General Geology of the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel, Colorado
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General Geology of the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel, Colorado GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 831-B General Geology of the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel, Colorado By CHARLES S. ROBINSON, LAWRENCE A. WARNER, and ERNEST E. WAHLSTROM ENGINEERING GEOLOGY OF THE HAROLD D. ROBERTS TUNNEL, COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 831-B A review of the geologically complex area of the Front Range transected by the Roberts Tunnel UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1974 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKdvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 73-600340 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.25 (paper cover) Stock Number 2401-02469 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract..................................................................................... Bl Tertiary igneous rocks............................................................ B23 Introduction.............................................................................. 1 Montezuma Quartz Monzonite and associated aplitic Summary of general geology................................................. 2 rock......................................................................... 23 Precambrian rocks................................................................... 3 Quartz monzonite..................................................... 23 Metasedimentary rocks................................................... 3 Aplitic rock................................................................ 24 Amphibolite and related rocks............................... 3 Dikes................................................................................... 25 Migmatite.................................................................. 4 Augite and hornblende diorite............................... 26 Microcline gneiss...................................................... 5 Latite porphyry.................. ................................... 26 Biotite gneiss and schist.......................................... 6 Rhyolite porphyry.................................................... 26 Amphibolite....................................................... 7 Age...................................................................................... 27 Sillimanitic biotite gneiss and schist.................... 8 Surficial deposits...................................................................... 27 Hornblende gneiss.................................................... 9 Structure.................................................................................... 27 Igneous rocks.................................................................... 10 Precambrian structural features................................... 27 Boulder Creek Granite............................................ 10 Folds........................................................................... 28 Silver Plume Granite............................................... 12 Faults......................................................................... 32 Pegmatite and aplite................................................ 13 Frey Gulch shear zone..................................... 32 Relative age and origin of the Precambrian rocks..... 14 Montezuma shear zone.................................... 34 Metasedimentary rocks............................................ 14 East Portal shear zone.................................... 34 Granite....................................................................... 15 Igneous rocks............................................................ 35 Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks.......................... 16 Laramide structural features........................................ 36 Maroon and Lykins Formations.................................... 16 Folds........................................................................... 26 Entrada (?) Sandstone.................................................... 16 Faults......................................................................... 36 Morrison Formation. 18 Joints................................................................................ 40 Dakota Group............ 19 Veins and wallrock alteration........................................ 42 Benton Shale.............. 20 Summary of structural geology..................................... 44 Niobrara Formation. 21 References cited........................................................................ 45 Pierre Shale............... 22 Index........................................................................................... 47 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Geologic map and section along the Roberts Tunnel line, Park and Summit Counties, Colorado..............In pocket FIGURE 1. Strike-frequency diagram of Tertiary dikes............................................................................................................... B25 2-7. Contour diagrams of: 2. Foliation and mineral lineation of Precambrian rocks of the Williams Range thrust plate.............. 29 3. Foliation and mineral lineation of Precambrian rocks north and south of Montezuma stock............ 29 4. Foliation and mineral lineation and point diagram of minor folds of Precambrian rocks between Montezuma stock and Montezuma shear zone......................................................................~................ 30 5. Foliation, mineral lineation, and axial planes and plunge of axes of minor folds of Precambrian rocks between Montezuma shear zone and North Fork fault zone.................................................... 31 6. Foliation and mineral lineation of Precambrian rocks between Boulder Creek Granite stock and East Portal................................................................................................................................................... 33 7. Foliation of the Boulder Creek Granite and the Silver Plume Granite.................................................. 35 8-11. Strike-frequency diagrams of: 8. Faults in sedimentary rocks between West Portal and Williams Range thrust fault......................... 37 9. Faults in the Williams Range thrust plate...............................--...--.-..-... -.........- .-----..-.. 38 10. Faults and veins in the Montezuma stock................................................. 38 11. Faults, shear zones, and veins in Precambrian rocks around Montezuma stock and west of Monte zuma shear zone.................................................................................................................. 38 12. Contour diagrams of faults and veins in Montezuma stock and in Precambrian rocks surrounding the stock and west of the Montezuma shear zone.......................................................-.. 39 13. Strike-frequency diagram of faults and veins between Montezuma shear zone and North Fork fault zone 39 14. Strike-frequency diagram of faults between North Fork fault zone and East Portal.... 40 in IV CONTENTS Page FIGURES 15-18. Contour diagrams of: 15. Joints in Montezuma stock.............. ...................... ... ..... .............................................................. B41 16. Joints in Precambrian rocks around Montezuma stock and west of Montezuma shear zone............ 41 17. Joints in Precambrian rocks between Montezuma shear zone and North Pork fault zone.............. 41 18. Joints in Precambrian rocks between North Fork fault zone and East Portal ............................ 43 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Modes of varieties of rock in the amphibolite unit.. .......................................................................... ............. B4 2-9. Modes of samples of: 2. The migmatite unit... ..................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Microcline gneiss........-........................................-...... ............ .............. .......................... 6 4. Biotite gneiss and schist...... ...... ... ........ .. .......... .... ............................................ 8 5. Amphibolite of the biotite gneiss and schist unit .................................................................................... 8 6. Sillimanitic biotite gneiss and schist unit...................................................................................................... 9 7. Hornblende gneiss unit........................ ........................................................................................................... 10 8. Boulder Creek Granite..........................................-.....-.....-...-............ .......... ....... .................... 12 9. Silver Plume Granite............................................................................................................... ...................... 14 10. Generalized section of the sedimentary rocks in the vicinity of the Roberts Tunnel........................................ 17 11. Modes of samples of the Montezuma Quartz Monzonite and associated aplitic rock........... .................... 24 12. Modes of samples of augite and hornblende diorite. .. ...................... .... .................... 26 ENGINEERING GEOLOGY OF THE HAROLD D. ROBERTS TUNNEL, COLORADO GENERAL GEOLOGY OF THE HAROLD D. ROBERTS TUNNEL, COLORADO By CHARLES S. ROBINSON, LAWRENCE A. WARNER, and ERNEST E. WAHLSTROM ABSTRACT sequence of shale and siltstone is believed to be equivalent, The Roberts Tunnel transects