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Cenozoic Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of the Grand Canyon, AZ Amanda D'el

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Cenozoic Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of the Grand Canyon, AZ Amanda D'el Pre-Cenozoic Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of the Grand Canyon, AZ Amanda D’Elia Abstract The Grand Canyon is a geologic wonder offering a unique glimpse into the early geologic history of the North American continent. The rock record exposed in the massive canyon walls reveals a complex history spanning more than a Billion years of Earth’s history. The earliest known rocks of the Southwestern United States are found in the Basement of the Grand Canyon and date Back to 1.84 Billion years old (Ga). The rocks of the Canyon can Be grouped into three distinct sets Based on their petrology and age (Figure 1). The oldest rocks are the Vishnu Basement rocks exposed at the Base of the canyon and in the granite gorges. These rocks provide a unique clue as to the early continental formation of North America in the early PrecamBrian. The next set is the Grand Canyon Supergroup, which is not well exposed throughout the canyon, But offers a glimpse into the early Beginnings of Before the CamBrian explosion. The final group is the Paleozoic strata that make up the Bulk of the Canyon walls. Exposure of this strata provides a detailed glimpse into North American environmental changes over nearly 300 million years (Ma) of geologic history. Together these rocks serve not only as an awe inspiring Beauty But a unique opportunity to glimpse into the past. Vishnu Basement Rocks The oldest rocks exposed within the Grand Canyon represent some of the earliest known rocks in the American southwest. John Figure 1. Stratigraphic column showing Wesley Paul referred to them as the “dreaded the three sets of rocks found in the Grand rock” Because they make up the walls of some Canyon, their thickness and approximate of the quickest and most difficult rapids to ages (Mathis and Bowman, 2006). navigate. Dating Back to 1.84 Billion years ago, these Basement rocks represent a very different more dynamic period in the North American geologic history than is seen today. These rocks record continental formation of Laurentia, the ancient geologic core of North America, through the aglamation of oceanic island arcs and continental microplates to southern North America (Karlstrom et al., 2012) (Figure 2). These rocks can Be separated into three different groups Based on age and lithology: Elves Chasm Pluton, Granite Gorge Metamorphic Suite, Zoroaster Plutonic Complex (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Each group has a very different depositional and deformational history. Elves Chasm Pluton The Elves Chasm Gneiss is the oldest known rock in the southwestern United States and forms the Basement for the turBidite deposits of the Vishnu Schist. It has a U-PB zircon age of 1840 ± 1 million years old (Hawkins et al., 1996) and is associated with the Mojave province (Karlstrom et al., 2012). It is dominantly a hornBlende-Biotite tonalite to quartz diorite (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Its distinct geochemical composition differentiates it from other plutonic rocks of the grand canyon and suggests that it has a less direct genetic relationship to slab suBduction, which is seen in the geochemical composition of the younger plutons (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Zircons dating 1.75 Ga are found in the Granite Gorge Metamorphic Suite rocks indicating that they were deposited after the Elves Chasm Pluton. Figure 2. Block models showing the tectonic processes that created the Vishnu Basement Rocks between 1.75 and 1.65 Ga (Karlstrom et al., 2012). Granite Gorge Metamorphic Suite The Granite Gorge Metamorphic Suite rocks are metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks named the Brahma, Rama and Vishnu schists. These schists have U-PB zircon ages of 1750 ± 2, 1741 ± 1 and 1740 – 1750 million years old respectively (Karlstrom et al., 2012). The Brahma Schist consists mainly of hornblende-Biotite schists and amphiBolites. The amphiBolites have theolitic character indicating that their origin may Be island arc Basalts (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Primary features such as pillow structures and volcanic Breccia can Be seen in various places throughout the canyon also indicating mafic lava interacting with and erupting in water (Karlstrom et al., 2003). The Rama Schist consists mainly of quartzofelspathic schist and gneiss suggesting a felsic to intermediate (terrestrial) volcanic origin (Karlstrom et al., 2003). These two schists are complexly interlayered making non-isotopic dating very difficult. The Vishnu Schist consists of quart-mica schist and pelitic schist interpreted to Be metamorphosed sandstones and mudstones that were deposited on the suBmarine shores of the island arcs (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Some primary features of rhythmic and graded Bedding suggest suBmarine turBidite deposition in generally low energy environments (Karlstrom et al., 2003). The Vishnu Schist overlies the Brahma stratigraphically and has detrital zircon ages earlier than the younger arc plutons. Zoroaster Plutonic Complex The plutons that make up the “Zoroaster Plutonic Complex” (deBate about the lumping of all the different plutons exists, But for simplicity, all younger plutons are categorized under this grouping) record a complex evolution of the crust of the southwestern United States. These plutons fall into two categories Based on their age, petrology, geochemistry, and intrusion type. The first are the arc plutons. These plutons date from 1.74 to 1.71 Ga, are mostly composed of gabBro to granodiorite and are geochemically and petrologically interpreted as shallowly emplaced arc plutons (Karlstrom et al., 2003). They have a clac- alkaline granitic composition indicating suBduction zone relate arc magmatism (Karlstrom et al., 2012). They intrude the metasedimetnary and metavolcanic rocks making them just younger than them. The second group is syncollisional granites in the form of dike swarms where granitic and pegmatitic magma fluids filled crack systems as magma migrated through the crust (Karlstrom et al., 2012). Many of these dikes are folded stretched and sheared indicating they were emplaced during mountain Building and crustal thickening. Their composition is compatiBle with the partial melting of the previously emplaced plutons and metamorphics (Karlstrom et al., 2012). The age range of these dikes is 1.70 – 1.68 Ga and coincides with the age of peak metamorphism and contractional deformation (Karlstrom et al., 2003). By 1.65 Ga the Vishnu Basement Rocks were complexly deformed, metamorphosed, and Beginning to cool at depths of 10km in the middle crust of the thickened orogen (Karlstrom et al., 2003). This orogeny would not have produced the massive mountain ranges seen in the Himalayas, But were more closely resemBling the current Indonesian orogeny (Karlstrom et al., 2012). From 1.6 to 1.4 Ga these rocks would have continued to cool slowly Being little affected By North American tectonism. Gradual erosion and Beveling of this mountain Belt Brought the Vishnu Basement rocks to the surface approximately 1.2 Ga ago at which point they were Buried By the deposition of the Grand Canyon Supergroup forming the Great Angular Unconformity (Karlstrom et al., 2003). Grand Canyon Supergroup The Grand Canyon Supergroup is a series of gently tilted sedimentary and igneous rocks that is exposed in limited outcrops throughout the Canyon and its triButaries. Deposition of these sediments occurred first on the undulating smooth Vishnu surface (Hendricks and Stevenson, 2003). To the west would have Been open oceans. As the land suBsided the oceans advanced eastward marking the Beginning of deposition (Hendricks and Stevenson, 2003). This Supergroup is massively thick (approximately 4000m) and represents pulses of sedimentation accompanied By faulting and followed By extended periods of erosion which Brakes the Supergroup into four continuous sedimentary sections: the Unkar Group, the Nankoweap Formation, the Chuar Group and the Sixtymile Formation (Timmons et al., 2012) (Figure 3). Figure 3. Stratigraphic section of the Grand Canyon Supergroup Unkar Group showing geochronologic constraints and approximate ages The Unkar Group is (Timmons et al.,2005 ). approximately 2 km thick and consists of the Hotauta Conglomerate, Bass Limestone, Hakatai Shale, Shinumo Quartzite, Dox Formation and Cardenas Basalt (Hendricks and Stevenson, 2003). This succession contains Both river and shallow marine deposits with a significant disconformity Between the Hakatai Shale and Shinumo Quartzite (Timmons et al., 2012). It is representative of an east to west transgressive sea with minor sea level fluctuations due to Basin filling and suBsidence (Hendricks and Stevenson, 2003). The Hotauta Conglomerate marks the Beginning of sedimentation with detrital lithics from an area outside the Grand Canyon (Timmons et al., 2005). The Bass limestone was deposited in warm shallow seas and contains stromatalite fossils (Nitecki, 1971) indicating the arrival of life to the Canyon. The Hakatai Shale represents a transitioning environment to a mud-flat shallow marine setting following the transgressive sequence. The Shinumo Quartzite sits unconformably on the Hakatai Shale and represents a high-energy, shoreface environment (Timmons et al., 2012). Following deposition of the Shinumo, the Dox formation was deposited and represents a thick set of four sedimentary memBers that record a transition from a suBaqueous delta, to floodplain, to tidal flat environment (Timmons et al., 2012). Volcanism marked the end of sedimentation with nearly 305m of lava accumulation above the Dox formation (the Cardenas Basalt) (Hendricks and Stevenson, 2003). This volcanism also
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