Geology and Geochronology of Central Interior Region Of
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Geology and_Geochronology of Precambrian Rocks in the Central Interior Region of the United States GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1241-C Geology and Geochronology of Precambrian Rocks in the Central Interior Region of the United States By RODGER E. DENISON, E. G. LIDIAK, M. E. BICKFORD, and EVA B. KISV ARSANYI CORRELATION OF PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO Edited by JACK E. HARRISON and ZELL E. PETERMAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1241-C Lithology, distribution, correlation, and isotope ages of Precambrian terrane for five subareas between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON 1984 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: Geology and geochronology of Precambrian rocks in the central interior region of the United States. (Geological Survey Professional Paper; 1241-C) Includes bibliographic references. Supt. of Docs. No.: I 19.16:1241-C 1. Geology, Stratigraphic-Precambrian. 2. Stratigraphic correlation. 3. Geology-United States. I. Denison, Rodger E. II. Series. QE653.G476 1984 551.7'1'0973 8:wi00332 For sale by the Branch of Distribution U.S. Geological Survey 604 South Pickett Street Alexandria, VA 22304 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract ...... C1 Area III- Southern Missouri, Southern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Introduction . · 1 Northwestern Arkansas . C8 Aclrnowledgrnents 2 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 900-1,600 m.y. ago) . 8 Area I-North and South Dakota 2 Formation of rhyolitic to dacitic volcanic rocks and as Archean time . 2 sociated epizonal plutons 1,485 to 1,350 m.y. ago . 8 Gneiss .......... 2 Mesozonal granite rocks along the Nemaha Ridge in Greenstone . 4 Kansas and Oklahoma, and in the eastern Arbuckle Granite and granodiorite 4 Mountains, Oklahoma ............ 10 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 1,600-2,500 m.y. ago) 4 Phanerozoic time (Paleozoic Era, Cambrian Period) . 11 Metamorphic rocks . 4 Area IV-Texas and Eastern New Mexico . 11 Granites ........................ 4 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 1,600-2,500 m.y. ago) . 11 Silicic volcanic rocks . 5 Torrance metamorphic terrane and "older granitic Proterozoic time (interval occurring 900-1,600 m.y. ago) . 5 gneisses" ..................... 11 Granite .......... 5 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 900-1,600 m.y. ago) . 11 Mafic and ultramafic rocks . 5 Rocks formed 1,200 to 1,400 m.y. ago . 11 Sioux Quartzite . 5 Rocks formed 1,000 to 1,200 m.y. ago . 13 Area 11-Nebraska, Iowa, Northern Missouri, Northern Kan Proterozoic time (interval occurring 600-900 m.y. ago) . 14 sas, and Eastern Colorado . 5 Metarhyolite of Devils River uplift . 14 Archean time . 5 The Van Horn Sandstone . 14 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 1,600-2,500 m.y. ago) 5 Phanerozoic time (Paleozoic Era, Cambrian Period) . 14 Metavolcanic, metasedimentary, and foliated granitic rocks formed 1,650-1,800 m.y. ago . 7 Area V-Eastern Midcontinent . 14 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 900-1,600 m.y. ago) . 14 Proterozoic time (interval occurring 900-1,600 m.y. ago) . 7 Anorogenic plutonic rocks. formed about 1,450-1,480 Granite-rhyolite terrane 14 m.y. ago ..................... 7 Sedimentary rocks . 16 Anorthosites in southwestern Nebraska . 7 Basaltic rift zones . 16 Mafic volcanic and hypabyssal rocks and related arkosic Rift-related sedimentary rocks 16 sedimentary rocks associated with the Central North Subsurface Grenville province 16 American rift system 8 Metallogenic significance of the Precambrian basement 17 Metamorphism . 8 References cited . 18 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Correlation chart for Precambrian rocks of the Central Interior region, United States. In pocket FIGURES 1-5. Sketch maps showing geology of basementrocks in: 1. North and South Dakota . C3 2. Nebraska, Iowa, and parts of Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. 6 3. Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas . 9 4. Texas and eastern New Mexico . 12 5. Central Interior region east of the Mississippi River . 15 III CORRELATION OF PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO ·GEOLOGY AND GEOCHRONOLOGY OF PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS IN THE CENTRAL INTERIOR REGION OF THE UNITED STATES By RODGER E. DENISON! E. G. LIDIAK,2 M. E. BICKFORD,3 and EVA B. KISVARSANYI4 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Rocks of the buried Precambrian crust in the Central Interior re gion range from more than 2,700 to less than 1,000 million years Our understanding of the Precambrian in the Central in age and from granite and granulitic gneiss to gabbro and basalt Interior region is based upon widely separated outcrop in rock type. The oldest rocks occur in the Dakotas and clearly are areas and samples from irregularly distributed but buried portions of the Canadian Shield; they are mostly older than 2,700 million years, and some may be as old as 3,600 million years. numerous wells drilled largely in search of oil and gas. The central part of this region, including Nebraska, northern Mis Flawn (1956) showed that it was possible .to make a souri, and northern Kansas, is underlain by diverse igneous and map of the buried Precambrian terrane based on drill metamorphic rocks whose ages are mostly 1,600 to 1,800 million hole samples, and the larger scale study of Muehlberger years; scattered anorogenic granitic plutons whose ages are about and others (1967) led to publication of the basement 1,~1,500 million years are also known in this terrane. The most distinctive feature of the Continental Interior is the great rock map of the United States (Bayley and terrane of felsic igneous rocks that makes up the basement from Ohio Muehl berger, 1968). These works remain the founda and Wisconsin across southern Missouri and Kansas and into the tion of our present understanding. The geology and Texas Panhandle and far western Texas. These rocks, which include geochronology of the scattered surface exposures are abundant rhyolite and mesozonal and epizonal granitic bodies, range now better known, but the geochronology of the sub in age from 1,500 to 1,200 million years, and the general tendency ~ for ages to decrease from northeast to southwest; older rocks are surface has received little attention, and the basic re not known anywhere within this terrane. Toward the east in Ohio, ference work is the series of reports by Goldich and eastern· Kentucky, and eastern Tennessee, and toward the south in his coworkers (1966). central Texas, the basement terrane consists of medium-grade The rocks in the Central Interior region are here di metamorphic rocks and associated granitic plutons that formed vided into four general types: (1) deep-seated granitic mainly 1.000-1.100 million years ago. A belt of basalt, interflow arkosic sandstone and siltstone, and re and metamorphic rocks similar to those exposed in the lated mafic intrusive rocks can be traced with the aid of geophysical shield areas; (2) anorogenic mesozonal and epizonal data from the Lake Superior region southw~ into central Kansas. granite; (3) rhyolite and epizonal granite; and (4) basalt This feature, the Central North American rift system, is widely be and gabbro of "rift" type. lieved to be an abortive continental rift that formed about 1,100 mil The first type is typical of rocks exposed in the Pre lion years ago. Geophysical data suggest that other areas in the east em part of the interior are also underlain by rift basalts and related cambrian shields. These are diverse and strongly de rocks. formed rocks together with undeformed massive plu The Central Interior region was dominated by eugeosynclinal tons that are characteristically older than about 1,600 sedimentation and orogenic tectonics prior to about 1,600 million m.y. (million years). The marked density and magnetic years ago. After that time the region apparently stabilized, and the contrasts of these rocks allow extrapolation by sedimentation was characterized by the deposition of sheets of quartzose sandstone about 1,600 million years ago. Subsequent igne geophysical methods in areas where drill control is lack ous activity, sedimentation, and tectonics have been dominantly ing. About 18 percent of the Central Interior region anorogenic except along the margins of the stable interior. is underlain by rocks of this type. 10De EDeJV Square, Dallu, TX 76008. The second type is characterized by anorogenic meso IJ>epertment of GeolORY aDd P1aDetary Seleneee, Univendty or PlttabUJ'Ih, Pittsburgh, zonal to epizonal granitic plutons, formed 1,300 to 1,500 PA Ilia). 'Department of GeolCJRY, Univendty or KaMu, Lawnmee, KS 66CM6. m.y. ago, and associated with relatively minor 4Miuouri Department or Natural Reeoun!ee, Rolla, MO 66401. metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks. Silver and Cl C2 CORRELATION OF PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO others (1977) and Emslie (1978) have discussed the im Precambrian rocks of the Central Interior region is the portance of these rocks, which form a discontinuous great preponderance of granite and related volcanic band from northeastern New Mexico to central Mis rocks. These rocks, which generally have petrographic souri and probably eastward to the Grenville Front in features indicating that they were emplaced at shallow the Central Interior region. We estimate that 13 per to intermediate crustal levels, make up about two cent of the Continental Interior is underlain by these thirds of the Continental Interior. Mafic rocks occwr rocks. mostly along the Central North American rift system. The third type is characterized by large tracts of Igneous rocks of intermediate composition are excep rhyolite and associated epizonal granite. After these tionally rare. The greenstone belts that so characterize tracts were recognized in the subsurface (Muehlberger the older shield areas are confined to the buried exten and others, 1966; Muehlberger and others, 1967), addi sions of the shield in Area I, and thus make up only tional drilling showed that much of the area east of about 1 percent of the Central Interior region.