Geology of the Libby Thrust Belt of Nortwestern Montana Nd Its Impications to Regional Tectonics
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Geology of the Libby Thrust Belt of Nortwestern Montana nd Its Impications to Regional Tectonics U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER Geology of the Libby Thrust Belt of Northwestern Montana and Its Implications to Regional Tectonics By JACK E. HARRISON and EARLE R. CRESSMAN U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1524 A description and interpretation of a formerly unknown Cretaceous thrust belt in previously folded Proterozoic strata UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1993 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Harrison, Jack Edward, 1924- Geology of the Libby thrust belt of northwestern Montana and its implications to regional tectonics / by Jack E. Harrison and Earle R. Cressman. p. cm. (Geological Survey professional paper ; 1524) Includes bibliographical references. Supt.ofDocs.no.: I 19.16:P1524 1. Thrust faults (Geology) Montana. 2. Geology, Stratigraphic Proterozoic. 3. Geology, Structural Montana. I. Cressman, Earle Rupert, 1923- . II. Title. III. Series: U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1524. QE606.5.U6H37 1994 551.8'7 dc20 92-4327 CIP For sale by USGS Map Distribution Box 25286, Building 810 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Geology Continued Abstract.......................................................................................... 1 Cambrian strata Continued Introduction.................................................................................... 2 Dolomite of Fishtrap Creek........................................... 21 Purpose of this study ............................................................. 3 Surficial deposits.................................................................... 21 Previous work......................................................................... 3 Glacial deposits.............................................................. 21 The geologic map.................................................................... 5 Lake sediments .............................................................. 21 Acknowledgments................................................................... 6 Landslide deposits.......................................................... 22 Geology........................................................................................... 7 Alluvial deposits............................................................. 22 Regional geologic setting........................................................ 7 Intrusive igneous rocks......................................................... 22 Belt Supergroup...................................................................... 7 Mafic sills........................................................................ 22 Prichard Formation........................................................ 8 Felsic calc-alkalic plutons.............................................. 23 Burke Formation............................................................. 9 Pyroxenite....................................................................... 23 Revett Formation............................................................ 9 Syenite............................................................................ 24 St. Regis Formation........................................................ 10 Dikes............................................................................... 24 Spokane Formation......................................................... 11 Structure................................................................................ 25 Empire Formation .......................................................... 11 Folds and faults.............................................................. 26 Wallace Formation.......................................................... 12 Syndepositional folds............................................... 26 Helena Formation........................................................... 13 Older tectonic folds.................................................. 27 Snowslip Formation........................................................ 14 Interaction of the older folds with the Libby thrust Purcell Lava.................................................................... 15 belt........................................................................ 28 Shepard Formation......................................................... 16 Thrust faults and associated folds ......................... 30 Mount Shields Formation .............................................. 16 Deep folds and faults interpreted from geophysical Bonner Quartzite............................................................ 18 data....................................................................... 35 McNamara Formation.................................................... 19 Implications of basement-cored folds..................... 35 Libby Formation ............................................................. 19 Strike-slip faults...................................................... 35 Cambrian strata..................................................................... 20 High-angle normal faults and associated folds..... 36 Flathead Quartzite......................................................... 20 Discussion of tectonic history............................................... 37 Wolsey Shale................................................................... 21 References cited............................................................................. 39 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. Geologic map of the Libby thrust belt, northwestern Montana........................................................................................ In pocket 2. Geologic cross sections through the Libby thrust belt, northwestern Montana.............................................................. In pocket FIGURE 1. Generalized geologic map of Belt terrane ...................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Index map showing I°x2° quadrangles containing Belt terrane.................................................................................................. 3 3. Correlation of geologic units in the Belt Supergroup.................................................................................................................... 4 4. Diagrammatic illustration of a typical sedimentary cycle in the Helena Formation................................................................. 13 5. Variations in lithology of the Snowslip Formation........................................................................................................................ 15 6. Thickness variations within members of the Mount Shields Formation .................................................................................... 17 7. Principal folds and thrust faults in and near the Libby thrust belt........................................................................................... 28 8. Interpretative sketch illustrating effects of older Proterozoic doubly plunging folds ................................................................ 29 9. Diagram of folds in footwall and hanging wall of a listric thrust................................................................................................ 31 10. Relation of box fold and listric thrust to Pinkham thrust and data from the Gibbs No. 1 borehole........................................ 33 11. Generalized lithologic and geophysical logs, Gibbs No. 1 borehole ............................................................................................. 34 TABLE TABLE 1. Calculations for Eocene and younger extension across the Libby thrust belt............................................................................... 38 in GEOLOGY OF THE LIBBY THRUST BELT OF NORTHWESTERN MONTANA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS TO REGIONAL TECTONICS By JACK E. HARRISON and EARLE R. CHESSMAN ABSTRACT New geologic mapping and application of stratigraphic details Intrusive into the Belt strata are Middle to Late Proterozoic previously unknown in Belt rocks of Middle Proterozoic age in the sills, Cretaceous felsic plutons, Cretaceous pyroxenite and syenite, northwestern corner of Montana has led to the definition of a pre and sparse Tertiary(?) dikes of quartz latite porphyry and diorite. viously unrecognized thrust belt. The zone, herein named the A pyroxenite-syenite complex a few miles east of Libby, Montana, Libby thrust belt, is a complex of thrust and high-angle normal is a major source of vermiculite. and reverse faults about 15 mi wide and 100 mi long that extends Surficial deposits cover about one-third of the area. These southerly from the Canadian border through Libby, Montana, to deposits include glacial debris, glacial lake sediments, sparse land the Hope fault zone. slide deposits, and alluvium. The glacial debris, deposited in the Dominating the bedrock of the area is the Belt Supergroup, a Pleistocene by both continental and alpine glaciers, is extensive sequence of low-grade metamorphic strata at least 50,000 ft thick and at places mantles the terrane to within a few hundred feet of that accumulated as siliciclastic and carbonate sediments along the summits of peaks and ridges that reach elevations of 6,000 to the