Geologic Map of the Lake Tahoe Basin, California and Nevada
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Geologic Map of the Lake Tahoe Basin, California and Nevada Compiled by George J. Saucedo Digitized by Jason D. Little, Sarah E. Watkins, Jennifer R. Davis, Marina T. Mascorro, Victoria D. Walker, and Eric W. Ford 2005 Copyright 2005 by the California Department of Conservation California Geological Survey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the California Geological Survey. The Department of Conservation makes no warranties as to the suitability of this product for any given purpose. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor MICHAEL CHRISMAN, Secretary DEBBIE SAREERAM, Interim Director MICHAEL S. REICHLE, Acting State Geologist STATE OF CALIFORNIA THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION CALFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Introduction and digitized from existing, published and In 1997 President Clinton issued an unpublished, geologic maps covering the executive order instructing federal agencies area. The initial compilation of the California to establish an interagency partnership to portion was completed in 2002 with revisions coordinate and manage activities within the and the addition of the Nevada geology Lake Tahoe Basin. The Executive Order taking place in 2004. Copies of existing also called for the establishment of a linked geologic maps, on stable base material, were natural resources Geographic Information obtained where possible with flat paper System (GIS) database. Subsequently the copies being the second choice. In some U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established cases folded paper maps were the only option. a Lake Tahoe multi-agency data The geologic maps were put into digital clearinghouse. At the time, the only digital format by hand, either by scanning and on- geologic coverage available contained screen digitizing or by placing the map on a inconsistencies. Geologic units and contacts tablet and digitizing. For the most part, this did not match across quadrangle boundaries, compilation retains the level of detail shown geologic structures such as faults and folds on the original source maps. However, the were not shown, and in some areas more up- structural data had to be simplified to-date mapping was available. extensively to be shown at 1:100,000 scale. A project to prepare a new digital The digital work was completed using geologic map and database was proposed to ArcInfo® 8.3, a commercial GIS software the California Geologic Mapping Advisory package by Environmental Systems Research Committee who, along with the State Institute (ESRI). The compilation was Geologist, determines geologic mapping prepared in segments using 7.5-minute priorities for the California Geological quadrangle boundaries. The various geologic Survey. The proposal was approved by the coverages for each quadrangle along with the committee and submitted to the USGS for base layers and shaded-relief image were funding through the STATEMAP combined using the ArcMap application component of the National Cooperative within ArcInfo® 8.3 (ESRI). Geologic Mapping Program. The immediate For the most part, faults were objective of this project was to compile the compiled from the original geologic source most recent and representative geologic maps. Selected faults from the preliminary mapping and establish a seamless geologic fault map of Schweickert and others (2000b) database to be used by planning and were used for traces in the lake bottom and decision-making agencies in the Lake Tahoe additional traces on land. Only those faults Basin. These types of digital data can classified by Schweickert and others (2000b) provide an important component for as cutting latest Pleistocene or Holocene performing GIS analyses throughout the deposits were considered. During the review basin. of this compilation, concerns were raised This project was supported in part by regarding the existence and continuation of the U.S. Geological Survey STATEMAP some of these faults, especially traces through award no. 01HQAG0092, U.S Forest Quaternary deposits. For this reason fault Service contract no. 03-CS-11051900-047 traces from Schweickert and others (2000b) and prepared in cooperation with the Nevada are not shown through Quaternary deposits Bureau of Mines and Geology. and the remainder are shown as inferred with questionable continuation or existence. The Compilation evaluation of fault activity in the Lake Tahoe The Geologic Map of the Lake Tahoe Basin is ongoing. The age and location of the Basin, California and Nevada was compiled faults in the lake bottom and cutting 1 Quaternary deposits should be considered the east (Harwood and Fisher, 2002). This preliminary interpretations. early volcanic episode was followed by a period that extended through most of the Geologic Summary Miocene and into the Pliocene, characterized Located high in the Sierra Nevada, by large accumulations of andesitic Lake Tahoe offers some of the most mudflow breccia and andesite and basaltic picturesque scenery in the world. Elevations andesite flows. Volcanic eruptions in the basin range from 1,897 meters (6,225 continued into the Pleistocene and consisted feet) at lake level to 3,320 meters (10,891 mainly of basalt and latite flows that were feet) at Freel Peak. Nestled between the deposited on the older volcanic sequences Sierra Nevada on the west and the Carson (Harwood and Fisher, 2002; Schweickert Range to the east, Tahoe’s cold, clear water and others, 2000a). and surrounding rugged, snow-capped During the Pleistocene, glaciation mountain peaks contribute to its natural played a major role in the shaping of the beauty. Over millions of years, a complex landscape. Birkeland (1964) recognized interaction of geologic processes has shaped four glacial episodes in the northern part of and carved the landscape into the vistas we the basin. He established their relative ages see today. The geologic history of the area and correlated them in part with other records periods of marine deposition, known glacial stages in the Sierra Nevada. granitic intrusion, tectonic uplift, volcanic Evidence of glacial activity is apparent eruptions, glacial scouring, and erosion that throughout most of the basin. The most have been repeated over a vast expanse of commonly recognized glacial feature are the time. moraines, the long narrow ridges composed The oldest rocks in the area are seen of granitic and volcanic debris scoured from as isolated remnants of metamorphosed the local rocks. They can be seen around Paleozoic and Mesozoic volcanic and Fallen Leaf Lake, Emerald Bay and Meeks sedimentary rocks that were intruded by Bay on the west and southwestern shore of the Jurassic and Cretaceous granitic rocks the lake. of the Sierra Nevada batholith. These It has generally been known, since metamorphic remnants are the products of the first geologists explored the area, that ancient volcanic arcs and related submarine faulting has played a part in the formation of sedimentary deposits (Harwood and Fisher, Lake Tahoe. Studies related to the 2002). distribution and types of faults in and around Prior to the main uplift of the Sierra the area have led to a better understanding of Nevada ancient Tertiary (Eocene?) rivers how and to what extent faults have played in passed through the area carving channels the development of the basin. It is now and depositing accumulations of gravel, recognized that basin-and-range type sand and silt derived from the erosion of the faulting has extended into the area creating older metamorphic basement rocks. These a series of west-tilted blocks bounded by rivers also provided the channels that carried east-dipping faults that produce the north the volcanic flows and debris from the early south-trending basin that Lake Tahoe now volcanic centers that developed locally and occupies. It is generally accepted that Lake to the east (Harwood and Fisher, 2002; Tahoe was formed by a combination of Schweickert and others, 2000a). block faulting and damming of the outlet, at Volcanism was widespread during the north end of the basin, by repeated the Tertiary. The earliest deposits were episodes of volcanic activity and glacial Oligocene and possibly early Miocene age advances. rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs, that originated from 2 In 1998, using the latest-generation 60’ USGS topographic quadrangle maps. imaging equipment and technology, the The scanned images were then vectorized, U.S.G.S. (Western Region Coastal and registered, digitally combined, and edited to Marine Geology Branch) in cooperation remove unnecessary lines. The base for the with the University of New Brunswick, Carson City 30’ x 60’quadrangle was Canada (Ocean Mapping Group), were able obtained in digital format as Digital Line to image the lake bottom in stunning detail Graphics (DLG’s) and edited for continuity (Gardner and others, 1998). This new with the other base maps. The shaded-relief imagery not only provided a detailed picture and bathymetric image was obtained from of known features on the lake bottom, it also the USGS Lake Tahoe data clearinghouse revealed some previously unidentified (http://tahoe.usgs.gov/DEM.html) which was geologic features. Linear features seen on derived in part from Gardner and others the lake bottom were interpreted to be (1998) (http://tahoe.usgs.gov/openfile.html; relatively young faults offsetting recent also see Dartnell and Gardner, 1999). sediments. McKinney Bay, the large embayment on the western shore and large Acknowledgements blocks scattered on the lake bottom, were I am grateful to David Harwood, U.S. attributed