Timing of Proterozoic deformation, plutonism, and metamorphism in the Los Pinos Mountains, Central New Mexico
- Northrop Hall, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Geology
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Geochronologic, structural, and metamorphic studies within the Los Pinos Mountains (LPM), central NM provide new insights into the Proterozoic geologic history of this area. The LPM consist of a NE-trending, NW-dipping sequence of complexly deformed amphibolites and felsic schists. These have been intruded by a pervasively deformed granitic pluton. Two predominant deformational fabrics exist in the LPM. S1 is an early northwest-trending foliation, commonly parallel to compositional layering, which is folded about S2. S2 is axial planar foliation to tight to isoclinal folds and is the regional NE-trending fabric. Other fabrics and complex fold interference patterns may be related to localized strain partitioning around granitic bodies. A network of granitic dikes associated with the pluton crosscuts S2 but contains a weak foliation parallel to S2, suggesting synkinematic intrusion of the dikes. Regional metamorphism in the LPM took place at upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies. Electron microprobe traverses of garnets show compositional variation indicative of growth zoning. No abrupt changes in composition representative of multiple metamorphic events are observed. Garnet-biotite geothermometry yields average rim temperatures of 454 [+-] 50 C. U-Pb geochronology of zircons from amphibolite, granite, and a granite dike indicates essentially the same age for all three units (1.66 Ga). The amphibolite contains abundant zircons which have complex morphologies typical of metamorphic growth; however, an igneous origin cannot yet be precluded. Spheres from the same amphibolite yield a near concordant age of 1.62 Ga. Thus, deformation, plutonism, and possibly the peak of metamorphism, were coeval at ca. 1.66 Ga, with metamorphism cooling through the blocking temperature of sphene at 1.62 Ga. The LPM are similar to other mountain ranges in south-central New Mexico where 1.66 Ga ages have been reported.
- OSTI ID:
- 5936406
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
MOUNTAINS
DEFORMATION
MAGMATISM
METAMORPHISM
NEW MEXICO
AGE ESTIMATION
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOTHERMOMETRY
ISOTOPE DATING
LEAD
PLUTONIC ROCKS
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
URANIUM
ZIRCON
ACTINIDES
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
GEOLOGIC AGES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
METALS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ROCKS
SILICATE MINERALS
USA
580000* - Geosciences