Preliminary study of quaternary faulting on the east side of Bare Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

Technical Report · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:60074

Reheis, M C

Active faults bound the east side of Bare Mountain. Geomorphic features, stratigraphy, and soil development indicate that two 3-km-long segments of the range-front fault probably last moved in Holocene or late Pleistocene time. Other segments of the fault have been quiescent since the late Pleistocene. Both late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits bury many faults east of the northern end of Bare Mountain. Two prospect pits on the range-front fault reveal evidence of recurrent late Quaternary movements. Both older and younger deposits in one pit are faulted, but fractures in the older unit do not extend up into the younger unit. Based on soil development, the older and younger fault episodes respectively are probably late Pleistocene and Holocene in age. Another pit shows carbonate-cemented fractures with slickensides in a late Pleistocene deposit, suggesting at least two late Pleistocene or Holocene fault movements. Middle to early Pleistocene and Tertiary deposits show evidence of recurrent faulting in many locations. Faults in these deposits are pervaded by secondary CaCO{sub 3} and silica that commonly exhibit slickensides.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AI08-78ET44802
• OSTI ID: 60074
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR--86-576; ON: DE87003844
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
58 GEOSCIENCES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
MOUNTAINS
NEVADA TEST SITE
QUATERNARY PERIOD
Yucca Mountain Project