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This dissertation represents an investigation of the mid-Paleozoic tectono-thermal and kinematic evolution of the crust in eastern coastal Maine as recorded by the plutonic rocks of this region. The first chapter describes the plutonic rocks of the Coastal Maine Magmatic Province. A tectonic model is developed in which late Ordovician-Silurian bimodal magmatism is interpreted to reflect crustal melting as a result of intraplating of mantle melts at high crustal levels during a period of tension. Large scale melting of lower crustal source regions, represented by voluminous intrusion of Devonian granites, reflects a period of transpression during which upwelling mantle melts were confined to the base of the crust. The diversity of granitic plutons reflects changes in the mineral assemblages present during partial melting, and in some instances, modification as a result of mixing/mingling with mantle melts. The second chapter examines the effect of accessory minerals on the initial Pb isotopic signature of anatectic granites. Their initial Pb isotopic composition reflects (a) the age, type, modal distribution, and heterogeneity in the initial U and Th content of the accessory phase(s) present in the source, (b) variation in melt composition and temperature during partial melting, (c) the fraction of the source melted, and (d) the extent to which the melt is homogenized prior to crystallization. It is shown that granitic plutons derived by crustal anatexis of a common source material are not required to have similar initial lead isotopic compositions. The third chapter presents the results of a Pb isotopic investigation of selected plutonic rocks from the Coastal Maine MagmaticProvince. This study was designed to test and refine petrogenetic models presented in Chapter 1. The Pb isotopic signature of the granitic plutons reveals the presence of two lithologically heterogeneous source regions beneath the Avalon Composite Terrane. The upper crustal source region has an mean V-Pb age of -2.0 Ga and the high 207Pb/204Pb-206Pb/204Pb characteristic of Avalonian crust. The lower crustal source region has an average U-Pb age of -1.3 Ga and lower 207Pb/204Pb. This source region may represent either the autochthonous basement to the Avalon platform or the eastern extension of the basement to the Gander Terrane of central Maine. / Ph. D.

Syntectonic chlorite pressure fringes on framboidal pyrites record strain in Ordovician and Devonian shales from the Massanutten synclinorium. Total strains display no systematic relation to minor or major structures. Strain histories are related to the development of minor, rather than regional, structures. A two-component model is proposed for minor folding involving both flexural slip and pure shear. Curved fringes, straight fringe segments separated by sharp curvatures and multiple sets of fringes indicate that increments of pure shear were interspersed with continuous to episodic limb rotations accommodated by flexural slip. Similarities of deformation histories of Ordovician and Devonian shales indicate that in this area cover rocks experienced no penetrative deformation during the Taconic Orogeny. Fold geometries and cleavage fans of major structures are consistent with a ramp-fold origin for the Massanutten Synclinorium/Blue Ridge Anticlinorium fold couple. The deformation sequence is characterized by 1) a significant component of lateral shortening associated with minor folds, cleavage and penetrative strain, 2) amplification of the anticlinorium by asymmetric growth over a subsurface ramp. Rotation of the northwest limb to near-vertical during continued compression and transport resulted in local crenulation of the s₁ fabric. / M.S.

Studies in modern ecology indicate that most species are distributed independently along environmental gradients according to their individual requirements. Steep gradients often produce species associations separated by discontinuities; gradual gradients produce broadly-overlapping distributions. Approaching the distribution of species populations as a continuum, using gradient analysis, avoids artificial sub-division of totally intergrading distributions, yet permits discontinuities to emerge where present. Faunas of the Martinsburg Formation (Ordovician) in southwestern Virginia offer an excellent opportunity to test the applicability of gradient analysis in a paleoecological setting. A broad spectrum of environments, from nearshore to open-marine, elastic to carbonate-dominated facies, provide both temporal and geographic variation against which to evaluate changes in species distributions. Five classical, Petersen-type communities were recognized in the Martinsburg using cluster analysis: 1) Lingula, 2) bivalve, 3) Rafinesquina, 4) Onniella, and 5) Sowerbyella-dominated associations. Two gradient analysis techniques, ordination and Markov analysis, revealed the same basic associations. However, ordination and Markov analysis permit arrangement of these associations along one or more interpreted environmental gradients. Factors related to water depth and distance from elastic source areas, particularly bottom stability and disturbance frequency, appear to have been the most important of a complex of interrelated physical parameters. The high-stress, nearshore end of the Martinsburg gradient complex was occupied by a Lingula association, followed seaward by an association of bivalves adapted to less stressed environments. Low-stress, open-shelf environments were occupied by Rafinesquina, Onniella, or Sowerbyella-dorninated associations. Broad overlap among these articulate brachiopod communities reflects variations within the open-shelf habitat. / Ph. D.

Taxonomic position of the brachiopod genus Euorthisina HAVLÍ EK 1950 from the Ordovician of the Prague Basin (Czech republic) was subjected to wide discussions and disputes in the past. The genus was first classified within the superfamily Syntrophiiacea (order Pentamerida). Later, a separate family Euorthisinidae by Havlí ek (1977) was defined. At present, the family is assigned to the order Orthida and includes genera Euorthisina HAVLÍ EK, 1950, Lesserorthis BENEDETTO, 2007, Notorthisina HAVLÍ EK & BRANISA, 1980 and Protorthisina BENEDETTO, 2007. In this thesis, a revision of genus Euorthisina HAVLÍ EK 1950 with emphasis on taxonomic classification, palaeoecology and palaeogeographic occurrence of species E. moesta and E. minor described from the Ordovician of the Prague Basin has been made. Klí ová slova: Euorthisina, brachiopoda, Ordovician, Prague Basin, Czech republic.

Master of Science / Department of Geology / Matthew Totten / Jackson County, Kansas is situated on the west side of the Forest City Basin, location of the first oil discovery west of the Mississippi River (KGS), Production in the area is predominately from the Viola Limestone, and a noticeable trend of oil fields has developed where the basin meets the Nemaha Anticline. Exploration has been sluggish, because of the lack of an exploration model. Production rates have varied widely from well to well, even when they are structurally equivalent. The goal of this study was to determine the factors controlling reservoir quality in the Ordovician-aged Viola Limestone so that a better exploration model could be developed. A two township area was studied to examine relationships between subsurface variations and production rates. In the absence of an available core through the Viola, drill cuttings were thin-sectioned and examined under a petrographic microscope to see the finer details of porosity, porosity type and dolomite crystal-size that are not visible under a binocular microscope. Production appears to be controlled by a combination of structural position and dolomite crystal size, which was controlled by secondary diagenesis in the freshwater-marine phreatic mixing zone. The best wells exhibited a Viola Limestone made up of 100% very coarsely crystalline, euhedral dolomite crystals. These wells occur on the east and southeast sides of present day anticlines, which I have interpreted to be paleo-highs that have been tilted to the east-southeast.

Thesis advisor: Christopher J. Hepburn / The Nashoba terrane in eastern Massachusetts comprises Cambrian-Ordovician mafic to felsic metavolcanic rocks and interlayered sediments metamorphosed during the mid-Paleozoic and intruded by a series of dioritic to granitic plutons during the Silurian to earliest Carboniferous. This work comprises two parts discussing the Sm-Nd isotope characteristics and major and trace element geochemistry of the Nashoba terrane: the first discusses the Cambrian-Ordovician metamorphosed units, the second discusses the Silurian-Carboniferous plutons. Part I: The Nashoba terrane in eastern Massachusetts lies between rocks of Ganderian affinity to the northwest and Avalonian affinity to the southeast. Its relationship to either domain was unclear and has been investigated. Major and trace element geochemical data indicate a mix of arc, MORB, and alkaline rift related signatures consistent with an origin of the terrane as a primitive volcanic arc-backarc complex built on thinned continental crust. Newly determined Sm-Nd isotopic data clarifies the original tectonic setting. Amphibolites of the Marlboro and Nashoba Formations have high εNd values (+4 to +7.5) consistent with formation in a primitive volcanic arc with minimal interaction between arc magmas and crust. Intermediate and felsic gneisses have moderate εNd values between +1.2 and –0.75 indicating a mixture of juvenile arc magmas and an evolved (likely basement) source. Depleted mantle model ages of 1.2 to 1.6 Ga indicate a Mesoproterozoic or older age for this source. Metasedimentary rocks have negative εNd values between –6 and –8.3 indicating derivation primarily from an isotopically evolved source (or sources). The model ages of these metasedimentary rocks (1.6 to 1.8 Ga) indicate a source area of Paleoproterozoic or older age. The εNd values and model ages of the intermediate and felsic rocks and metasedimentary rocks indicates that the basement to the Nashoba terrane is Ganderian rather than Avalonian. The Nashoba terrane therefore represents a southward continuation of Ganderian arc-backarc activity as typified by the Penobscot and/or Popelogan-Victoria arc systems and the Tetagouche-Exploits backarc basin in the northern Appalachians. Part II: Between 430 and 350 Ma the Nashoba terrane experienced episodic dioritic and granitic plutonism. Previous workers have suggested a supra-subduction zone setting for this magmatism based on the calc-alkaline nature of the diorites. Previously determined major and trace element geochemical data along with newly determined Sm-Nd isotopic data indicate that a subduction zone was active beneath the Nashoba terrane during the majority of the 430 to ca. 350 Ma magmatism (and likely throughout). Trace element geochemistry indicates a strong arc component in all magmas and suggests that the various Silurian to Carboniferous plutonic rocks of the Nashoba terrane could all have been derived by modification of a slightly enriched NMORB-type source via subduction zone input and crustal contamination. Most of the rocks from this period have intermediate εNd values consistent with contamination of juvenile magmas by an evolved source. The late Proterozoic model ages for most of these rocks suggest the Ganderian basement of the Nashoba terrane as the source of evolved material. One rhyolite from the nearby Newbury Volcanic Complex (of unknown affinity) has a moderately negative εNd value consistent with derivation by partial melting of Cambrian-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks of the Nashoba terrane. This suggests that the Newbury Volcanic Complex formed as the surface expression of mid-Paleozoic Nashoba terrane plutonism. Geochemical and isotopic similarities between the plutonic rocks of the Nashoba terrane and widespread contemporary Ganderian plutonism suggest that the Nashoba terrane remained a part of Ganderia during its transit and accretion to the Laurentian margin. Significantly younger model ages in the youngest granitic rocks indicate that Avalonian crust may have underthrust the Nashoba terrane after 400 Ma and contributed to the generation of these granites. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Rocks of Paleozoic, Tertiary, and Quaternary age are represented in the northern part of the Malad Range. The Paleozoic rocks are represented by thirteen formations that are characterized lithologically by quartzites, shales, and carbonates. The oldest formation in the mapped area of Paleozoic age is the Brigham Formation, and the youngest formation is the Jefferson Formation of late Devonian age. The rocks of Tertiary age are conglomerates, shales, and limestones and are represented by the Wasatch Formation, the Salt Lake Formation, and boulders. Quaternary rocks include sediments of the Lake Bonneville Group and alluvium. The faults in the mapped area were formed during two periods of movement. The east-west-trending faults, northeast-trending faults, and northwest-trending faults are a consequence of compressional forces during Laramide orogenic activity. The north-south-trending faults were the result of Basin and Range block faulting during middle and late Tertiary times.

The Lower to Middle Ordovician Garden City Formation and Pogonip Group are coeval successions of mixed carbonate and siliciclastic rocks deposited under normal marine conditions on a shallow carbonate ramp on the western margin of Laurentia. The Garden City Formation was deposited in the Northern Utah Basin and the Pogonip Group was deposited in the Ibex Basin. These two basins experienced different rates of thermal subsidence following Neoproterozoic rifting along the western margin of Laurentia resulting in significant thickness differences between rock units and varying lithologic expressions of eustatic change. This study provides a unique opportunity to examine the lithologic, geochemical, and paleontological responses to eustatic oscillations of two coeval sedimentary basins in Utah that formed under different tectonic settings and subsidence rates. The Garden City Formation is composed of fourteen lithotypes and the Pogonip Group is composed of eleven lithotypes. These lithotypes mainly represent depositional environments ranging from inner ramp and middle ramp with minor outer ramp deposits. Many lithologies appear to be storm influenced due to the presence of abundant rip-up clasts (intraclasts), fragmented bioclasts, and occasional mega-ripples. Other lithologies have been extensively bioturbated and burrowed. Nine stratigraphic sequences have previously been identified within the Pogonip Group. Eight equivalent, albeit compressed, sequences within the Garden City Formation were located using biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic correlations, and increases in insoluble residues often found at the bases of sequence boundaries. Sequences are expressed as deepening-upward packages containing silty/sandy lowstand deposits that transition into wackestones and lime mudstone-rich highstand deposits. Several sequence boundaries appear to coincide with conodont and/or trilobite extinction events. Important sequence boundaries mark the Sauk III-m and Sauk IV-m transition and the Ibexian- Whiterockian Series boundary. Meter-scale cycles are common and likely related to Milankovitch cyclicity. Insoluble residue increases upsection at each location which may indicate a gradual overall drop in sea level due to the onset of the regressive upper portion of the Sauk III supersequence. Insoluble residue from the Pogonip Group ranges from 1.2 to 84.7 wt. % with an average of 16.0 wt. % ± 0.7 wt. %. Insoluble residue from the Garden City Formation ranges from 1.5 to 63.8 wt. % with an average of 13.4 wt. % ± 1.0 wt. %. New stable carbon isotope data (δ13C) from the Garden City Formation and the Pogonip Group range from -2.92 to 1.23 ‰ V-PDB and -2.19 to 0.56 ‰ V-PDB, respectively. Four distinct δ13C trends are recognized in both sections: 1) a drop in δ13C from positive values between 0.2-1.0 ‰ to negative values approaching -1.0 ‰ near the base of the Ordovician, 2) a 0.5 to 1.0 ‰ positive δ13C excursion near the top of the Rossodus manitouensis Zone, 3) a drop in δ13C values to near -2.0 ‰ through most of the Acodus deltatus –Oneotodus costatus Zone, and 4) a gradual increase in δ13C from - 2.0 ‰ to -1.0 ‰ throughout the remainder of the sections. δ13C of the Garden City Formation and the Pogonip Group appear to be correlative based on these distinct trends. This correlative relationship was verified by the lowest occurrence of conodont species Scolopodus filosus and Scalpellodus n. sp. A of the Low Diversity Interval which coincides with the positive δ13C excursion in both the Garden City Formation and the Pogonip Group. New δ13C data likely represent global primary seawater chemistry based on the correlation of similar δ13C trends from the Argentine Precordillera and western Newfoundland.

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