 Ma. Finally, the APW path presented herein predicts more southerly Late Triassic and Jurassic paleolatitudes for North America than have been suggested by previous authors. Using revised reference poles, there are no inclination anomalies within paleomagnetic data from Late Triassic and Early Jurassic rocks of Stikinia and Quesnellia (B.C., Canada).

The first part of this dissertation deals with the timing of Mesozoic igneous activity in southern Cordillera of North America and its tectonic implications. A representative section in Santa Rita Mountains is dated using the zircon U-Th-Pb isotopic method. The oldest unit, the lower member of the Mt. Wrightson Formation, is concordantly dated at 210 ± 3 Ma. Initial basaltic andesite to andesite volcanism was followed by deposition of redbeds and associated volcanic rocks that are dated at 200 Ma. Felsic volcanism and eolian sand deposition may have spanned from 190 to 170 Ma. The Piper Gulch Granodiorite, representing the earliest Mesozoic intrusive equivalent, gives concordant dates of 188 ± 2 Ma. A second cycle of andesite and rhyolitic volcanism and sedimentation is dated at 151 ± 5 Ma using the whole-rock Rb-Sr isotopic method. The Hovatter Volcanics in the Little Harquahala Mountains, southwestern Arizona is dated at 165 Ma. Whole-rock Rb-Sr isotopic method on the same rocks gives a coherent reset isochron of 70 ± 3 Ma (Appendix III). A new stratigraphic correlation is proposed based on the dating data. Tectonic models proposed by previous workers to account for what seemed to be the lack of Triassic volcanic rocks are not necessary. This part of the Cordillera was an uplifted arc terrane during the Early Mesozoic (Appendix II) and may have provided volcanic detritus to the Late Triassic Chinle Formation in the Colorado Plateau. The second part of the dissertation deals with magma evolution and crust modification during arc magmatism. Rocks in southeastern Arizona have ƭ(N)(d) values of -3.4 to -6.4, while rocks to the west have ƭ(N)(d) values ranging from -8.5 to -9.2. An ƭ(N)(d) value of +2 for a Jurassic basalt indicates the presence of depleted mantle under the arc. Using lower crust and mantle end-members, 20 to 40% mantle input is estimated. This seems to argue for continuous growth model of the continental crust. Combined REE and isotopic data indicate that assimilation of lower crust by mantle melts followed by fractional crystallization took place. Detailed study indicates that the lower crust along sites of arc magmatism gets progressively hybridized by the mantle, becoming more mantle-like with time.