Deformational stress fields of Casper Mountain, Wyoming
Casper Mountain is an east-west-trending Laramide feature located immediately west of the north termination of the Laramie Mountains in central Wyoming. Precambrian rocks are exposed as its core; off-dipping Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata characterize the flanks and ends. The north side is abruptly downthrown along a major east-west fault or faults. A complex of stress fields of Precambrian and younger ages is indicated by high-angle shears and shear zones, steep-dip foliations, and multiple joint systems. One or more of the indicated Precambrian stress fields may be equivalent to that of the Cheyenne belt of the southern Laramie Mountains. In addition, at least two well-developed Laramide stress fields were active during the formation of the mountain structure. The principal maximum compressive stress of each was oriented north-south; the mean compressive axis of one was vertical whereas in the other the minimum compressive axis was vertical. Some structural features of Precambrian age, faulting in particular, appear to have influenced structures of younger ages. Prominent east-northeast-trending, high-angle faults lie approximately parallel to the Precambrian structural grain; they offset structural features of Laramide age and may be of late Laramide and/or post-Laramide age.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Akron, OH (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6612468
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
ORIENTATION
STRESS ANALYSIS
GEOLOGIC STRATA
DEFORMATION
WYOMING
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
TECTONICS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGY
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
STRESSES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
USA
580201* - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)
580100 - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)