Faulting in the Yucca Mountain region: Critical review and analyses of tectonic data from the central Basin and Range

Ferrill, David A.; Stirewalt, Gerry L.; Henderson, D. B.; Stamatakos, John; Morris, Alan P.; Spivey, Kathy H.; Wernicke, Brian P.

doi:10.2172/237339

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The apatite fi ssion-track ages reported in this paper include re-measurements performed using grain mounts from some samples reported on earlier (Ferrill et al, 1996b;Spivey et al, 1995). In our reanalysis, images of all apatite grains were recorded on videotape.…”

Section: Appendix A-apatite Fission-track Thermochronologymentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Samples were collected from outcrops around Yucca Flat and Frenchman Flat (on the Nevada Test Site), the Striped Hills, Mount Stirling, Resting Spring Range, Bare Mountain (Spivey et al, 1995;Ferrill et al, 1996b), Bullfrog Hills, and the eastern margin of the Funeral Mountains (Figs. 1 and 2).…”

Section: Sampling and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mean diameter of fi ssiontrack etch pits (Dpar) on the apatite surface being studied is usually less than 2 µm for the etching conditions used in this study (e.g., Carlson et al, 1999;Donelick et al, 2005). Assuming an average surface temperature of 15 °C and a constant geothermal gra-dient of 30 °C/km (Ferrill et al, 1995(Ferrill et al, , 1996b, an apatite closure temperature of 138 °C would equate to a depth of ~4.1 km.…”

Section: Appendix A-apatite Fission-track Thermochronologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Constraints on exhumation and extensional faulting in southwestern Nevada and eastern California, U.S.A., from zircon and apatite thermochronology

et al. 2012

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Eastern California and southwestern Nevada represent an area of Tertiary and Quaternary extensional and dextral transtensional deformation. We used zircon and apatite fi ssion-track thermochronology to study the distribution and timing of tectonic exhumation resulting from extensional and transtensional detachment faulting in this area. Sampling efforts were focused on Paleozoic and Precambrian clastic sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Sixty-nine new apatite and zircon fi ssion-track cooling ages from 50 samples, analyzed in conjunction with published fi ssion-track data from the region, indicate a distinct population of young (Miocene) fi ssion-track ages and a population of irregularly distributed older (pre-Miocene) fi ssion-track ages. Miocene (young population) fi ssion-track ages become younger toward the west-indicating westward migration of the cooling front, consistent with well-documented Miocene extension of the Basin and Range Province. The younging pattern is also consistent with west-northwest displacement of the hanging wall of a crustal-scale extensional fault system and consequent progressive footwall exhumation. The active trailing edge of the hanging wall of this system generally coincides with Death Valley. Migration rates of the cooling front in the footwall of this system are on the order of 10-11 mm/yr. Based on the distribution of the Miocene fi ssion-track ages, we interpret that the crustal faults that defi ned the eastern edge of the detachment system originated as separate normal faults that were linked by the formation of a transfer fault. Extrapolation of apatite fi ssion-track closure ages from two transects across the eastern margin of the Death Valley region suggests that exhumation along the eastern margin of the system continues beneath Death Valley today.

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Section: Appendix A-apatite Fission-track Thermochronologymentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Sampling and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Appendix A-apatite Fission-track Thermochronologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Constraints on exhumation and extensional faulting in southwestern Nevada and eastern California, U.S.A., from zircon and apatite thermochronology

et al. 2012

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“…The fault traces have been mapped by numerous workers (e.g., Scott and Bonk, 1984;Day et al, 1998a;Potter et al, 2002). The fault geometry at depth is not as well constrained, but is reasonably interpreted to be steeply dipping to a depth of 4 km before becoming listric (Young et al, 1992;Ferrill et al, 1996b). We modeled only those segments with significant present-day topographic expression, and thus we do not 1 GSA Data Repository item 2003168, supplemental description of the numerical modeling procedure and results, is available on the Web at http: //www.geosociety.org/pubs/ft2003.htm.…”

Section: Model Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orthogonal jointing during coeval igneous degassing and normal faulting, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Dunne

Ferrill

Crider

et al. 2003

Geo. Society Am. Bull.

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An orthogonal system of tube-bearing joints constitutes the oldest fractures in the Tiva Canyon Tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The joints formed within a month of ignimbrite deposition, prior to major degassing. The system consists of (1) narrow, persistent, northeast-striking joint swarms with trace lengths typically greater than 5 m and between-joint spacings of less than 20 cm and (2) northwest-striking swarms that have a more en echelon geometry and greater between-joint spacings compared to the northeast-striking swarms. Betweenswarm spacing for both trends is ϳ50 m. Questions concerning the joints include the following: (1) What was the origin of driving stress(es) for formation of the joints, particularly as their orientations were not consistent with the regional stress geometry at the time of their formation? (2) What mechanism caused the horizontal principal stresses to be reoriented so as to yield an orthogonal geometry? (3) What insights can be developed for predicting joint geometry in unexposed rock volumes by understanding joint origin? These questions

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“…Many of these faults have now been re-mapped at larger scales building on the work of for example Dickerson and Spengler, 1994), and paleoseismic studies have been conducted using information from logged trenches and natural exposures (for example, . Some key issues concerning seismic risk for both the preclosure and postclosure periods of a potential repository are the effect of seismicity and tectonic deformation on unsaturated and saturated ground water flow and the rocks of a repository system, and the relationship between tectonism and volcanism (for example, Stirewalt et al, 1992;Ferrill et al, 1995b). [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] A. Detachment Models ) provided a comprehensive description of the shallow structure of Yucca Mountain based on detailed geologic mapping at a scale of 1:12,000.…”

Section: Tectonic and Volcanic Setting: Yucca Mountain Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volcanism Studies: Final Report for the Yucca Mountain Project

Crowe¹,

Perry²,

Valentine³

et al. 1998

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Faulting in the Yucca Mountain region: Critical review and analyses of tectonic data from the central Basin and Range

Cited by 7 publications

References 53 publications

Constraints on exhumation and extensional faulting in southwestern Nevada and eastern California, U.S.A., from zircon and apatite thermochronology

Constraints on exhumation and extensional faulting in southwestern Nevada and eastern California, U.S.A., from zircon and apatite thermochronology

Orthogonal jointing during coeval igneous degassing and normal faulting, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Volcanism Studies: Final Report for the Yucca Mountain Project

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