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NORTH AMERICAN
OPHIOLITES
1977
STATE OF OREGON
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES
1069 State Office Building, Portland, Oregon 97201
BULLETIN 95
NORTH AMERICAN
OPHIOLITES
Edited by
R. G. Coleman and W. P. Irwin
U. S. Geological Survey
GOVERNING BOARD
Leeanne MacCol l Portland STATE GEOLOGIST
Robert W. Doty Talent Ralph S. Mason
John L. Schwabe Portland 1977
Participants: l. N. Dobretsov, USSR; 2. M. Markov, USSR; 3. M. Davoudzadeh, Iran; 4. A. Knipper, USSR;
5. P. Irwin, USA; 6. W. Patton, USA; 7. R. Oberhansli, Switzerland; 8. D. Adip, Iran; 9. 0. Zeda-
Paracchini, Italy; 10. N. Brown, USA; 11. L. Beccaluva, Italy; 12. R. George, USA; 13. S. Karamata,
Yugoslavia; 14. D. Jones, USA; 15. N. Alavi-Tehrani, Iran; 16. A. Sharaskin, USSR; 17. N. Lindsley-
Griffin, USA; 18. M. Iwasaki, Japan; 19. G. Principi, Italy; 20. E. Abbate, Italy; 21. J. Mal pas, Canada;
22. G. Rocci, France; 23. N. Bogdanov, USSR; 24. L. Echeverria, Colombia; 25. R. Fisher, USA; 26. S. Todd,
USA; 27. J. Smewing, England; 28. M. Donato, USA.
Participants sitting on South Fork Mountain Schist at the last stop of the Klamath Mountains ophiolite
excursion, 1977 (R. G. Coleman, photographer)
FOREWARD
During September 1977, the international project for the study "Ophiolites of continents and comparable
oceanic rocks" carried out a series of field excursions and seminars in North America. This project is sponsored
by the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP), which is under the guidance of both the International
Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO. The IGCP projects have been organized to coordinate and stimulate
international scientific cooperation in solving fundamental geologic problems in the exploration and appraisal of
earth resoures.
The IGCP "ophiolite" project was begun in 1974 by Academician Peyve of the Geological Institute of the
Academy of Sciences, USSR, with Dr. N. Bogdanov as Chairman, and has already convened two separate conferences.
The first was a 21-day field trip held during October, 1975, in Iran to investigate the ophiolites of that
country. During the second, in 1976, the ophiolite working group joined the 17th cruise of the USSR research
vessel Dmitry Mendeleev to investigate deep trenches and island ophiolites of the western Pacific.
The North American excursions in September 1977 began in Newfoundland and then proceeded to Quebec where
some ophiolites of eastern North America were studied. From there, the group traveled westward to the Stillwater
complex in Montana in order to compare a continental igneous cumulate complex with the cumulate sequences found
in ophiolites. The final phase of the North American excursions focused on the Klamath Mountains province in
southwestern Oregon and northern California. These excursions concluded with a seminar at Stanford University.
Geologists participating in the 1977 Klamath Mountains field excursions were from Canada, Columbia, France, Great
Britain, Iran, Italy, Japan, Soviet Union, Switzerland, United States, and Yugoslavia.
The term ophiolite is used not for a single kind of rock but rather for a particular sequence consisting,
from base to top, of peridotite, gabbro, diabase dike swarm, and pillow lava. These sequences are considered to
be oceanic crust stranded on land. Ophiolites have major economic significance because some contain deposits of
chromium, platinum, nickel, copper, and asbestos. Ophiolites have acquired increased geologic significance since
the development of widespread interest in the theory of plate tectonics. Understanding of them is critical to
the solution of questions regarding the evolution of the North American continent and particularly the origin of
ore deposits in the Klamath Mountains. This bulletin will provide background for participants of the 1977 field
excursions and also will serve as a general reference on North American ophiolites for others interested in
economic development of an scientific research on these rocks.
We are grateful to the National Science Foundation and to UNESCO for financial support of the Klamath
Mountain field trip and to the U.S. Geological Survey for logistical support. Mary Donato, U.S. Geological
Survey, was very helpful in the final assembly of these papers. The generosity of the Oregon State Department of
Geology and Mineral Industries in publishing this bulletin will further the scientific aims of this IGCP project.
The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is pleased to take an active part in the production
of this ophiolite publication. The term "ophiolite" embodies a relatively new set of earth science concepts and
requires a worldwide perspective for proper interpretation. This book advances the understanding of Oregon ophi-
olites, not only by information presented in the articles on Oregon ophiolites, but also by data and concepts
developed in the other articles. We are proud to assist in the efforts leading to this publication and are
certain that this volume will lead to substantial progress in the understanding of ophiolites and, as a result,
to practical benefits for mankind in the future.
The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries has agreed to publish these papers because the sub-
ject matter is consistent with the mission of the Department. The usual style and standards for this series have
been modified to accomodate the style used by the editors of this bulletin. To facilitate timely distribution of
information, camera-ready copy submitted by the editors has not been edited by the staff of the Oregon Department
of Geology and Mineral Industries.
iii
CONTENTS
Foreward iii
Distribution and tectonic setting of ophiolites and ophiolitic melanges in the Appalachian Orogen,
by Harold Williams and R. W. Talkington----------------------------------------------------------- 1
Petrology and tectonic significance of ~ewfoundland ophiolites, with examples from the Bay of Islands,
by J. Malpas-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
Preliminary report on the ophiolites of northern and western Alaska, by William W. Patton, Jr., 51
Irvin L. Tailleur, William P. Brosge, and Marvin A. Lanphere--------------------------------------
Ophiolitic assemblages in the Canadian Cordillera, by J. W. H. Monger---------------------------------- 59
The Geology and petrology of the Del Puerto ophiolite, Diablo Range, central California Coast Ranges,
by Russell C. Evarts------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 121
Fracture zone tectonics, continental margin fragmentation, and emplacement of the Kings-Kaweah
ophiolite belt, Southwest Sierra Nevada, California, by Jason Saleeby----------------------------- 141
Igneous history of the Point Sal ophiolite, Southern California, by Clifford A. Hopson and Christopher
J. Frano------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 161
ILLUSTRATIONS
Index map of North America showing areas of ophiolite described in this bulletin----------------------- v
LIST OF PLATES
(In Pocket)
I. Geologic map of the Appalachian Orogen, showing distribution of ophiolites and ophiolite melanges,
by WiZZiams and Talkington
II. Geologic map of the Baltimore Complex, by Morgan
III. Generalized geologic map of ophiolite belts of northern and western Alaska, by Patton and others
IV. Geologic map of the Canyon Mountain Complex and related rocks, Grant County, Oregon, by Thayer
V. Generalized geologic map of the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt, southwest Sierra Nevada foothills,
California, by Saleeby
COVER DESIGN
The drawing on the front cover is the creation of Susan Engwicht, U.S. Geological Survey, and is an allegorical
representation of the formation of ophiolite. The serpent is symbolic of the altered ultramafic rock serpentinite,
which was named for its resemblance to snake skin. Also depicted are diabase dikes, shown as parallel vertical
lines, and bulbous volcanic extrusions of pillow lavas.
iv
.I
I
!:~!:
(~!: ,J,!,! ; WESTERN CANADA
~y :rn', !: :(:'~:AD A
~ :::::
GULF OF
MEXI CO
INDEX MAP OF NORTH AMERICA SHOWING AREAS OF OPHIOLITE DESCRIBED IN THIS BULLETIN
NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
DISTRIBUTION AND TECTONIC SETTING OF OPHIOLITES AND OPHIOLITIC MELANGES IN THE APPALACHIAN OROGEN
Department of Geology
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
The interpretation of the on-land ophiolite suite The model for the development of the Appalach-
of rock units as oceanic crust and mantle has brought ian Orogen follows the suggestion of Wilson (1966)
new and considerable interest to the study of and involves the generation.and destruction of a late
ophiolitic rocks in orogenic belts. Because the Precambrian - early Paleozoic Iapetus Ocean (Dewey,
ophiolite suite of rock units relate in a total way 1969, Bird and Dewey, 1970; Stevens, 1970; McKerrow
to their place and mode of generation, their presence and Cocks, 1977; etc.). The Humber Zone records the
provides an important adjunct to the interpretation development and destruction of an Atlantic type
/
2 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
continental margin of eastern North America (Williams this volume (see papers by Laurent and Morgan).
and Stevens, 1974). It contains the best examples of
transported complete ophiolite suites (e.g. Bay of OPHIOLITES AND OPHIOLITIC MELANGES OF
Islands Complex; Williams, 1973) as well as a variety THE HUMBER ZONE
of ophiolitic melanges in various states of struc-
tural complexity. The Dunnage Zone represents the The Humber Zone consists of a crystalline Gren-
former site of the Iapetus Ocean. In places it villian basement overlain by a thick elastic sequence
exhibits well-developed ophiolite suites (e.g. Betts with associated volcanic rocks, and a prominent Carrbro-
Cove Complex, Upadhyay and others 1971; Thetford Ordovician carbonate sequence. Ophiolites of highly
Mines ophiolites, Laurent, 1975), commonly overlain allochthonous nature occur in western parts of the
by thick island arc volcanic sequences. As well, it zone where they overlie relatively undeformed parts
contains melanges that possibly relate to subduction of the autochthonous carbonate sequence. These
(e.g. Ounnage Melange, Kay, 1976; Fournier Complex, ophiolites are associated with transported sediment-
N. Rast, pers. comm. 1975), and in the northeast a ary rocks and collectively they constitute alloch-
belt of mafic-ultramafic complexes that are either thons emplaced during Middle Ordovician.
blocks in melange or mantle diapirs. The Gander and
Avalon Zones developed upon continental crust and lay The carbonate sequence of the Humber Zone and
to the east and southeast of the Iapetus Ocean. correlative coarse limestone breccias in overlying
Neither contains well-preserved examples of a complete structural slices are interpreted as bank and bank
ophiolite. The Meguma Zone may represent the eastern foot deposits, respectively, formed at the ancient
continental margin of an ancient ocean that lav to continental margin of eastern North America (Rodgers,
the east of the Avalon Zone (Schenk, 1971). Like the 1968). Underlying elastics that rest on Grenvillian
Gander and Avalon Zones, it too is devoid of ophiclite gneisses formed a rise prism at the margin (Williams
suites. and Stevens, 1974), and transported ophiolites repre-
sent oceanic crust and mantle that lay farther east
In the Canadian Appalachians, the boundary be- (Church and Stevens, 1971).
tween the Humber and Dunnage Zones is marked by the
occurrence of ophiolites in a steep structural belt. Examples of allochthonous ophiolites in westerly
These ophiolites can be traced as discontinuous bodies parts of the Humber Zone include the White Hills
from Baie Verte, Newfoundland, to Brompton Lake, Peridotite of the Hare Bay Allochthon, the Bay of
Quebec. Accordingly, the steep ophiolite zone has Islands Complex of the Humber Arm Allochthon, and
been termed the Baie Verte-Brompton Line (St. .Julien the Mount Albert ophiolite of the Shick Shock Mount-
and others 1976). It is an important structural ains (Williams, 1975). The Baltimore Gabbro Complex
junction in the Northern Appalachians and its ophio- of Maryland occurs in a similar structural position
lites are host to the asbestos deposits that make this but lies nearer the east boundary of the zone.
zone the world's richest asbestos belt. In places
where the ophioli~ic rocks are absent, the Humber- Ophiolitic melanges occur across the Humber Zone
Dunnage boundary is marked by faults that separate and they are particularly well-developed in western
Humber Zone metamorphosed elastics (west) and Dunnage Newfoundland. Their formation is attributed to the
Zone less metamorphosed volcanic rocks (east). In transport of ophiolites from their root zone at the
other places, the boundary is hidden by Silurian and Baie Verte-Brompton Line, across the rise prism and
younger cover rocks, e.g. Gaspe Peninsula (plate 1). carbonate bank successions, to their present positions.
The best exposed and most extensive melanges form
South of the Canada-United States border, the integral parts of the Humber Arm and Hare Bay
projection of the Baie Verte-Brompton Line is marked Allochthons, e.g. Companion and Milan Arm Melanges
by a zone of small isolated ultramafic bodies in (Williams, 1975), and comparable examples, though
Vermont that extends all the way southward to Staten lacking ophiolitic blocks in most places, are assoc-
Island, New York. Farther South, the Baltimore Gabbro iated with transported sedimentary rocks in Taconic
Complex (Crowley, 1969) of Maryland lies at or near klippen all the way southward to Harrisburg, Pennsyl-
the continuation of the same structural zone, and the vania. These melanges are mainly thin subhorizontal
zone may be marked by local occurrences of ophiolitic sheets between other transported rocks that collect-
melange in the .James River Synclinorium (Brown, 1976). ively lie above the carbonate sequence. Ophiolitic
From there, it projects between the Grenvillian base- melanges occur also at the east margin of the carbon-
ment rocks of the Blue Ridge and Sauratown Mountains, ate terrane in Maryland and in western White Bay,
and appears to continue farther south along the Bre- Newfoundland, e.g. Second Pond Melange (Williams,
vard Zone (Hatcher, 1972). In the northern Appalach- 1977a}. Farther east, ophiolitic melanges are
ians, the Baie Verte-Brompton Line marks an ancient associated with elastics of the rise prism at the
continent-ocean interface and it is the most westerly eastern margin of the Humber Zone (e.g. Coachman's
possible root zone for allochthonous ophiolites found Melange, Williams, 1977b).
farther west. If this same structural zone continues
southward, as proposed, the Brevard Zone of the south- Deformation and metamorphism increase from west
ern Appalachians is an important suture marking the to east across the Humber Zone. Melanges associated
site of the former Iapetus Ocean. with Taconic-type allochthons above the carbonate
terrane have been little deformed since formation.
The distrubution and tectonic setting of ophio- These near the present easternmost exposures of the
li tic rocks in the Humber and Dunnage Zones form the carbonate sequence vary from polydeformed and meta-
basis of the discussion that follows. No attempt is morphosed in Maryland to locally deformed and mildly
made to describe each individual ophiolite occurrence metamorphosed in Newfoundland. Ophiolitic melanges
Instead, a description of the regional geology and at the eastern margin of the Humber Zone are every-
extrapolations along the length of the system for where polydeformed and metamorphosed and now bear
each kind of ophiolite occurrence is followed by a little resemblance to occurrences farther west.
description of a type example. Most examples are
taken from the northern Appalachians because of a Small mafic-ultramafic bodies are collllilon through-
greater familiarity to the authors and because south- out the full length of the Appalachian Orogen in the
erly examples are treated by other contributions to belt of deformed elastic rocks at the eastern margin
APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES -WILLIAMS AND TALKINGTON 3
(Williams and others, 1977), the Pennington Dike and BAY OF ISLANDS COMPLEX
Quebec are sited at structural contacts (Pierre St. ('TI]Mafic pillow lava
Julien, pers. comm. 1975), the continuous string of
small ultramafic occurrences from Vermont to Staten ~ Sheeted dikes and treccias
Island marks a zone of nappes and imbricate slices {2J Gabbroic rocks
(Barry Doolan, pers. comm. 1976), and many of the
small ultramafic bodies of the eastern Blue Ridge ~ Ultramaficroc ks
from Virginia to Alabama may owe their presence to Metamorphic aureole
structural emplacement.
The Bay of Islands Complex affords an excellent Trondhjemite from the Bay of Islands Complex
example of an allochthonous complete ophiolite suite has been dated isotopically at 504 m.y. ~ 10 (Mattin-
that forms the highest structural slice of a compos- son, 1976) and amphiboles from its dynamo-thermal
ite allochthon in the western part of the Humber aureole at 460 to 470 m.y. (Dallmeyer and Williams,
Zone. It is represented in four separate massifs, 1975; Archibald and Farrar, 1976). The former gives
which from south to north are Lewis Hills, Blow Me the time of generation of the ophiolite suite as
Down, North Arm Mountain, and Table Mountain (pl. I). Late Camhrian. The latter indicates an Early Ordo-
All lie in the same structural position and either vician age for initial displacement and agrees with
represent separate transported bodies or erosional the sedimentologic evidence of ophiolite detritus in
remnants of a once continuous slice. Two of the Lower Ordovician sedimentary rocks deposited during
massifs (Blow Me Down and North Arm Mountain) dis- ophiolite transport (Stevens, 1970). An upper limit
play a completely developed ophiolite stratigraphy, to the time of final emplacement is given by the Mid-
but all four include the basal ultramafic unit. dle Ordovician age of the neo-autochthonous Long
Point Formation (Bergstrom and others 1974). For
The sequences of ophiolite units in the three more detailed descriptions the reader is referred to
northernmost massifs are disposed in synclines with Smith (1958) and Malpas (this volume).
northeast-trending subhorizontal axes and moderately
to steeply dipping limbs. The present tectonic base
of each massif is subhorizontal so that the ophiolite
4 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Ophiolitic melanges of the Humber Zone green actinolite crystals are locally 2-4 cm in
length, set in a fine-grained fuchsite-carbonate
The Milan Arm Melange (Williams, 1975} of north- matrix. An ultramafic origin for these rocks is in-
ern Newfoundland is the clearest example of an ophio- dicated by their mineralogy and because larger near-
li tic melange that forms an integral part of a Taco- by ultramafic blocks are recrystallized to similar
nic-type allochthon above the Humber Zone carbonate mineral assemblages at their margins. Interior parts
sequence. It structurally overlies autochthonous of large ultramafic blocks are in places brecciated,
rocks in some places and intervening transported and this feature predates both serpentinization and
elastics of the rise prism (Maiden Point Formation} incorporation into the melange.
in other places. It is in turn structurally over-
lain by the ophiolitic White Hills Peridotite. The Recognition of the Coachman's Melange and an
melange is similar in most respects to all of the appreciation of its complex structural history bears
shale melanges that separate structural slices of upon one of the major problems of northern Appalach-
the west Newfoundland allochthons, however, it has a ian geology, i.e. the timing of deformation and meta-
much wider variety of exotic blocks; some up to a morphism within the rise prism in relation to the
kilometer or more across and resembling the largest time of generation of nearby ophiolite suites and
slices that make up the west Newfoundland allochthons. the time of their transport across an ancient contin-
ental margin. As is the case with other worldwide
Its commonest blocks are serpentinized perido- examples of ophiolitic melanges, the Coachman's Mel-
tite, mafic volcanic rocks, amphibolites, foliated ange implies transport of oceanic crust across the
gabbro, greywacke, diorite, and exceptionally coarse rise prism represented by the local Fleur de Lys
grained pyroxenite and hornblendite associated with Supergroup. This transport is equated most reason-
tonalite and hornblende-biotite schist. Nephrite ably with the emplacement of highly allochthonous
blocks are also known locally (R.K. Stevens, pers. ophiolites in western parts of the Humber Zone from
comm. 1976}. Most of these rock types can be matched an initial position to the east of the Baie Verte-
directly with rocks in nearby structural slices, but Brompton Line. Similar structural histories for
a few are of unknown origin. both the Coachman's Melange and nearby parts of the
Fleur de Lys Supergroup indicate that the rise prism
Many of the amphibolite, gabbro, and diorite was undeformed at the time of melange formation and
blocks are encased in a relatively thin, hard rind initial ophiolite displacement. This conclusion
of light grey calc-silicate alteration products leads to a simple model for the place of origin and
(rodingite}. The tough and resistant alteration time of transport of ophiolitic complexes in western
halos form coastal wave-washed outcrop surfaces where Newfoundland compared to the time of deformation and
the matrix shales are eroded. In some examples the metamorphism in the intervening Fleur de Lys terrane
rodingite alteration halos are surrounded in turn by (fig. 2). As well, it explains the marked structural
a thinner serpentinite coating, implying that the contrasts between the Fleur de Lys Supergroup and
rodingite represents an alteration zone between mafic nearby ophiolite suites, while implying a mechanism
rocks and serpentinite. These blocks appear there- for deformation and metamorphism through ophiolite
fore to have been once immersed in serpentinite or transport and structural loading at the ancient
serpentinite melange, so that they are recycled continental margin.
where they now occur in a shale matrix.
Ophiolitic melanges comparable to those at
Local serpentinite and gabbro blocks in melanges Coachman's Harbour, Newfoundland are unknown else-
at the base of the west Newfoundland allochthons where in the Appalachian Humber Zone. Other occur-
imply that the sequences of transported slices were rences are predicted because of structural similar-
emplaced as already-assembled allochthons (Stevens ities along the length of the system.
and Williams, 1973).
OPHIOLITES AND OPHIOLITIC MELANGES OF
The recently recognized Coachman's Melange THE DUNNAGE ZONE
(Williams, 1977b) is an example of a polydeformed and
metamorphosed ophiolitic melange that occurs at the Ophiolites and ophiolitic melanges are repre-
eastern margin of the Newfoundland Humber Zone. It sented in the Dunnage Zone from Newfoundland to
is closely associated with psammitic schists of the Virginia. Farther south, rocks typical of the
rise prism (Fleur de Lys Supergroup) and it has been Dunnage Zone are absent and the Humber Zone is
affected by the full range of deformations recognized bordered eastward by crystalline rocks of the Inner
in nearby rocks. The melange occurs in a multitude Piedmont (Hatcher, 1972). Relationships in the
of narrow zones that rarely exceed more than 50 m in northern Appalachians predict a major suture in the
structural thickness. If all occurrences represent southern Appalachians, either at the Brevard Zone or
a complexly folded single unit, exceedingly tight somewhere between this zone and Avalon Zone equiva-
isoclines of more than 3 km amplitude affected east- lents of the Carolina Slate Belt.
ernmost local exposures of the rise prism.
The most prominent ophiolite occurrences in the
The Coachman's Melange has a black pelitic matrix Dunnage Zone are found at its western margin along
with conspicuous deformed and recrystallized ultra- the Baie Verte-Brompton Line. In Newfoundland, exam-
mafic blocks now represented by bright green actino- ples can be traced from Baie Verte of the Burlington
li te-fuchsi te schist. Sedimentary blocks with ill- Peninsula, e.g. Advocate and Point Rousse Complexes
defined outlines are common everywhere, and in some (Williams and others 1977) to Glover Island of Grand
places large serpentinized ultramafic blocks, folia'telj Lake. From there, the Baie Verte-Brompton Line is
gabbro blocks, and marble ar.e also known. ill-defined, but it is probably coincident with the
Cape Ray Suture (Brown, 1973) farther south, and
Actinolite-fuchsite schist occurs in lenses from transported ophiolites at Cape Ray presumably root
10 cm to 3 m in length and rarely more than 1 m in in this zone. In mainland Canada, volcanic rocks
width. They exhibit minor folds and folded schisto- and deformed mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Fournier
si ties identical to structures in the surrounding Complex, New Brunswick may lie at or near the Baie
schistose matrix and nearby psammitic schists. Pale Verte-Brompton Line Farther west, the line is
APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES -WILLIAMS AND TALKINGTON 5
ultramafic rocks along the southern margin of the
LATE CAMBRIAN - EARLY ORDOVICIAN
Chain Lakes massif are interpreted as ophiolites
(G.M. Boone, pers. comm. 1975) . Their occurrence
and relationships to nearby crystalline rocks are
still poorly understood.
East of the Baie Verte-Brompton Line, separate Ophiolites at the Baie Verte-Brompton Line
ophiolite occurrences are common throughout central
parts of the Dunnage Zone. These form the basement Ophiolites along the Baie Verte-Brompton Line
to thick yolcanic arc sequences that are locally date~ are bounded to the west by polydeformed and meta-
as Lower Ordovician, thus defining an upper age limit morphosed elastic rocks of the Humber Zone, and they
for the underlying ophiolite suites. In Newfoundland, are bounded to the east by olistostromes and volcanic
the Betts Cove Complex is probably the best known sequences. Several occurrences in Newfoundland and
example, but sheeted dikes occur throughout the cen.., Quebec are overlain by thick volcanic sequences, whiqi
tral volcanic terrane (Strong, 1972) and gabbros and are similar to volcanic arc sequences found above
ultramafic rocks occur locally at South Pond, Bright~ ophiolites farther east. The Advocate and Point
and Gull Island of Cape St. John. In Main~mafic- Rousse Complexes along the Baie Verte-Bronu>ton Line
6 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
~
Gull Island
Bishops Rock
NO T RE DAME BA Y
Oph i o 1 i te Suite
/ hi gh ann le fault
,..-
~ A pi 1 low l ava
__,,,
cza sheeted dikes
gabbro
/
~
thru s t fault.
beddho ,
uprioht
o verturnPd
to~s ~nm.r,
'
ultra:naf ic rod s
MI c MAC LA KE fiROUP
FLATWATER GROUP
0
CAPE BRULE POR PH YRY
n eqacong: o1oerdte and '"afi r. volcanic roc<s G Quartz-fe l rlspar oorphy r y
R I RCH Y COM PI EX
ophio l itc
- - -- - - - PREC AM BRI AN - - - - -- -
Figure 3: Distribution of ophiolites at and near the Baie Verte-Brompton Line, Burlington Peninsula,
Newfoundland (After Williams and others, 1977) .
APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES -WILLIAMS AND TALKINGTON 7
The prominent island arc volcanism of the Dunnage digitate farther southeastward with the Dunnage
Zone continued into the Middle Ordovician, indicating Melange. The melange is interpreted therefore to
that island arcs were evolving in the Dunnage Zone occupy a fore arc area, based on the geographical
during the emplacement of allochthonous ophiolites distribution of these ancient elements and their
across the Humber Zone. A cessation to Ordovician similarity to that outlined for modern volcanic arcs
volcanism and the deposition of Caradocian black (Dickinson, 1974; Karig, 1974). There is no evidence
shales across the entire Dunnage Zone coincides that the Dunnage Melange was ever buried in an actual
exactly with the time of final emplacement of alloch- subduction zone. It is most reasonably considered
thonous ophiolites such as the Bay of Islands Complex therefore as a trench-slope deposit that overlies an
in the Humber Zone. accretionary prism, analogous to the positioning of
some modern melanges with respect to the arc and
Melanges, olistostromes and megaconglomerates of the oceanic trench (Seely and others 1974; Karig and
Dunnage Zone Sharman, 1975).
The Dunnage Melange, though devoid of ophiolitic A zone of megaconglomerates and olistostromal
components, is included in this analysis because of melange with iocal ophiolitic blocks occurs along
its similarity and possible subsurface continuity the east margin of the Thetford Mines ophiolite
with melange at Carmanville that locally contains belt of Quebec. These rocks are known as the St.
ultramafic and gabbroic blocks. As well, it is a Daniel Formation and they rest conformably on basic
prominent feature of the Dunnage Zone and its inter- volcanic rocks of the ophiolite suite. The unsorted
pretation as an oceanic trench deposit bears heavily rocks contain fragments of greywacke, quartz arenite,
upon models proposed for the development of the shale, siltstone, volcanic rocks, and outsize ser-
northern Appalachians. pentinite blocks, all set in a dark grey to red and
green shale matrix. The age of the St. Daniel For-
The melange is a strikingly heterogeneous deposit mation is unknown, more than that it is overlain by
composed of blocks of mainly elastic sedimentary and the Middle Ordovician Beauceville Formation.
mafic volcanic rocks enveloped in a dark scaly shale
matrix. It is well-exposed along the rugged coast The St. Daniel shale-melange facies has been
and clusters of islands of the Bay of Exploits, interpreted as an offshore oceanic deposit equivalent
where it extends for 40 km along strike with a to elastics of the Humber Zone rise prism, i.e.
maximum outcrop width of 10 km (fig. 5). Its clasts Rosaire and Caldwell Groups of Quebec (St. Julien and
vary in size from granules and cobbles to boulders Hubert, 1975). It has been interpreted also as a
and huge blocks up to a kilometre in diameter, thus subduction related melange (Laurent, 1975).
producing a chaotic mosaic that contrasts sharply
with nearby stratified volcanic and sedimentary In Newfoundland, unsorted shale matrix mega-
rocks. Most blocks are indigeneous to nearby volcanic conglomerates occupy a similar position to the St.
arc sequences and they can be matched with formations Daniel Formation where they lie to the east of the
of the Exploits and Summerford Groups (Williams and Advocate Complex (included in Flatwater Group of
Hibbard, 1976). Shale is much more important in the Figure 3). These locally contain gabbro blocks up
melange than in nearby terranes. to tens of metres in diameter, a variety of sedimen-
tary and volcanic clasts, granodiorite pebbles,
The Dunnage Melange overlies and interdigitates altered and deformed ultramafic blocks, and rare
with the New Bay Formation of the Exploits Group in semipelitic schist blocks. Deposition of the New-
the southwest, and it has an apparent ghost strati- foundland examples followed deformation in nearby
graphy comparable to that of the Exploits Group. Its ophiolites and deformation in sedimentary rocks of
matrix is Tremadocian (Hibbard and others 1977) and the rise prism to the west, i.e. Fleur de Lys Super-
the melange is overlain by Caradocian black shales group. These examples are interpreted therefore as
toward the northwest. These are succeeded by grey- coarse slump conglomerates derived mainly from
wackes and Silurian conglomerates that are coarser deformed ophiolitic rocks at a destroyed continental
and of shallower water deposition higher in ~he margin. They are therefore not thought to be cor-
stratigraphic section. The sequence of units above relative with sediments of the rise prism or connect
the melange can be viewed therefore as representing ed with subduction, as has been suggested for the
the gradual sedimentary infilling of a marine trough, Quebec examples.
or an upward shoaling sequence built upon a melange
basement. Dismembered ophiolites or mantle diapirs at the
eastern margin of the Dunnage Zone
A variety of small intrusions that are localized
within the melange terrane are rare or absent in Mafic-ultramafic bodies along the east side of
surrounding country rocks. These are mainly quartz- the Dunnage Zone in Newfoundland (Gander River Belt)
feldspar porphyries and related rocks, which in have been interpreted as blocks in melange or as
places contain numerous small mafic and ultramafic mantle diapirs related to subduction and intruded
inclusions. Dated isotopically as Early to Middle into the country rocks. One occurrence on the north
)rdovician and exhibiting relationships suggesting shore of Gander Lake is overlain by conglomerate of
contemporaneity with melange formation (Williams presumed Middle Ordovician age, indicating an upper
and Hibbard, 1976), the intrusions imply a direct time limit for the age of some of these bodies.
magmatic linkage with deeper parts of the crust.
Mafic and ultramafic inclusions in the porph1ries The largest body at Pipestone Pond is approx-
indicate that the melange is underlain by a mafic- imately 16 km long and 5 km wide, and it is composed
ul tramafic substrate. mainly of pyroxenite, gabbro, diorite and serpen-
tinized equivalents. It is faulted against meta-
West of the Dunnage Melange, the main volcanic sediments to the east and it is followed westward by
sequences of Notre Dame Bay are interpreted as island volcanic rocks that may be an integral part of the
arc accumulations built upon oceanic crust. These plutonic complex.
are bordered to the southeast by mixed sedimentary
awl volcanic md.s CJf the Exp.lnil.s Group., that int.er- A nearby Q.C.Clllie.nc.e at Gr.eat B.end of Gandex
APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - WILLIAMS AND TALKINGTON 9
DEVONIAN DEVONIAN
[ ] Gr anite . []Granite
SIL URIAN SILURIAN
DUNNAGE MELANGE
Lawren ce Head Volcanics
and equ ivalents (in pa r t) Mafic volcanic blocks
~ Chaotic sediments
!;?\,
-v
SANSOM ISLAND
-N-
~
hi
, i!,
> M il es
Figure 5: Internal characteristics and regional no northern counterparts, except perhaps for occur-
setting of the Dunnage Melange (after Williams and rences in metamorphosed easterly parts of the Dunnage
Hibbard, 1976). " Zone in Newfoundland. Farther east, in metamor,phosed
parts of the Carolina Slate Belt, small ultramafic
River is composed of dunite and peridotite with an bodies occur near the Georgia-South Carolina state
outer zone of gabbro, anorthosite and minor ser- line and in the Raleigh Belt of eastern North Caro-
pentinite. It is circular in shape and surrounded lina. All of these occurrences are of unknown
by hornfels of probable Silurian age. This body is significance and many of them may represent metamor-
most likely an intrusion (Kean, 1974). phosed small intrusions rather than oceanic ophio-
li tes.
Numerous circular, oval and elongate ultramafic
bodies occur along the shores of Gander Lake and APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES AND THE AGE OF IAPETUS
extend northward along the east side of Gander River.
These range in size from a kilometre to less than a Stratigraphic analysis of the Humber Zone
metre in diameter and extend over a distance of 60 (Williams and Stevens, 1974) indicates rifting and
km. They are mainly pyroxenites and gabbros with the development of an ancient continental margin of
minor amounts of peridotite. Although described as Eastern North America in the late Precambrian with a
intrusions, most contacts are tectonic. stable margin existing well into the Ordovician.
Destruction of this margin began in the Lower Ordo-
MAFIC-ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS OF TI-IE vician and it was completed by Middle Ordovician.
SOUTI-IERN APPALACHIANS Ophiolite suites of the Appalachian Orogen are all
of Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician age, where
In the Southern Appalachians (plate I), the dated. Whether or not the preserved ophiolites
greatest concentration of small mafic-ultramafic represent the crust of a wide Iapetus Ocean, or a
bodies lies to the west of the Brevard Zone.. These sampling of the floor of a related small ocean
occurrences are equated with similar occurrences basin, remains debatable.
farther north throughout the eastern parts of the
Humber Zone. East of the Brevard Zone, small ultra- The Silurian and later development of the
mafic bodies within the crystalline terrane of the Appalachian Orogen presents a picture entirely
Inner Piedmont are of unknown si.&_nificance and have _ differei)J___ f.!'C?!l! _!_hat_~!t~f.!t_ P!"_~y~_i_te_Q ___during its
10 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Cambrian and Ordovician development. Ophiolites of their bearing on the timing of ophiolite abduct-
Silurian or younger age are unknown in the Appalach- ion at the Ordovician continental margin of east-
ian Orogen and it is impossible to restore the stra- ern North America: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 12,
tigraphy of possible oceans and margins for the Sil- p. 1685-1690.
urian and later periods. An unconformity beneath Dewey, J.F., 1969, The evolution of the Appalachian/
Silurian rocks across the Humber Zone and westerly Caledonian Orogen: Nature, v. 222, p. 124-129.
parts of the Dunnage Zone indicates the destruction Dewey, J.F., and Bird, J.M., 1971, Origin and em-
of an earlier Ordovician continental margin and ocean placement of the ophiolite suite: Appalachian
basin. Elsewhere in central areas of the Dunnage ophio1ites in Newfoundland: Jour. Geophys.
Zone, where the stratigraphic record is complete, Research, v. 76, p. 3179-3207.
marine Ordovician shales pass upward into Silurian Dickinson, W.R., 1974, Plate tectonics and sediment-
conglomerates and continental volcanics and red beds, ation: Society Econ. Paleont. and Miner. Special
Pub. no. 22, p. 1-27.
The common view that a Silurian or Devonian Gansser, A., 1974, The ophiolitic melange, a world
Iapetus Ocean closed in the Devonian to produce the wide problem on Tethyan examples: Eclogae
Acadian orogeny (Dewey, 1969; McKerrow and Ziegler, Geologicae Helvetiae, v. 67, p. 479-507.
1971; Schenk, 1971; McKerrow and Cox, 1977) is based Hatcher, R.D., Jr., 1972, Developmental model for the
more on the premise that orogeny is the result of Southern Appalachians: Geol. Soc. America Bull.,
moving plates and closing oceans, rather than on the v. 83, p. 2735-2760.
stratigraphic record. Hess, H.H., 1939, Island arcs, gravity anomalies and
serpentinite intrusions: Internat. Geol. Cong.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17th, Moscow 1937, Rept. 17, v. 2, p. 763-783.
Hess, H.H., 1955, Serpentinites, orogeny and epeiro-
We wish to thank W.R. Church, J.F. Dewey, B. geny: Geol. Soc. America Spec. Paper 62, p. 391-
Doolan, R.D. Hatcher, J. Malpas, R.K. Stevens, P. 408.
St. Julien and D.F. Strong who through discussions Hibbard, J.P., Stouge, S., and Skcvington, D., 1977,
helped extrapolate zones of mafic-ultramafic occur- Fossils from the Dunnage Melange, north central
rences along the Appalachian System. The first Newfoundland: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 14,
author also wishes to acknowledge financial support p. 1176-1178.
of his field work on ophiolites in the Northern Karig, D.E., 1974, Evolution of arc systems in the
Appalachians through the National Research Council Western Pacific: Ann. Rev. Earth and Plan. Sci.,
of Canada, the Canadian Department of Energy, Mines v. 2, p. 51-75.
and Resources, and an Izaak Walton Killam Special Karig, D.E., and Sharman, G.F., 1975, Subduction and
Senior Research Scholarship. The second author accretion in trenches: Geol. Soc. America Bull.,
wishes to acknowledge financial support of his v. 86, p. 337-389.
studies through a Memorial University of Newfoundland Kay, Marshall, 1976, Dunnage Melange and subduction
Fellowship. of the Protacadic Ocean, Northeast Newfoundland:
Geol. Soc. America, Spec. Paper 175, 49p.
REFERENCES CITED Kean, B.F., 1974, Notes on the Geology of the Great
Bend and Pipestone Pond ultramafic bodies:
Archibald, D.A., and Farrar, E., 1976, K-Ar ages of Newfoundland Department of Mines and Energy, Min.
amphiboles from the Bay of Islands ophiolite and Dev. Div., Report of Activities, p. 33-42.
the Little Port Complex, Western Newfoundland, Kean, B.F., and Strong, D.F., 1975, Geochemical
and their geological implications: Can. Jour. evolution of an Ordovician island arc of the
Earth Sci., v. 13, p. 993-996. central Newfoundland Appalachians: Arn. Jour. Sci.,
Bergstrom, S.M., Riva, John, and Kay, Marshall, 1974, v. 275, p. 97-118.
'Significance of conodonts, graptolites, and shelly Kennedy, M.J., 1975, Repetitive orogeny in the north-
faunas from the Ordovician of western and north- eastern Appalachians - new plate models based upon
central Newfoundland: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. Appalachians examples: Tectonophysics, v. 28, p.
11, p. 1625-1660. 39-87.
Bird, J.M. and Dewey, J.F., 1970, Lithosphere plate- Kennedy, M.J., and Phillips, W.E.A., 1971, Ultra-
continental margin tectonics and the evolution of mafic rocks of Burlington Peninsula, Newfoundland,
the Appalachian Orogen: Geol. Soc. America Bull., in A Newfoundland Decade. Proc. Geol. Assoc,
v. 81, p. 1031-1060. Canada, v. 24, p. 35-46.
Brown, P.A., 1973, Possible cryptic suture in south- Kidd, W.S.F., (in press), The Baie Verte Lineament,
west Newfoundland: Nature, Phys. Sci., v. 245, Newfoundland: ophiolite complex floor and mafic
p. 9-10. volcanic fill of a small Ordovician marginal
Brown, W.R., 1976, Tectonic melange in the Arvonia basin: Maurice Ewing Volume.
Slate District of Virginia (abs.): Geol. Soc. Laurent, Roger, 1975, Occurrences and origin of the
America Abs. with Programs, v. 8, no. 2, p. 142. ophiolites of Southern Quebec, Northern Appalach-
Chidester, A.H., and Cady, W.M., 1972, Origin and ians: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 12, p. 443-455.
emplacement of Alpine-type ultramafic rocks: Mattinson, J.M., 1976, Ages of zircons from the Bay
Nature Phys. Sci., v. 240, p. 27-31. of Islands ophiolite complex, Western Newfoundland:
Church, W.R., and Stevens, R.K., 1971, Early Paleo- Geology, v. 4, p. 393-394.
zoic ophiolite complexes of Newfoundland Appalach- McKerrow, W.S., and Cocks, L.R.M., 1977, The location
ians as mantle-ocean crust sequences: Jour. Geo- of the Iapetus Ocean suture in Newfoundland: Can.
Phys. Research, v. 76, p. 1460-1466. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 14, p. 488-495.
Crowley, W.P., 1969, Stratigraphic evidence for a McKerrow, W.S., and Ziegler, A.M., 1971, The Lower
volcanic origin of part of the Bel Air belt of Silurian paleogeography of New Brunswick and
Baltimore Gabbro Complex in Baltimore County, adjacent areas: Jour. Geology, v. 79, p. 635-646.
Maryland (abs.): Geol. Soc. America, pt. 1 p. 39n Miller, H.G., and Deutsch, E.R., 1976, New gravita-
Dallmeyer, R.D., and Williams, Harold, 1975, 4 6Ar/ Ar tional evidence for the subsurface extent of oceanic
release spectra of hornblende from the Bay of crust in north-central Newfoundland: Can. Jour.
Islands metamorphic aureole, western Newfoundland: Earth Sci., v. 13, p. 459-469.
APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - WILLIAMS AND TALKINGTON 11
Moores, E., 1970, Ultramafics and orogeny, with models Williams, Harold, Hibbard, J.P., and Bursnall, J.T.,
of the U.S. Cordillera and the Tethys: Nature, 1977, Geologic setting of asbestos-bearing ultra-
v. 228, p. 837-842. mafic rocks along the Baie Verte Lineament,
Norman, R.E. and Strong, D.F., 1975, The geology and Newfoundland: Geol. Survey Canada, Paper 77-1,
geochemistry of ophiolitic rocks exposed at Ming's pt. A, p. 351-360.
Bight, Newfoundland: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 12, Williams, Harold, Kennedy, M.J., and Neale, E.R.W.,
p. 777-797. 1972, The Appalachian structural province, in
Rodgers, John, 1968, The eastern edge of the North Price, R.A. and Douglas, R.J.W. (eds.), Variations
American continent during the Cambrian and Early in tectonic styles in Canada: Geol. Assoc. Canada
Ordovician, in Zen, E-an, White, W.S., Hadley, T. Spec. Paper 11, p. 181-261.
B. and Thompson, J.B., Jr. (eds.), Studies of Williams, Harold, Kennedy, M.J., and Neale, E.R.W.,
Appalachian Geology: northern and martime: 1974, The northeastward termination of the Appa-
Wiley-Interscience, New York, p. 141-149. lachian orogen, in Nairn, A.E.M. and Stehli, F.G.
Schenk, P.E., 1971, Southeastern Atlantic Canada, (e<ls.), The OceanBasins and Margins, v. 2,
Northwestern Africa and continental drift: Can. the North Atlantic: Plenum, New York, p. 79-123.
Jour. Earth Sci., v. 10, p. 1218-1251. Williams, Harold, and Smyth, W.R., 1973, Metamorphic
Seely, D.R., Vail, P.R., and Walton, G.G., 1974, aureoles beneath ophiolite suites and Alpine
Trench slope model, in Burk, C.A. and Drake, C.L. peri.dotites: Tectonic implications with west
(eds.), The Geology of Continental Margins: Newfoundland examples: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 273,
Springer-Verlag, New York, p. 249-260. p. 594-621.
Smith C.H., 1958, Bay of Islands Igneous Complex, Williams, Harold, and Stevens, R.K., 1974, The
western Newfoundland: Geol. Survey Canada, Memoir ancient continental margin of Eastern North
290, 132p. America, in Burk, C.A. and Drake, C.L. (eds.),
Stevens, R.K., 1970, Cambro-Ordovician flysch sedi- the geology of continental margins: Springer-
mentation and tectonics in West Newfoundland and Verlag, New York, N.Y., p. 781-796.
their possible bearing on a proto-Atlantic ocean, Wilson, J.T., 1966, Did the Atlantic close and then
in Lajoie, J. (ed.), Flysch sedimentology in reopen? Nature, v. 211, p. 696-681.
North America: Geol. Assoc. Canada Spec. Paper
No. 7, p. 165-177.
Stevens, R.K., Strong, D.F., and Kean, B.F., 1974, Do
some Eastern Appalachian ultramafic rocks represent
mantle diapirs produced above a subduction zone?
Geology, v. 2, p. 175-178.
Stevens, R.K., and Williams, Harold, 1973, The em-
placement of the Humber Arm Allochthon, Western
Newfoundland (abs.): Geol. Soc. America, Northeast
Section Annual Meeting Program, Allentown, Penn-
sylvanic, v. 4, No, 2, p. 222.
Strong, D.F., 1972, Sheeted diabases of Central
Newfoundland: new evidence for Ordovician sea-
floor spreading: Nature, v. 235, p. 102-104.
St. Julien, P., and Hubert, C., 1975, Evolution of
the Taconian orogen in the Quebec Appalachians.
Am. Jour. Sci., v. 275A, p. 337-362.
St. Julien, Pierre, Hubert, C., and Williams, Harold,
1976, The Baie Verte-Brompton Line and its possible
tectonic significance in the Northern Appalachians
(abs.): Geol. Soc. America Abs. with Programs,
v. 8, p. 259-260.
Upadhyay, H.D., Dewey, J.F., and Neale, E.R.W., 1971,
The Betts Cove ophiolite complex, Newfoundland:
Appalachian oceanic crust and mantle, in A
Newfoundland Decade: Proc. Geol. Asso-C: Canada,
v. 24, p. 27-34.
Williams, Harold, 1973, Bay of Islands Map-Area,
Newfoundland. Geol. Survey Canada Paper 72-34, 7p.
Williams, Harold, 1975, Structural succession,
nomenclature and interpretation of transported
rocks in Western Newfoundland: Can. Jour. Earth
Sci., v. 12, p. 1874-1894.
Williams, Harold, 1976, Tectonic-stratigraphic sub-
division of the Appalachian orogen (abs.): Geol.
Soc. America Abs. with Programs, v. 8, no. 2,
p. 300.
Williams, Harold, 1977a, The Coney Head Complex.
Another Taconic allochthon in west Newfoundland:
Am. Jour. Sci. (in press).
Williams, Harold, 1977b, Ophiolitic melange and its
significance in the Fleur de Lys Supergroup,
northern Appalachians: Can. Jour. Earth Sci.,
v. 14, p. 987-1003.
Williams, Harold and Hibbard, J.P., 1976, The Dunnage
Melange, Newfoundland: Geol. Survey Canada,
Paper 76-lA, p. 183-185.
13
J. Malpas
1. Regional Geology
2. Stratigraphy and chemistry of the ophiolitic
rocks
3. Origin of the metamorphic rocks associated with
the ophiolites
4. Origin of the elastic sediments associated with
the ophiolites
Regional Geology
w~,~~~~~W--~~-;:~~~~~-=~~~
/_ \
....
-
' " ...
\
I - '"
..------
----'-..-....
lslanct Arc volcanics
Sediments
~_.......~Zones of deformation
Gneiss
w~~~;:--~~~~~--:;:---~~~----::::z~~~e
.... /
..... -
'_
\ \
.....
I...-\ I t / ''
Fig. 2. Plate tectonic models applicable to Newfoundland. A. after Dewey and Bird (1971) and Kennedy (1973)
B. after Church and Stevens (1971)
NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES - MALPAS 15
A
LATE HADRYNIAN
B
CAMBRIAN
c
ORDOVICIAN
0 ~
SIWRIAN-DEVONIAN
j++j Granftold
-
plutonica [ ] Ultramaflc- maflc
W Zones of
LiJ deformation
dlapirs
autochthonous rocks
A
A
rn
BAY OF ISLANDS COMPLEX
elastic sediments
I~!; I
Mafic pillow lava ,
C9
~Sheeted dikes and treccias
(;9 ~
I~~ I
Gabbroic rocks ~
BAY OF ISLANDS
Ultramafic rocks
Metamorphic aureole
~elastic sediments
~ (Humber Arm Supergroup)
AUTOCHTHONOUS ROCKS
0
MILES
0
I km
of Cambrian and lower Ordovician elastic sedimentary blage olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, ceylonite
rocks and a group of higher slices that are for the and minor corundum, with metamorphic hornblende and
most part composed of igneous rocks. These higher Ti-phlogopite, form the basal member of the ultra-
slices can be subdivided into at least four distinct mafic sequence and are exposed immediately above the
rock groups, each group being represented in one or amphibolitic aureole of Table Mountain. Tectonic
more superposed slices. In most places, all of these fabrics in the form of stretched and aligned, altered
structurally higher slices directly overlie trans- orthopyroxene phenocrysts and triple point junctions
ported elastic sedimentary rocks, but locally they between ground mass olivines, are exhibited through-
overlap and partially overlie one another. When the out, although the latter are generally masked by
latter is the case, the rock groups maintain a con- serpentinisation. Veins of bastite-enstatite both
sistent order of structural stacking. display the fabrics and cut the fabrics, and they are
thought to represent the products of filter pressing
One of the most extensive rock groups amongst mechanisms during tectonism and are part of the
, the higher slices consist of foliated gabbro, amphi- original magmatic activity of the ultramafics. Thus
bolite and foliated granite with complex internal there is an indication of continuous deformation and
relationships that are cut by poorly developed igneous activity, processes that would result during
sheeted dykes that arc themselves inseparable from the upwelling of mantle material below a spreading
undeformed pillowed lavas that also form part of the centre. The fabrics are consequently interpreted as
same slice. The foliated gabbros, amphibolites and mantle tectonite fabrics.
granitic rocks have no direct correlatives in the
main ophiolite mass which lies in the slice above, The equilibrium coexistence of clinopyroxene,
and are referred to as the Little Port Complex orthopyroxene and olivine with an aluminous phase,
(Williams and Malpas, 1972). The main ophiolite in this case spinel, can be used to define the
slice has been called the Bay of Islands Complex. pressure and temperature conditions under which
However, the rocks of the Little Port Complex and these minerals crystallised (O'Hara, 1967). The
the Bay of Islands Complex all resemb_le rocks associ- pressures and temperatures indicated are of the
ated with the Troodos Massif of Cyprus in almost order of 20 kb and 1200c, suggesting a depth of
every important feature including the complicated formation of approximately 60 km or possibly less if
tectonic history and the same primary ophiolite tectonic overpressures were active (Malpas, 1977).
stratigraphy. They also include similar massive The spinel lherzolite may therefore represent
sulphide deposits (Duke and Hutchinson, 1973). It partially depleted upper mantle, in agreement with
has also been observed that in the ophiolites of the models of upper mantle composition suggested by
Bay of Islands Complex there is a downward change of O'Hara (1968) and Ringwood (1969).
characteristic minerals from celadonite through
chlorite in the pillow lavas to actinolite in the Harzburgite:
sheeted dikes and green hornblende in the gabbro
(Williams and Malpas, 1972) as described by Gass and Harzburgitic rocks, with minor amounts of dunite
Smewing (1973) for the Troodos Complex. The third and enstatolite, make up the major part of the ultra-
slice in the higher igneous series, the Skinner Cove mafic rocks, to a maximum of 4 km on Table Mountain.
Slice, consists of alkaline volcanics and associated The mineral assemblage of these rocks is olivine,
dikes that have been interpreted by Strong (1974) as orthopyroxene and chrome spinel. Very little clino-
off-ridge volcanic rocks associated with the ophio- pyroxene has been recognized in this zone, the lower
lites and directly comparable to the Upper Pillow contact with the lherzolites being marked by the
Lava series of the Troodos Complex. virtual disappearance of this phase. Mantle tecton-
ite fabrics are present throughout the harzburgites,
Thus, according to the Lower Palaeozoic and together with pyroxenite (clinopyroxene and ortho-
Precambrian stratigraphy the evolution of western pyroxene) veins which are more common toward the
Newfoundland is interpreted as relating to the base of the zone. Dunite veins and layers increase
development of an early Palaeozoic continental margin in abundance towards the top of the harzburgites,
(Williams and Stevens, 1974). where they exhibit branching and cross-cutting rela-
tionships. The dunite veins are conunonly associated
Stratigraphy and Chemistry of Ophiolite Rocks with traces of chromite.
ASSOCIATED CHARACTERISTIC
ORE MINERALS ROCK TYPES
Pillowed baic
Hydrothermal
Qfz.- Cu vein
Sheeted diabae dykes
and dyke breccio
Massive, coor.. - groiMd
bytownite gobbro
Bytowifl gobbro
Amphibolill inclusions
1
foliofld ulframofic rock,
including garn11 b1arinr
rock1
~"JPPi,oJi'' Thrust
Sond1ton1, 111011 1 with
ophiolit1 d1trllu1, local Modified after C.H. Smith
'-J/'1,...,.......,,. ~olcanic1 (19~8)
transition between the dunites with cumulus textures folds. The dip of the layers may be much steeper
and harzburgites with tectonic fabrics occur over a than in adjac~nt ultrarnafic rocks and reversals of
thickness of several metres. These textural features dip are not uncommon. The layers are lenses of
suggest a genetic distinction between these rock individual rock types with limited extent rather than
types, which is supported by further evidence cited laterally continuous units. Mineral alignment can be
below. attributed to primary igneous flow lineation and is
comparable to similar features noticed by the writer
Critical Zone (Transitional Rocks): in the tectonically undeformed allivalites of Rhum,
Inner Hebrides. The environment of formation seems
Dunite becomes more feldspathic higher in the to have been one of rapid deposition, possibly by
zone and is interbanded with norite, troctolite, and similar turbidity currents to those envisaged by
anorthosite over a thickness of 100-200 metres which Wager (1939) for the Skaergaard Intrusion.
Smith (1958) termed the Critical Zone. This zone
forms a transition between the ultrabasic and over- Smith (1958) has classified the rocks of the
lying basic rocks. Layers range from centimetres to critical zone on the basis of relative proportions of
several metres thick and many also show distinct plagioclase (bytownite An 75), clinopyroxene (diop-
settling features. ' In some places there has been sidic augite) and olivine (Fo 85). Chemical varia-
some post-accumulation deformation, but its re- tions within the minerals of the zone seem relatively
stricted nature and the. fact that the affected rocks limited and no cryptic layering has yet been clearly
are surrounded by undeformed rocks suggest that it defined. Where feldspar is more abundant, harrisites
may have taken place as a result of slumping of a and allivalites are found. Hydrogarnet has replaced
crystal mush. The strike of the layering is quite plagioclase in, most cases, its composition lying towa~s
variable and is in places interrupted by such slump the tri-calcium hexahydrate and member in composition
NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES - MALPAS 19
The analytical methods, precision and accuracy are as Figure 7 shows Cr 0 and NiO values plotted for
described by Strong (1973). The results are presented ultramafic alpine periaoiites and ultramafic portions
here only in diagrammatic form but can be obtained of tholeiitic stratiform intrusions represented by
from the author upon request. Before the calculation the Muskox intrusion, Northwest Territories, Canada.
of norms and plotting of diagrams, totals were recal- The line effectively separates olivine peridotites
culated to 100% volatile free and adjusted for oxi- from ultramafic and mafic rocks of stratiform in-
dation (calculate Fe''' wi th Fe'' following the trusions. Similar plots for the Bay of Islands
procedure outlined by Irvine and Baragar, 1971 ) . (additional data from Irvine and Findlay, 1972), show
that a distinction can also be made between rocks
above and below the har zburgite-dunite boundary, the
l~tter correlating with r9cks of stratiform complexes
and the former with alp i ne peridotites .
..
~
i.
Alpine peridotites
..
0
z . /
........
., ...
.;,, /
/
...
. ... .. ..
Harzburgite 91. 6
Harzburgite TECTONITES 91.4
Harzburgite 93.0
On the FMA diagram (_f;i.g. 6) the Bay of Is lands Lherzolite 89.7
ultramafic-mafic fractionation trend is comparable to Lherzolite 89.8
that for the Papuan and Oman ophiolites, and is
similar to the general ophiolite trend given by Table 1. Fo contents of olivines from Bay of Islands
Thayer (1967). However, the ultramafic-mafic trend Complex
is a little more complicated than it appears. There
is a tendency for the gabbros lower in the sequence Unaltered cores of olivine crystals have been
to plot across the diagram, i.e. away from the FeO analyzed from most parts of the sections by electron
apex. This trend could be produced by increased microprobe, Table 1. Sharp decreases in the for-
Na 0 and K o but these rocks do not show any apprec- sterite content are observed at the harzburgite-
2 dunite boundary on both Table Mountain and North Arm
ia51e enrichment in alkalies. Therefore, the differ-
entiation trend is produced by fractionation so that Mountain. The olivines in the lherzolites and harz-
Fe 2 o decreases with MgO in the ultramafic and lower burgites have compositions of the order of Fo 92 ,
3 while a lower average composition of Fo occurs in
gaobro, but sharply increases in the higher-level 88
gabbro, dikes and pillow lavas. Fractionation of the dunite and higher rocks.
olivine was followed by crystallization of clino-
pyroxene. Plagioclase crystallization enriched the Chromites also differ across this boundary. A
later liquids in iron as evidenced by the ~udden red chrome-spine! is the major chrome bearing phase
rise in Fe o . The result of this iron enrichment in the harzburgites, but opaque black chromite
3
was crystatlization of magnetite and titaniferous appears in the dunites. Major concentrations of
magnetite in the later stages. Norman and Strong this latter type occur in podiform bodies and as a
(1975) have pointed out similar features in other major cumulate phase at the base of the dunite zone.
Newfoundland ophiolite suites, and have noted the Chromite unit cell dimensions may also show signifi-
close resemblance between the mafic rocks of these cant differences due to the amount of Fe+ 3 solid
suites and oceanic tholeiites. solution (Malpas and Strong, 1975).
NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES - MALPAS 21
Clinopyroxenes become a major phase in the dunite crust and mantle. If alpine peridotites are mantle
zone, so much so as to often form distinct bodies of derived and are in most cases simply the ultramafic
clinopyroxene. The introduction of this phase also fraction of ophiolite suites (now dismembered), then
makes the boundary between the harzburgite and dunite. their surrounding metamorphic rocks cannot represent
conventional thermal aureoles. Rather they must have
The significance of the contact between the a significance that relates to obduction or later
harzburgite and overlying dunite is that it must tectonism and metamorphism. Such a hypothesis,
represent the junction between rocks of mantle origin relating the genesis of the Bay of Islands complex
and rocks formed by crystal settling under crustal aureole rocks to emplacement of the thrust slices,
conditions in relatively high level stratiform in- has been proposed by Mal pas et al. (1973) and
trusions (Irvine and Findlay, 1972, have suggested Williams and Smyth (1973). The----Constant setting of
such a model for the Bay of Islands but did not in- the aureole, its narrow uniform width, its constant
clude the dunites as part of the crustal rock). The lithologies and its structural and metamorphic char-
horizon can therefore be called the 'petrological acteristics can be explained by a plate tectonic model
moho' or the genetic distinction between crust and that envisages the aureole as a result of obduction
mantle (Malpas, 1973). Such a distinction has been of oceanic crust and mantle onto a continental margin.
anticipated by Greenbaum (1972) for the Troodos According to this model, supracrustal rocks are over-
complex. The Critical Zone, some 125-500 metres ridden by a subhorizontal sheet of forcefully expelled
higher in the succession, represents the moho as oceanic crust and mantle that is everywhere detached
defined seismically since it is here that major den- at approximately the same level (3-6 km within the
sity changes take place. There is some indication mantle or the thickness of the ophiolites' ultramafic
that the petrological moho may also be defined unit). The aureole thus evolves as a contact dynamo-
seismically since weak discontinuities have been thermal aureole and acquires its structural style and
noted below the present oceanic moho to a depth of metamorphic mineralogy during early stages of expul-
about 600 metres (M. J. Keen, R. Moberly, pers. comm., sion. Having established such a model, several points
1972) . arise. The first is that the direction of strike of
the ridge or spreading centre at which the ophiolites
Metamorphic Rocks Associated with the Ophiolite Suites were presumably originally produced can be gleaned
from the attitude of the sheeted dikes in the trans-
Metamorphic aureoles that underlie alpine ported complexes which were presumably parallel to
peridotites or ophiolite suites are common in many the ridge when emplaced (Williams and Malpas, 1972).
parts of the world (Challis, 1965; Dickey, 1970; Furthermore the direction of earliest transport
Green, 1964; Karamata, 1968; Loomis, 1972; MacGregor, (presumably at an angle to the continental margin),
1964; MacKenzie, 1960; Smith, 1958). The absence of with respect to the direction of strike of the ridge,
aureole rocks in many other examples can be considered can be ascertained by comparing the attitude of the
as a result of structural omission rather than a sheeted dikes with the direction of transport indi-
primary absence, for most ophiolite suites and alpine cated by the vergence and facing directions of early
peridotites are fault bounded. recumbent structures in the aureole rocks. It
appears that these directions are at a high angle to
Metamorphic rocks occur at the base of all of one another, suggesting that the ridge possibly
the ophiolite masses forming the Bay of Islands com- intersected the continental margin.
plex. These metamorphic rocks are considered part
of the Bay of Islands slice assemblage and are com- The second problem is that the mechanics of
monly referred to as the "basal aureole" (Malpas et displacing oceanic crust and mantle onto a contin-
al., 1973; Williams and Smyth, 1973). Aureole rocks ental margin are either completely unknown, or at
occupy a constant level at the stratigraphic base of the most, poorly understood (Coleman, 1971; Moores
the exposed ophiolite sequence and are not related and MacGregor, 1972; Malpas and Stevens, in prep.).
to the present structural base of the slice which is The heat for metamorphism of the aureole protoliths
marked by serpentinite melanges. Where the aureole could be derived from two major sources. Firstly,
is best developed it has an overall structural thick- heat in the mantle rocks, and secondly, heat derived
ness of approximately 130 metres and grades downwards during abduction. Calcul,tions of partition co-
from a foliated pyroxene amphibolite at the contact efficients of Fe 2+ and Mg + between coexisting gar-
through garnetiferous amphibolite, greenschist, nets and pyroxenes in the pyroxen5 amphigolite
garnetiferous phyllite into an argillite. Rodingitic suggests that temperatures of 800 - 850 C were
rocks, developed during later calcium metasomatism attained at the thrust contact. Calculations of the
are found in places. amount of heat that could be produced by friction
during thrusting suggests that maximum temperature
Recent discussions by MacTaggart (1972) and increases of 200C might be expected in ideal con-
Moores and Raymond (1972) contrast earlier and more ditions. Thus, the remaining heat must have been
recent views on the origin of alpine peridotites derived from the ultramafic rocks, suggesting that
which need reconciliation. On the one hand, the they were at a temperature in the order of ll00c -
0
peridotites are interpreted as orthodox crustal in- 1200 C. Such temperatures could only occur at depths
trusions as evidenced by the surrounding aureoles of 3 km in the mantle in two oceanic environments
(MacTaggart, 1972}, and on the other they are inter- today. The first is on or close to a spreading
preted as mantle and dismembered parts of ophiolite centre, an~ the second and less likely is in a mar-
suites, based for the most part on the analogy ginal basin where high heat flow exists as a result
between the ophiolitic suite and oceanic crust and of igneous activity above subduction zones. Naturally,
mantle (Moores and Raymond, 1972}. The first inter- the heat source, the factors controlling heat dis-
pretation negates the second, and the second makes tribution, and the attitude of geoisotherms are all
no attempt to reconsider the field evidence upon recurring problems in most analyses of regional meta-
which the first is based. This failure of recent morphic terranes, and whether or not such a model is
plate tectonic models to account for the metamorphic valid rests largely upon these poorly understood
aureole rocks has the effect of reducing the other- conditions. However, it can be generally concluded
I
wise clear analogy between ophiolites and oceanic that the ophiolites were obducted not too long after
22 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
'
their formation whilst they still retained a high (3) contact metamorphic aureoles exist at the
heat content. They are unlikely to have been ab- bases of the ophiolite slices.
ducted on the edge of a large ocean basin at a dis- (4) associated sedimentary rocks may not be of
tance from the spreading centre. the 'typical' deep ocean basin type.
Sediments penetrated by drill holes during the Benson, W. N., 1926, The tectonic conditions accom-_
JOIDES deep-sea drilling project are typically cal- panying the intrusion of basic and ultrabasic
careous ooze, partially chertified turbidites or igneous rocks: Nat. Acad. Sci., Mem. 19, l, 90 p.
deep sea muds. The radiolarian ribbon cherts com- Challis, G. A., 1965, High temperature contact meta-
monly overlying basalts of ophiolite sequences are morphism at the Red Hills ultramafic intrusion -
not found. In a few localities this overlying radio- Wairau Valley - New Zealand: Jour. Pet., v. 6,
larian chert may be thin or represented by chloritic- pt. 3, p. 395-419.
shales and may often be overlain by either limestones Church, W.R. and Stevens, R. K., 1971, Early
or turbiditic sandstones. Where fossil dating is Palaeozoic ophiolite complexes of the Newfoundland
possible the ages of the cherts and limestones Appalachians as Mantle-Oceanic Crust sequences:
associated with the uppermost basalts are the same Jour. Geophys. Res., v. 76, p. 1460-1466.
or only slightly greater than that of the oldest Coleman, R. G., 1971, Plate tectonic emplacement of
flysch deposits of the orogen in which the ophiolite upper mantle peridotite along continental edges:
has been incorporated. Furthermore, in Newfoundland Jour. Geophys. Res., v. 76, p. 1212-1222.
and elsewhere, the ophiolites are emplaced directly Dewey, J. F. and Bird, J. M., 1971, Origin and em-
onto this flysch. This suggests a single episode of placement of the ophiolite suite: Appalachian
generation and initial emplacement of ophiolites, ophiolites in Newfoundland: Jour. Geophys. Res.,
which would only be predicted by the plate tectonics v. 76, p. 3179-3207.
model when the site of formation was extremely close Dickey, J. S., 1970, Partial fusion products in
to the site of abduction, as is the case for instance alpine-type peridotites: Serrania de la Ronda and
where a ridge system strikes directly into a con- other examples: Mineral. Soc. America Spec. Paper
tinental margin to form a triple point junction, or 3, p. 33-49.
in a marginal basin setting. Dietz, R. S., 1963, Alpine serpentines as oceanic
rind fragments: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 74,
Conclusions p. 947-952.
Duke, N. A. and Hutchinson, R. W., 1973, Geological
From this survey of western Newfoundland relationships between massive S'Jlphide bodies and
ophiolite stratigraphy and petrology certain con- ophiolite volcanic rocks near York Harbour, New-
clusions may be drawn: foundland: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 11, p. 53-69.
Gass, I. G., 1968, Is the Troodos Massif of Cyprus
1. The ophiolite suites represent cross-sections a fragment of Mesozoic ocean floor? Nature, v.
of oceanic crust and upper mantle. 220, p. 39-42.
Gass, I. G. and Smewing, I. D., 1973, Intrusion,
2. The genetic distinction between those rocks extrusion and metamorphism at constructive mar-
formed in the mantle and those formed under gins: evidence from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus:
crustal conditions is marked by textural and Nature, v. 224, p. 26.
chemical changes and can be called the "petro- Green, D. H., 1964, The petrogenesis of the high
logical moho". temperature peridotite intrusion in the Lizard
area, Cornwall: Jour. Pet., v. 5, p. 134-188.
3. Differentiation trends suggest that the basaltic Greenbaum, D., 1972, Magmatic processes at ocean
proportions of the ophiolite are a result of ridges: Evidence for the Troodos Massif, Cyprus:
fractionation and are not primary magmas. This Nature (Phys. Sci.), v. 238, p. 18-21.
may well hold true for oceanic tholeiites. Hess, H. H., 1964, The oceanic crust, the upper
Their constancy of composition is due to their mantle and the Mayagues serpentinised peridotite,
shallow, low pressure eutectic crystallization. in A study of serpentine: The AMSOC core hole near
Mayagues, Puerto Rico: Nat. Acad. Sci., Nat. Res.
4. The ophiolites were hot when emplaced, and not Council Pub. 1188, p. 169-175.
very old. The attitude of the spreading centre Irvine, T. N. and Baragar, W. R. A., 1971, A guide
with regard to direction of obduction, the to the chemical classification of the common vol-
temperature required for production of the meta- canic rocks: Can. Jour. Earth Sci., v. 8, p. 523-
morphic aureole, and the presence of orogenic 548.
flysch deposits of the same age as the ophio- Irvine, T. N. and Findlay, T. C., 1972, Alpine-type
lites all evidence this. The only feasible peridotite with particular reference to the Bay of
plate tectonic models that can explain these Islands igneous complex: Pub. Earth Phys. Br. Dept.
phenomena suggest that the ophiolites were pro- Energy, Mines &Res., Canada, v. 42, p. 97-128.
duced in a marginal basin and almost immediately Karmata, S., 1968, Zonality of contact metamorphic
abducted onto the continental margin or, less rocks around the ultramafic mass of Brezovica
likely, produced at a spreading centre close to (Serbia, Yugoslavia): Rep. 23rd Sess. Int. Geol.
a ridge/continental margin triple point junction Cong. Sec. 1, p. 197-208.
and abducted almost immediately. Kennedy, M. J., 1973, Pre-Ordovician polyphase
structure in the Burlington Peninsula of New-
Such a model explains why: foundland Appalachians: Nature (Phys. Sci.), v.
241, p. 114-116.
(1) ophiolites are formed only once, early in Loomis, T. P., 1972, Diapiric emplacement of the
orogenic development. Ronda high-temperature ultramafic intrusion,
(2) they are about the same age as the oldest Southern Spain: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 83,
flysch in the orogen. p. 2475-2496.
NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES - MALPAS 23
MacGregor, I. D., 1964, A study of the contact meta- Strong, D. F., 1974, An 'off-axis' alkali volcanic
morphic aureole surrounding the Mt. Albert ultra- suite associated with the Bay of Islands ophio-
mafic intrusion: Princeton Univ., Ph.D. thesis. lites, Newfoundland: Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett.,
MacKenzie, D. B., 1960, High temperature alpine-type v. 21, p. 301-309.
peridotite from Venezuela: Geol. Soc. America Strong, D. F., Dickson, W. L., O'Driscoll, C. F.,
Bull. v. 71, p. 303-318. Kean, B. F. and Stevens, R. K., 1974, Geochemical
MacTaggart, K. C., 1972, One the origin of ultra- evidence for an east-dipping Appalachian subduction
mafic rocks: Reply: Geol. Soc, America Bull., zone in Newfoundland: Nature, v. 248, p. 37-39.
v. 83, p. 3161-3162. Thayer, T. P., 1967, Chemical and structural rela-
Malpas, J., 1973, A restored section of oceanic tions of ultramafic and feldspathic rocks in alpine
crust and mantle in western Newfoundland: Geol. intrusive complexes, in Ultramafic and related
Soc. America N.E. Section, 8th Ann. Mtg. Abstracts rocks, P. Wyllie, ed.--;--New York, John Wiley, p.
5, p. 191. 222-239.
Malpas, J., 1976, The geology and petrochemistry of Upadhyay, H. D., 1973, The Betts Cove ophiolite and
the Bay of Islands Complex, west Newfoundland: related rocks of the Snooks Arm Group, Newfound-
Memorial Univ., Ph.D. thesis. land: St. John's, Newfoundland, Memorial Univ.,
Malpas, J., Stevens, R. K. and Strong, D. F., 1973, Ph.D. thesis.
Amphibolites associated with Newfoundland ophio- Upadhyay, H. D., Dewey, J. F. and Neale, E. R. W.,
lites: their classification and tectonic signifi- 1971. The Betts Cove ophiolite complex, New-
cance: Geology, v. 1, p. 45-47. foundland: Appalachian oceanic crust and mantle:
Malpas, J. and Strong, D. F., 1975, A comparison of Geo!. Assoc. Canada Proc., v. 24, p. 27-34.
chrome spinels in ophiolites and mantle diapirs of Wager, L. R. and Deer, W. A., 1939, Geological investi-
Newfoundland: Geochem et Cosmochem. Acta, v. 39, gations in E. Greenland, Pt. III. Petrology of
p. 1045-1060. the Skaergaard Intrusion, Kangerdlugssuag, E.
Moores, E. N. and MacGregor, I. D., 1972. Types of Greenland: Medd. our Gronland, v. 105, no. 4,
alpine ultramafic rocks and their implications p. 1-352.
for fossil plate interactions, in Studies in earth Williams, H., 1971, Mafic-ultramafic complexes in
and space sciences: Geol. Soc. America Mem. 132, west Newfoundland Appalachians and the evidence
p. 209-224. for their transportation: a review and interim
Moores, E. N. and Raymond, L.A., 1972, On the report: Geo!. Assoc. Canada Proc., v. 24, p. 9-25.
origin of ultramafic rocks: Discussion: Geol. Williams, H. and Malpas, J., 1972, Sheeted dikes and
Soc. America Bull., v. 83, p. 3157-3160. brecciated dike rocks within transported igneous
Norman, R. E. and Strong, D. F., 1975, The geology complexes, Bay of Islands, W. Newfoundland: Can.
and geochemistry of ophiolite rocks exposed at Jour. Earth Sci., v. 9, p. 1216-1229.
Mings Bight, Newfoundland: Can. J. Earth Sci., Williams, H. and Smyth, W.R., 1973, Metamorphic
v. 12, p. 777-797. aureoles beneath ophiolite suites and alpine
O'Hara, M. J., 1967, Mineral parageneses in ultra- peridotites: tectonic implications with west
basic rocks: in Ultramafic and related rocks, Newfoundland examples: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 273,
P. Wyllie, ed.--;--New York, John Wiley, p. 393-403. p. 594-621.
O'Hara, M. J., 1970, Upper mantl~ composition in- Williams, H. and Stevens, R. K., 1974, The ancient
ferred from laboratory experiments and obser- continental margin of Eastern North America, in
vations of volcanic products: Phys. Earth Planet. The Geology of Continental Margins, C. A. Bur~
Interiors, v. 3, p. 236-245. and D. L. Drake, eds., New York, Springer-Verlag,
Reinhardt, B. M., 1969, On the genesis and emplace- p. 781-796.
ment of ophiolites in the Oman mountains geo-
synclines: Schweitz. Mineral. Petrog., Mitt. 49,
p. 1-30.
Ringwood, A. W., 1969, Composition and evolution of
the upper mantle in The earth's crust and upper
mantle, P. J. Hart, ed., Geophys. Monog. 12,
A.G.U. Washington, D.C.
Scott, M. R., Scott, R. B., Rona, P.A., Butler, L. W.
and Nalwalk, A. J., 1974, Rapidly accumulating
manganese deposits from the median valley of the
mid-Atlantic Ridge: Geophys. Res. Letters, v. 1,
p. 355-358.
Searle, D. L., 1972, Mode of occurrence of the
cupriferous pyrite deposits of Cyprus: Trans.
sec, B, Inst. Min. Metal!., v. 81, p. Bl89-Bl97.
Smith, C. M., 1958, Bay of Islands igneous complex,
Western Newfoundland: Geol. Surv. Canada Mem.
290, p. 1-132.
Steinmann, G., !'905, Geologische Beobachtugen in
den Alpen II. Die Schardt'sche Uberfalbingstheorie
und die geologische Bedeubung der Tiefseeabsatze
und der ophiolithischen Massengesteine: Ber. Nat.
Ges., Frieburg I Bd. 16, p. 44-65.
Steinmann, G., 1927, Die ophiolithischen zones in
dem mediterranean Kettengebirgen: 14th Int. Geol,
Cong. Madrid, C.R. 2, p. 638-667.
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25
Roger Laurent
Departement de Geologie et Mineralogie, Universite Laval, Ste Foy, Quebec, Canada GlK 7P4
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
The Appalachian allochthon grades southeastwards or inter-arc basins. They were emplaced by thrusting
into the metamorphic and complexly deformed internal upon the ancient continental margin where they oc-
zone of Notre Dame (schist belt), which consists of cupy a constant structural position, between the
metaclastic and metavolcanic rocks of greenschist underlying pre-Ordovician No tre Dame schists to the
facies that have accumulated in Late Precambrian and northwes t and the overlying Ordovician St. Daniel
Cambrian time along the southeastern margin of the breccia and Magog flysch to the southeast (fig. 2).
Canadian shield. Today these rocks cons titute the The St. Daniel Formation is an important stratigra-
Sutton and Notre Dame anticlinoria. They are under- phic and structural marker of probable late Ear l y
lain by a rejuvenated gneissic, Grenville-like base- Ordovician age occurring to the southeast of and
ment which crops out towards the southwest in the within the ophiolitic belt . It is a chaotic deposit
Green Mountains of Vermont (Cady, 1969), and are containing blocks of pre-Ordovician schists and, lo-
faulted against the ophiolitic complexes to the cally, ophiolitic rocks all in a black shaly matrix
southeast. (St. Julien, 1968). The St. Daniel Formation is un-
conformably overlain by the basal beds of the well
The ophiolitic complexes are regarded as tec- dated Magog flysch (Lamarche, 1972), which contains
tonically emplaced fragments of the Proto-Atlantic Middle Ordovician graptolites of the Nemagr aptus
(Iapetus) oceanic lithosphere (Laurent, 1973), or the gracilis and Diplograptus multidens Zones (Riva,
remnants of the crust and mantle of small marginal 1974).
I+ +I Devonian granites
~ Ascot - Weedon F. (L.O. - M.O.)
[j] Magog flysch ( M.O. )
. ~-
0 10 20
KM
0 10 20
Figure 2 . Sketch map of the Appalachians of Southeastern Quebec, modified f rom St. Julien (1967).
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - LAURENT 27
t
ANTICLINE AXIS
+ SYNCLINE AXIS ture volcanic sediments overlap stra tigraphically the
ophiolitic suite (Laurent and Hebert , 1977) . A simi-
--- I ----
3C
ASBESTOS
3C
~ ___...,.--- .............
- .- - ' 3F
' -~
.-:-
.....
""
' .,. . ___ T--...,--.-:..:.~
.....
. 4 ..... 0 500m
:
Figure 5. Map of the Asbestos ophiolitic complex The extraction of the residual anomaly of Thetford
com piled by R. Hebert from Lamarche (1973): (1) Mines was obtained by M.K. Seguin through the use
pre-Ordovician Notre Dame metagreywacke (A) and of a second regional trend. In the Quebec Appala-
phyllite (B); (2) amphibolite layered (A) and schis- chians there is no evidence that any peridotite is
tose (B); (3) ophiolitic complex with serpentinite directly rooted in the mantle. The Mt . Albert body
(A), harzburgite (B), dunite (C), pyroxenite (D), which still recently was regarded as an in situ
gabbro (E), metagabbro and metadiabase (e), pillow ultramafic intrusion (MacGregor, 1962; MacGregor and
lava and volcanic breccia (F) , and red chert and ar- Smith, 1963) appears to be a thrust sheet somewhat
gillite (G); (4) breccias and shales of the St. Da- similar to the White Hills peridotite sheet of
niel Formation . western Newfoundland . S. Biron and A. Vallieres (in
St. Julien and Hubert, 1975, p. 343) and structural
studies in progress (J, Beaudin and St. Julien,
pers. conm., 1976) are showing that the Mt. Albert
peridotite is tectonically emplaced on top of the
Shickshock allochthon. This geological interpre-
tation is confirmed by the geophysical interpretation
(M.K. Seguin, unpubl. data, 1976) of gravimetric pro-
NNW SSE files across Mt. Albert (fig. Sb).
4 A sys tem of east-west faults marks the contact
.JEFFREY between the basal peridotites of Thetford Mines and
OPEN PIT MINE Asbestos and the pre-Ordovician Notre Dame schists,
SA
At Thetford Mines the fault planes dip at high angle
northwards (because the northern part of the complex
is overturned to the south), and they dip southwards
at Asbestos and southeastwards at Orford (fig. 4, 6
and 7). In the contact zone chlorite, talc, quartz
and carbonates have been formed at low temperature,
0 after the emplacement of the ophiolites, through
ME:T1tS hydrothermal metasomatic exchange with the country
rock. The frontal peridotite or northwestern flank of
the large ophiolitic complexes is severely shattered
"and cut by shear zones, which are highly serpenti-
Figure 6. Cross section through the Asbestos nized and often rich in asbestos ore (Riordon, 1953).
ophiolitic complex at Jeffrey Mine, Johns-Manville
Co. Ltd. See fig. 5 for key to numbers.
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - LAURENT 29
A . Thetford Mines
mgols SE
30
10
10 30
5km
Figure 8 . Gravity data and geophysical interpretation of the Thetford Mines ophiolite and Mount Albert
peridotite body according to unpublished work of M.K . Seguin (1976).
The ophiolitic belt parallels the regional regional continuity of this tectonic feature which
northeast trending structures of the Cambra-Ordo- they have termed the "Baie Verte - Brampton line"
vician belts for about 300 kilometers in southern (Baie Verte in western Newfoundland , Brampton in
Quebec marking a major suture connected to plate southern Quebec). To the southeast, towards the
boundary, here the Early Paleozoic southeastern United States the ophiolitic belt is covered un-
boundary of the Canadian shield (fig. 2). To the confo:pnably by the younger Middle Ordovician Magog
northeast the suture is believed to extend through flysch and the Siluro-Devonian limestones and sand-
Newfoundland. Recently St. Julien et al. (1976) and stones of the Gaspe - Connecticut Valley syncli-
H. Williams (pers. comm., 1976) have emphasized the norium.
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - LAURENT 31
TABLE 1
ROCK UNITS OF THE APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITIC BELT OF SOUTHERN QUEBEC
Cumulates
pyroxenites and plagioclase pyroxenites
(up to 1500 m thick)
indicates that the amphibole is an hornblende whose fine-grained and isomodal, several tens of meters
composition and structure are identical in all loca- thick, while olivine cumulates with intercumulus
lities, an observation difficult to explain by con- clinopyroxene are thin and layered. In the upper
tact metamorphism. I prefer to believe these amphi- part of the dunitic zone, chromite becomes a major
boli tes are of igneous origin and, alike amphibolites cumulus phase at the end of dunitic cycles forming
found in oceanic fracture zones, were formed in re- chromite-rich ribbons and, locally, chromitite lay-
lation with the processes of oceanic lithosphere ers or lenses (see Irvine and Findlay, 1972, p. 113).
fragmentation that must have necessarily occurred Composition of olivine is not known because it is
before the ophiolites were thrust onto the continen- replaced by lizardite and chrysotile in mesh and
tal margin. It is evident, however, that the amphi- hour-glass textures. The clinopyroxene is diopsidic
bolites have been affected by deformation and retro- and partly replaced by tremolite, talc, chlorite,
grade metamorphism during and after their emplace- clinozoisite and iron oxides. In chromite-rich cumu-
ment with the ophiolites, as observed in the field lates, chromite either occurs between the olivine
and shown by fabric analysis (Williams and Smyth, grains as rudely octahedral grains, or as smaller in-
1973; Atkinson, 1976) and Argon isotopic data. In clusions restricted to olivine margins showing that
spite of the identity of the amphibole analyzed crystal shapes of serpentinized olivine grains are
their K-Ar ages vary along the belt in probable re- disguised by postcumulus olivine overgrowth. Kacira
lation with the intensity and duration of the meta- (1971) has shown that chromite in the dunite cumu-
morphic overprints (Laurent and Vallerand, 1974). lates of Thetford Mines is richer in iron and chro-
Due to the complex history of the rock and its very mium (33 to 41 % Cr), and poorer in magnesium and
low potassium content, ages obtained are scattered aluminium than the ch,romian spinels (10 to 34 % Cr)
from the Middle Cambrian to the Upper Ordovician and in the harzburgite tectonite. Apparent thickness of
are not reliable. the dunitic zone may reach 480 m at Asbestos, 200 m
at Orford and about 250 m at Thetford Mines in the
Cumulates Lake Caribou area.
Cumulate rocks are bedded and stratigraphically Above the dunitic zone the character of cyclic
ordered from bottom to top in three zones, respec- units changes. They become much thinner and better
tively of dunitic, pyroxenitic and gabbroic compo- developed. In the pyroxenitic zone, beds vary in
sition. Cumulate dunites at the floor of the cumu- thickness from a few centimeters to a maximum of
late sequence are in sharp contact with the harz- about 20 m. Cumulate cycles are formed by dunite or
burgite tectonite. This contact is always faulted, wehrlite followed, at a phase contact, by olivine
serpentinized and altered. The magnetic suscepti- websterite and websterite which grade to clinopyro-
bility of cumulate dunite averages 4lo-3cgs emu cm-3 xenite. The orthopyroxene hypersthene En7Q-90 lar-
and that of underlying harzburgite 810-4cgs emu cm-3 gely replaced by lizardite, joins olivine as a cumu-
(Seguin, 1976). The much higher susceptibility of lus phase in olivine websterites where the clino-
dunite is caused by its higher content of chromite pyroxene occurs as intercumulus. In websterites,
and magnetite, the olivine being always entirely cumulate orthopyroxene can form up to 50 % of the
serpentinized. These two rocks having distinct sus- rock with cumulus and postcumulus clinopyroxene for-
ceptibility ranges, their contact can be ascertained ming the rest. Higher in the pyroxenitic zone, oli-
by the magnetic methods. vine and orthopyroxene progressively disappear as
cumulus phases while postcumulus plagioclase appears.
Cumulate rocks have granoblastic textures and Cycles are formed by thick beds of adcumulate clino-
are not foliated in spite of the fact that they are pyroxeni te and thinner layers of orthocumulate pla-
often tightly folded around axes parallel to the bed- gioclase clinopyroxenite, the calcic plagioclase
ding. Dikes, without chilled edges, of clinopyroxe- being rodingitized that is to say replaced by hydro-
nite in the lower part of the cumulate sequence and garnet or prehnite and clinozoisite. Apparent thick-
of gabbro in the upper one cut across the folds and ness of the pyroxenitic zone reaches up to 500 m at
are not affected by the folding. Magmatic breccias Thetford Mines in the Red Hills area, but only 70 m
are frequently associated with disturbed beds. Since at Asbestos and about 200 m. at Orford.
cumulate textures of the folded rocks are not obli-
terated, the folding must have occurred plastically Cycles of the gabbroic zone combine three major
at relatively high temperature. This suggests that cumulus phases: diopsidic augite (partly uralitized),
the environment of the magma chamber was tectonical- hornblende, and labrador (partly prehnitized or
ly active during the sedimentation of the cumulates. saussuritized). Olivine with orthopyroxene re-appear
Early formation of fractures, quickly cemented by in rare occurrences. Cumulate gabbros form layered
pyroxenite or gabbro, shows prolongation of the tec- beds of 10 cm to 1 m thick consisting of fine-grained
tonic activity after the cumulates had cooled enough mafic gabbro at the base grading upwards into a
to undergo brittle failure. Locally, numerous dikes slightly coarser grained gabbro or hornblende gabbro;
of diabase cut through all structures. Because of tops of beds are leucogabbroic. They are invaded by
frequent folding actual thickness of the cumulates is patches of hornblende gabbro pegmatite and other
difficult to estimate and is always smaller than that gabbroic rocks highly variable, on the scale of dm
of the measured sections. Furthermore the same stra- and m, in composition (from mafic to felsic) and
tigraphic succession extends for short distances grain-size (from pegmatitic to finely grained). These
only, and in places parts of the succession are later phases must have solidified in an environment
faulted out. where temperature, confining pressure and gaz fuga-
city were undergoing rapid changes. Evidence of
The lower part of the dunitic zone consists of plastic folding is generally lacking in the gabbroic
cumulate cycles beginning with dunite and termina- zone. Instead, beds of cumulate gabbro which not
ting with wehrlite. Beds of olivine adcumulate are rarely are fresh and unmetamorphosed may locally be
34 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
5 fault
fault phcc
oc 8
osc
osc
oc
7 ="=.... cpc,pcc,phcc,pc
Covered
1
100 Meters
cycles
3
2
1 phcc
cpp-pcc
phcc
pc
cpc
serpenti n ite cpc
CUMULATES :
phcc PL-HO- CPX hornblende gabbro
pc PL plagioclasite
pee PL- CPX gabbro
cpc CPX - PL plagioclasepyroxenite
oc
cc CPX(-OPX) pyroxen ite
0 --serpentinite
fault
osc
occ
OL- SP
OL - CPX
chromitite
wehrlite
Harzburgite tectonite
oc OL dunite
Figure 9. Columnar section of the stratiforrn d unite-pyroxen ite-
gabbro sequence in the Asb es t os ophioli tic complex . Section s tudied and
compiled by R. Hebert (P h . D. thesis i n preparation, Laval University) .
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - LAURENT 35
cataclased and recrystallized displaying the dynamo- The metadiabases forming the floor of the ophio-
metamorphic structure of "flaser" gabbros. Thickness li tic extrusive sequence are interpreted as the first
of the cumulate gabbroic zone is 250 m. at Asbestos fonned crust. I imagine that the non-cumulate gabbro
(Burbank Hill), and up to 500 mat Orford and at sheets were emplaced under the first extrusive rocks
Thetford Mines in the Mount Adstock and East Lake and caused their recrystallization through contact
areas. metamorphism. Later, after the first formed crust had
thickened, a magma chamber enclosed between a roof of
Hess (1960), Wager et al. (1960), Jackson (1961, gabbro, diabase and volcanics and a floor of mantle
1971), Irvine (1970, 1974), and others have shown peridotite slowly filled itself with ultramafic and
that cumulate ultramafic and mafic rocks from layered mafic cumulates. It is likely that the late silicic
intrusions, like the Stillwater, Skaergaard, Muskox intrusions represent magmatic differentiates of the
and Duke Island intrusions, are precipitates from cumulate succession as it appears to be the case for
basaltic magmas. The stratigraphic ordering of the Vourinos (Jackson et al., 1975). And it is also like-
cyclic units reveals the order of crystallization ly that brittle deformation and intrusions of diabase
and the trend of gradual differentiation of the mag- dike swarms, later followed by silicic differentiates
ma. In cumulates of the ophiolites of southern Que- are responsible for the main metamorphism of the non-
bec, the order of crystallization appears to be oli- cumulate gabbros.
vine (plus chromite), olivine plus clinopyroxene,
olivine plus chromite, olivine plus orthopyroxene Extrusives
plus clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene plus clinopyroxene,
clinopyroxene plus plagioclase plus hornblende. The This succession is divided into two groups:
late appearance of plagioclase in the sequence in a) a lower group consisting of pillowed metabasalts
contrast with its early appearance together with oli- with a sedimentary cover of red chert and argillite,
vine in the Bay of Islands complex of western New- and b) an upper group of Early Ordovician age (?)
foundland (Irvine and Findlay, 1972) is noteworthy. consisting of metabasaltic and meta-andesitic lavas,
The cumulate succession described and illustrated by breccias, siliceous volcaniclastic tuffs, and mud-
the composite section from Asbestos (fig. 9) is very stones. The age of the lower volcanic group should
similar to the cumulate units of the Vourinos ophio- indicate the time of formation of the ophiolites but
lite described and illustrated by Jackson et al. is unknown. However, stratigraphic relations and
(1975). This agrees well with my earlier suggestion paleomagnetism suggest a pre-Early Ordovician age.
(Laurent, 1975a, p. 450) that the ophiolites of Preliminary paleomagnetic tests have yielded an un-
southern Quebec are close to the Vourinos type, an certain Cambrian paleopole position at 146 E - 130 N,
idea that I was recently able to confirm in visiting reverse polarity (Seguin, 1976). The total thickness
the Vourinos area. of the two volcanic groups and their sedimentary
cover is about 1000 to 1200 meters. As the petrology
Shallow intrusives and magnetic signatures of these volcanic rocks have
already been described in details (Seguin and Lau-
Stratigraphically above the cumulates comes a rent, 1975; Laurent and Hebert, 1977), only a summary
complex zone consisting of metamorphosed gabbro and of their features wiil be given here.
diabase intruded by swarms of mafic dikes and by si-
licic rocks. The lower group is composed of metabasaltic pil-
low lavas and autoclastic breccias of upper green-
Metagabbros form sheet-like bodies; they are schist metamorphic grade derived from tholeiites and
mediumgrained with subophitic and ophitic textures olivine tholeiites. The two types of lava are inter-
and recrystallized in the greenschist facies with the bedded and grade upwards into reddish, hematitic pil-
actinolite-chlorite-clinozoisite-calcite-albite- lows interfingering and interbedded with hematite-
quartz assemblage. Although relics of labradorite and rich radiolarian argillite separating the lower vol-
augitic clinopyroxene are not uncommon, they do not canic group from the upper group. Structures of pil-
contain identifiable olivine or orthopyroxene and lows and lava tubes, their concentric textural zoning
are overlain by fine-grained rocks of diabasic tex- from a variolitic margin to the core, as well as
ture and identical greenschist mineralogy. This com- quenched olivine and plagioclase microphenocrysts are
plex constitutes the roof of the phaneritic rocks of locally well preserved. The mineral assemblage is
our ophiolites. It is intruded firstly by a large actinolite-chlorite-epidote-albite-quartz-calcite
number of dikes of aphanitic diabase bearing in pla- (magnetite). The first type of lava is rich in
ces Cu-sulfide mineralization, and by a smaller num- chlorite and tholeiitic in composition; the second
ber of dikes of keratophyre; and then by stocks and type is rich in actinolite and contains abundant
sills of quartz diorite and quartzrich granophyric chlorite pseudomorphs after olivine microphenocrysts
rocks (plagiogranites). These latter silicic rocks and phenocrysts, its composition being olivine tho-
intrude, engulf and assimilate the metagabbroic and, leiitic. Chemical data show that the olivine meta-
to a lesser extent, the metadiabasic rocks. At its tholeiite is relatively high in Mg, Cr and Ni com-
contact with the metagabbros, the base of the dia- pared to the metatholeiite, and that both types of
basic unit is locally recrystallized in the amphi- lava are very poor in K, Ti and P and metasomatically
boiite facies. Diabases grade upwards into pillowed enriched in silica, soda and water (table 2). It was
flows of metatholeiite. The relations described are found that radial variations of magnetic properties
well displayed at the top of Mount Ham, near Ham Sud in these pillow lavas are similar to the oceanic H-
in the Thetford Mines area, and are illustrated here type pillows described by Marshall and Cox (1971),
in figure 10. Shallow intrusives are up to 500 m the intensity of their remanent magnetization as
thick at Thetford Mines, and up to 700 m thick at Or- well as their Koenigsberger ratio decreasing from
ford where they have been described by De R.Omer the margin to the center.
(1963).
36 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Mt. Ham
v v
v
v ~
v
v
av Iv/
v v
v y
0
0
v ~ v l
0 0 v
J
0 Scale 40m
horizontal and vertical
D 2 3
illIIIIIIll
5
lvvvj
6
Figure 10. Cross section through the top of Mount Ham showing the relations between the upper gabbros and
the lava of the extrusive sequence of the Thetford Mines ophiolitic complex. Geology according to detailed map-
ping by R. Hebert (Ph.D. thesis in preparation, Laval University): (1) metagabbro, (2) metadiabase, (3) amphibo-
litic metadiabase, (4) pillow lava, (5) aphanitic diabase dikes, (6) quartz diorite and plagiogranites .
Since radial variations of magnetic properties in well preserved although the rocks have recrystallized
pillows appear to be dependent upon the size and in a regime of low pressure and moderate temperature,
distribution of the NRM carriers, a function of the at the limits of the prehnite-pumpellyite - upper
cooling rate of lavas, similar patterns may indicate greenschist facies, and are spilitized. They contain
similar physical environments. Therefore, I have as- numerous veins of carbonates, quartz, chlorite, epi-
sumed that this group of lavas and sediments has for dote, prehnite, pumpellyite, axinite and disseminated
analogs the oceanic layers 1 and 2 of present day sulfides, mainly pyrite and pyrrhotite. The upper
oceanic crust (Fox et al., 1973). According to plate volcanic group may result from a volcanic activity in
tectonic models showing ophiolite as oceanic crust off-ridge oceanic environment, for example in an is-
generated in oceanic ridges (Coleman and Irwin, 1974), land-arc where brief periods of intensive volcanism
it can be postulated that the metabasalts of the lo- were followed by structural uplift and erosion and
wer volcanic group were extruded along the rift val- then by subsidence and deposition of sediments. Ana-
ley of an active ridge of the past Proto-Atlantic logs are found today in young volcanic island arcs
ocean. Composition of the sedimentary cover of this such as the Tonga islands and the New Hebrides is-
group is typical of deep-sea conditions, which agrees lands in the Pacific, where Ewart and Bryan (1972,
well with an oceanic ridge environment. This, fea- 1973), and Mitchell and Warden (1971) have described
tures of the ophiolites and other paleotectonic and similar rock assemblages .
paleogeographic characteristics of the Quebec Appa-
lachians do not speak in favor of an origin in small The original chemical composition of the vol-
marginal or inter-arc basins as proposed by Dewey canic rocks forming the cap of the ophiolites has
(1974) and Kennedy (1975) for the Newfoundland ophio- been significantly modified through metasomatic hy~io
lites. thermal alterations and metamorphic recrystallization
(Laurent and Hebert, 1977). Hence, a direct compa-
'llle upper volcanic group is characterized by a rison between the chemistry of fresh volcanic rocks
suite of metabasaltic and meta-andesitic vesicular from the oceans and the chemistry of the ophiolitic
pillowed lavas, pyroclastic agglomerates, polygenic lavas may well turn out to be meaningless. The same
breccias, acidic volcaniclastic tuffs and mudstones remark can be formulated for most of the phaneritic
which were built and deposited on the oceanic crust rocks.
or ophiolite. Ophiolitic rocks and red cherts are re-
worked in breccias interbedded within the group. Cli-
nopyroxene and more rarely plagioclase are locally
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN OPHIOLITES - LAURENT 37
A. Lower unit
Average composition of harzburgite (normalized to 100% without H20; see Laurent, 1975b): H
Wt. %
Si02 44.22 Cao 0.53 Mode:
Al203 0.65 Na 2o 0.13 01 85%; OPX 13.5%; CPX (in OPX) 1.0%; SP 0.5%.
FeO 9.06 K2 0 0.05 Norm:
MgO 44.57 NiO 0.23 Olivine Fo 90 74.95%; Orthopyroxene En90 21.84%;
MnO 0.14 cr 2 o 3 0.42 Clinopyroxene diopside 1.80%; Chromian spinel 0.5%.
B. Upper Unit
Si0 2 51.08 53. 35 48.75 48.07 71.45 50.93 47.97 50.11 43.05 34.33
Ti02 0.07 1.09 2.06 0.15 0.18 0.03 0.04 0.29 0.02 o.oo
Al 2o 3 11.60 14.50 15.98 17.57 15.66 12.94 11.21 1.60 1.23 1.04
Fe 2o 3 1.91 3.84 4.52 2.48 0.60 1. 32 1.54 2.36 6.24 5.38
FeO 6.70 6.86 7. 77 6.05 0.95 4.61 4.81 3.52 3.36 3.03
MgO 13.98 5.49 5.91 9.94 0.83 15.08 16.27 24.12 29.86 40.04
MnO 0.15 0.17 0.21 0.14 0.03 0.12 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.13
Cao 6 .91 4.23 7.27 6.55 1.29 10.39 13.18 14.84 6.95 0.00
Na 2o 2.21 5.12 3.60 2.99 3.39 1.92 0.30 0.20 0.09 0.02
K20 0.20 0.16 0.58 0.96 3.78 0.84 0.09 0.01 0.01 0.00
P205 0.02 0.07 0.08 0.00 0.23 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00
H O+ 3.91 3.82 2.54 4.17 1.37 2.12 3.86 2.82 8.63 13 .91
2
H20
- 0.30 0.20 0.35 0.26 0.10 0.13 0.09 0.18 0.05 0.52
C02 0.42 0.63 nd 0.32 0.06 nd nd nd nd nd
Total 99.46 99.53 99.62 99.65 99.92 100.44 99.49 100.17 99.65 98.40
Cr(in ppm) 1061 119 80 < 200 nd 414 683 2300 3300 cr 2o3 (%)1. 20
Ni(in ppm) 277 28 so 25 nd 180 203 306 650 1920
Key to numbers:
1, Olivine metatholeiite (average of 5 analyses); 2, Metatholeiite (average of 7 analyses); 3, Metadiabase;
4, Metagabbro; 5, Quartz diorite; 6, Hornblende gabbro; 7, Gabbro; 8, Clinopyroxenite; 9, Olivine pyroxenite;
10, Chromite-bearing dunite.
38 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
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40 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
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tonics: R. Soc. Can. Spec. Publ:" 10, p. 41-47.
St. Julien, P., 196~, Les "argiles-a-blocs" du sud-
ouest des Appalaches du Quebec: Nat. Can. 95, p.
1345-1356.
St. Julien, P., 1972, Appalachian structure and strati-
graphy, Quebec: Excursion A56-C56, Guidebook, 24th
Int. Geol. Congr., Montreal, 35 p.
St. Julien, P., and Hubert C., 1975, Evolution of the
Taconian Orogen in the Quebec Appalachians: Amer.
J. Sci., 275-A, p. 337-362.
St. Julien, P., Hubert, C., and Williams, H., 1976,
The Baie Verte-Brompton line and its possible tec-
tonic significance in the Northern Appalachians:
Geol. Soc. of America, Abstracts Northeastern and
Southeastern Sections, Arlington, Virginia, p. 259-
260.
Trzcienski, Jr, W.E., 1976, Crossitic amphibole and
its possible tectonic significance in the Richmond
Area, southeastern Quebec: Can, J. Earth Sci., 13,
p. 711-714.
Upadhyay, H.D., Dewey, J.F., and Neale, E.R.W., 1971,
The Betts Cove ophiolite complex, Newfoundland:
Appalachian oceanic crust and mantle: Geol. Assoc.
Can. Proc., A Nfld. Decade, 24, p. 27-34.
Wager, L.R., Brown, G.M., and Wadsworth, W.J., 1960,
Types of igneous cumulates: J, Petrol., 1, p. 73-
85.
Williams, H., and Stevens, R.K,, 1974, The ancient
continental margin of Eastern North America, in
C.A. Burk and C.L. Drake (editors): The geology of
continental margins. Springer Verlag, New York,
p. 781-796.
Williams, H., Kennedy, M.J., and Neale, E.R.W., 1974,
The northeastward termination of the Appalachian
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and F.G. Stehli (editors), vol. 2, Plenum Puhl.
Co., New York, p. 79-123.
41
Benjamin A. Morgan
951 National Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092
generally before the onset of tectonism. and ultrarnafic rocks form small isolated lenses and
Since the publication of Hopson's studies in pods in the Wissahickon Formation. The more impor-
1964, Cecil, Harford, Montgomery, Baltimore, and tant of these detached serpentinites are at
Fairfax Counties have been remapped, and aeromagnetic Jarrettsville, Soldiers Delight, Bare Hills,
surveys of the entire region have been completed. Hunting Hill, and Gaithersburg; the Jarrettsville,
The new data have resulted in a considerable modifi- Soldiers Delight, and Bare Hills masses contain
cation of Hopson's synthesis, although unanimity podiform chromitite deposits. The northeastern
among later workers by no means has been achieved. part of the belt near the Susquehanna River is
Lenses of diarnictite within the Wissahickon Formation referred to as the State Line area (McKague, 1964;
were found to be much more widely distributed than Lapham and McKague, 1964; Pearre and Heyle, 1960)
Hopson in 1964 believed them to be, and it is diffi- and is the site of many chromite deposits having a
cult now to use the pattern of such lenses to define long history of exploitation during the 19th
a unique stratigraphic horizon to outline the century. The podiform deposit forming the Woods
Baltimore-Washington anticlinoriurn. Diarnictite is mine produced approximately 96,000 tons of ore be-
widespread in northern Fairfax County, Virginia, tween 1828 and 1880 and is the largest chromite
and in Cecil and Harford Counties, Maryland. Much deposit ever mined in the United States.
of the Wissahickon consists of lenses of incoherent
unstratified material or "broken formation." Dunite is the parent rock for much of the ser-
Excavations for the Washington subway system indicate pentinite belt in the State Line area as well as in
that many areas thought to be underlain by plutonic isolated ultramafic blocks including the northern
rocks are in fact Wissahickon diarnictite containing part of the Soldiers Delight mass, and also the
large floating blocks or rafts of igneous-looking blocks at Bare Hills and Hunting Hill. Despite
rock without any original contacts preserved extensive serpentinization of dunite, much residual
(A.A. Drake, oral communication, 1976). The author olivine and accessory chromite survive and constitute
is led to conclude that the Wissahickon is a terrane about 5 to 15 volume percent of most hand specimens
that may be blocked into large segments of coherent of serpentinite. No bastite pseudomorphs after ortho-
strata and broken strata, but that much of it may pyroxene have been reported and the author has seen
have little internal stratigraphic order. It is no other relict phase in the altered dunites of
within this terrane that the Baltimore Complex is the State Line area. Chemical analyses of these
emplaced. The distribution, petrology, and structure rocks (see Table 1) indicate a uniform composition
of each of the major units of the complex will be and a high degree of serpentinization.
described in the following paragraphs.
Pyroxenites, most often websterites, but occa-
PETROLOGY sionally enstatolite, are present as a nearly con-
tinuous layer between dunite and gabbro in the State
In terms of ophiolite "stratigraphy," the Line area, and are prominant in many parts of the
Baltimore Complex consists of serpentinized perido- Laurel Belt and in the southern part of the Soldiers
tite and chromitite, several belts of gabbro, quartz Delight mass. These rocks are derived from cumulate
gabbro and diorite, and metavolcanic rocks including orthopyroxene with post cumulate orthopyroxene and
basaltic pillow lava and keratophyre. Plagiogranite clinopyroxene. Rocks with relict olivine and with
dikes and anastomosing dikelets are common in parts post-cumulate plagioclase have been described both
of the complex, but sheeted dike swarms have not from the Laurel Belt, and in the State Line area,
been described. but these rocks are relatively uncommon. Chemical
analyses of representative pyroxenites are given in
Ul trarnafic Rocks Table 1.
Ultramafic rocks of the Baltimore Complex may Compositions of relict olivine have been reported
be divided into two groups: those constituting a by Pearre and Heyl (1960), McKague (1964), and by
serpentinite belt which consists of altered dunite Southwick (1970). Olivine from chromitite and
associated with podiform chromitite as well as serpentinite near the Susquehanna River is highly
pyroxenite, and those that are partially serpentin- forsteritic (McKague, 1964), having Fo of 94 to 97
ized layers of cumulate olivine and pyroxene within mole percent. Although this Fo content is higher
the gabbro part of the complex. It should be pointed than that for olivine in most alpine-type complexes
out.that most maps of the complex, especially in (Green, 1964), it is typical of olivine compositions
Baltimore County (Knopf and Jonas, 1925; Crowley, coexisting with chromite in podiform deposits
1976) do not differentiate between these very differ- (Irvine, 1967). In Harford County, Southwick (1970)
ent rocks. Stratigraphic correlations between reported a more iron-rich olivine having Fo of 86 to
dissimilar ultramafic rocks most certainly have led to 92 percent. Both McKague and Southwick used X-ray
errors in the interpretations of the structure. and light optics for composition determinations.
Serpentinized ultrarnafic layers within the gabbro Average grain size of olivine appears to be about
are not associated with podiform chromitite and many 3.6 mm, maximum length, although much larger grains
preserve cumulate textures. infrequently occur (McKague, 1964). The author has
seen olivine grains 50 mm long in drill core from
Serpentinized ultrarnafic rocks derived from the Woods mine. Extensive deformation and serpentini-
dunite and pyroxenite form a continuous unit at the zation have contributed to a decrease in the average
structural base of a gabbro mass for about 30 km from grain size.
the northeast end of the complex, across the,
Susquehanna River, to Scarboro, Maryland, in Harford Very little data on the composition of pyroxenes
County (Plate I.I). Farther to the south, these rocks from pyroxenites are available. Southwick (1970) has
are not in contact with the main mass of gabbro, but reported the X-ray and optic properties of seven
form a long narrow septum 12 km long, striking away orthopyroxenes from pyroxenites from Harford County.
from the gabbro and surrounded by diamictite of the En contents of orthopyroxene ranges from 74 to 83
Wissahickon Formation. Still farther to the south, percent; some samples show zoning with a core of
physical continuity in the serpentinite belt is lost, En 83 and a rim of En 78. Herz (1951) reported a
BALTIMORE COMPLEX - MORGAN 43
Si02 40.06 40.7 40.00 43.87 53.21 55.3 48.91 44.76 43.69 48.3 44.08
Al203 1.37 0.80 1.50 1.64 1. 94 2.7 8.81 18.82 14.70 18.7 20.01
Fe203 3.02 7.8 4.90 8.94 1.44 1.0 1.04 2.19 5.59 1.3 4.22
FeO 3.43 1. 2 2.50 2.60 7.92 11.2 9.52 4.73 11.63 3.7 8.61
MgO 39.02 36.4 37.60 27.32 20.78 24.8 15 .19 11. 32 7.42 9.4 5.01
Cao --- 0.09 0.31 6.29 13.12 2.8 14.69 14.58 9.34 16.6 11.68
Na20 --- 0.03 0.10 0.11 0.20 0.64 0.89 1.94 0.62 1. 24
}o. 50 0.32 0.06 0.15
K20 --- nil nil 0.07 0.32 0.10 0.11
H2o+ 12.10 11. 2 12.20 0.87 0.36 0.59 2.53 1. 71 0.73 1.90
}8. 72 --- --- 0.11 0.10 0.11
H20- --- 0.74 0.47 0.14 0.07
Ti02 --- 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.26 0.26 0.37 0 .13 3.26 0.17 2.24
P205 --- 0.01 0.02 --- tr nil tr --- tr 0.02 0.52
MnO 0.09 0.08 0.12 0.19 0.22 0.15 0.16 0.15 0.22 0.10 0.28
C02 --- 0.01 0.11 --- 0.10 0.09 --- --- 0 .19 0.16 ---
Cr203 0.20 --- --- 0.44 0.20 --- 0.15 0.08 --- --- ---
NiO 0. 71 --- --- --- 0.03 --- --- --- --- --- 0.01
Swn 100. 00 99.1 99.89 100.63 100.41 99.3 100 .17 100.29 100.12 100.0 100.06
Si02 45.41 48.02 50.l 55.16 59.7 49.7 53.4 61.6 75.67 76.36 77.94
Al203 23.05 20.01 17.0 17.51 15.0 15.6 15.6 15.0 12. 28 17.14 11. 75
Fe203 1.52 1.13 0.33 2.62 2.3 2.7 3.1 4.2 0.85 1.65
6.5 7.8 6.0 2.59 }1.42 0.93
FeO 8.35 7.29 6.7 5.83 7.0
MgO 5.89 10.05 11. l 4.35 2.6 8.9 5.1 2.0 0.37 nil 0.25
CaO 12.52 11.42 12.5 8.50 6.7 10.4 7.8 4.0 2.65 3.65 1.28
Na20 0.76 0.51 0.93 1.83 2.4 3.0 4.4 4.8 3.63 1.89 4.66
K20 0.32 0.05 0.12 1.08 0.64 0.29 0.32 0.12 0.78 0.07 0.76
H2o+ 1. 52 0.57 0.33 2.01 1. 2 0.89 0.78 0.53 0.29 --- 0.39
H20- --- 0.10 0.12 0.18 0.07 0.31 0.02 0.08 0.12 --- 0.07
Ti02 0.62 0. 23 0.27 0.64 1. 7 0.73 0.73 0.95 0. 29 0.11 0.13
P205 0.13 tr 0.07 0.21 0.53 0.12 0.04 0.27 0.05 --- 0.03
MnO 0.09 0.18 0.15 0.15 0.24 0.10 0.03 0.18 0.18 0.02 0.05
C02 --- 0.25 0.15 nil nil 0.05 0.05 0.09 tr --- tr
Cr203 --- 0.03 -- - tr --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
NiO --- 0.01 --- 0.01 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Swn 100.18 99.85 99.9 100.08 100.1 99.3 99.2 99.8 99.75 100.66 99.89
1. Serpentinite; Broad Brook, Harford County; Leonard, 1901; analysis VI, p. 164
2. Serpentinite; Octoraro Creek, Cecil County; Higgins, 1975; unpub. analysis, Sample S-1-4 (USGS chemical
analysis W-182773).
3. Serpentinite; Hunting Hill quarry, Montgomery County; Larabee, 1969; Table 1, no. 3, p. 10.
4. Serpentinized lherzolite; Johnnycake Road, Baltimore County; Williams, 1895; W54, p. 674.
5. Websterite; Oakwood, Cecil County; Leonard, 1901; analysis V, p. 159.
6. Bronzite pyroxenite; Susquehanna River, Cecil County; Southwick, 1970; Table 5, no. 1 sample WD-2, p.412.
7. Feldspathic pyroxenite; Orange Grove, Baltimore County; Williams, 1895; sample W-69.
8. Gabbro; Wetheredville, Baltimore County; Williams, 1895; sample W-170.
9. H)iii'erSthene-augite gabbro; Patapsco River, Baltimore County; Hopson, 1964, Table 34, no. 1, p. 146
10. Metagabbro; Maryland House, Harford County; Southwick, 1969; Table 16, no. 3, p. 62.
11. Amphibole gabbro; Rising Sun, Cecil County; Leonard, 1901; Analysis III, p. 146.
12. Gabbro; Dublin, Harford County; Insley, 1928.
13. Norite; Oak Grove, Cecil County; Leonard, 1901; Analysis IV, p. 151.
14. Hxpersthene gabbro; Susquehanna River, Cecil County; Southwick, 1970; Table 5, no. 2, sample C-79a, p.412.
15. Quartz diorite; Octoraro Creek, Cecil County; Leonard, 1901; Analysis II, p. 146.
16. Biotite-hornblende diorite; Mountain Hill, Harford County; Southwick, 1970; Table 5, no. 10,
sample A-49b, p. 412.
17. Basalt; Northeast Creek, Cecil County; Higgins, 1971; Table 1, no. 2.
18. BaSartic metatuff; Susquehanna River, Cecil County; Higgins, 1971; Table 1, no. 1.
19. C1.DD1D1ngtonite-hornblende felsite; Susquehanna River, Harford County; Southwick, 1969; Table 14,
no. 4, p. 58.
20. Felsite metatuff; Cecil County; Bascom, 1902; p. 138.
21. Plagiogranite dike; Woodberry quarry, Baltimore City; Hanan, 1976, analysis-33, sample Q8-3c, p. 14.
22. quartz diorite; Patapsco State Park, Howard County; Hopson, 1964; Table 37, no. 1, sample H37-l, p. 159.
44 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Data on the mineralogy of the gabbro have been on its southeast side by :i. less mafic rock mapped by
surrunarized by Herz (1951), Hopson (1964), and South- Southwick (1969) as quartz gabbro-diorite. These
wick (1970) using older chemical analyses, as well rocks are transitional with the gabbro, and the
as optical and X-ray methods of investigation. mapped contacts are only approximate. The diorite
Hanan (1976) has added electron microprobe studies is rarely more than 2 km wide and it extends for
of minerals from the Susquehanna River and from approximately 25 km from Rising Sun in Cecil County
several localities in the Laurel belt. to Thomas Run in Harford County. The rocks have been
described by Leonard (1901) and Southwick (1970),
Orthopyroxene ranges from En.81 to En64 and clino- and mapped in Cecil County by Higgins (unpub. data,
pyroxene from En46Fs9Wo45 to En40Fs16Wo44 (Hanan, 1977). The primary mineralogy consists of strongly
1976). A large miscibility gap between pyroxenes zoned plagioclase, hornblende, augite, a variable
suggests extensive equilibration down to temperatures amount of quartz, and small amounts of biotite, mag-
of about 600 to 750C and may indicate a period of netite, and hypersthene. The strongly zoned plagio-
granulite facies of metamorphism. If so, this clase is notable; Southwick (1970) stated that the
metamorphism must have taken place prior to the cores are bytownite (An35) and the rims, andesine
emplacement of the gabbro in its present environment (An 45-60). The crystallization sequence appears
where the surrounding rocks range from greenschist- to be cumulus plagioclase, magnetite, and pyroxene,
facies metamorphism (Susquehanna River section of with a postcumulus filling of hornblende, biotite,
the Bel Air belt) to upper amphibolite facies meta- and quartz. Most of the rocks have been metamor-
morphism (Laurel belt). phosed and the primary minerals have been partly
replaced by chlorite, a pale amphibole, and epidote.
Southwick (1970), using optical methods, has Two representative analyses are given in Table 1.
made a study of orthopyroxene compositions in the
Bel Air belt within Harford County. He reported a The entire assemblage of rocks including dunite,
decrease in magnesium in orthopyroxene in gabbro pyroxenite, gabbro, and diorite, can be considered
going from the base to the top of the section, which as a cumulus series derived from a single magma.
suggests that the Bel Air belt has cryptic zoning. However, an accurate model for the crystallization
His range in composition of orthopyroxene is En 72 to history of the complex cannot be prepared until a
En 47. He was able to map a boundary in the upper careful study has been completed. The general
part of the Bel Air belt above which all orthopyroxene sequence of crystallization given in Table 2 is
has an En of less than 60 percent. M.W. Higgins based on older reports and illustrations (chiefly
(unpub. data, 1977) has been able to extend this Williams, 1886, 1890; Leonard, 1901; Herz, 1951),
boundary across Cecil County, so that cryptic zoning Hopson's review (1964) of the petrology of the
may be characteristic of all of the Bel Air belt. Baltimore gabbro, and studies by the author.
Plagioclase is very calcic, and much unaltered The general characteristics of the crystalliza-
plagioclase is bytownite. Hanan (1976) reported that tion scheme are the early disappearance of olivine
unaltered samples range from An 80 to An 90 in the and chromite before the appearance of cumulus plagio-
Susquehanna River section. Hopson (1964) reported clase. Consequently, olivine gabbro (usually having
that plagioclase from the Laurel belt from least partly resorbed olivine) is not abundant, and trocto-
altered gabbro most commonly ranges from An 75 to lite is absent, whereas a wide range of rocks have
An 80. The highly calcic nature of the plagioclase lherzolite and pyroxenite compositions. Clinopyroxene
is a dominant factor in the whole rock chemistry, is late in appearing as a cumulus phase, and olivine-
which is reflected by the low Na20, K20, Si02, and clinopyroxene rocks are not abundant; wehrlite is
high Al203 content. described in only one locality and clinopyroxenite,
not at all. The appearance of more sodic cumulus
Much has been written about the alteration of plagioclase and postcumulus hornblende marks the
the gabbro and the process of uralitization; the development of the more differentiated quartz gabbro
papers of Williams are a classic in this regard and diorite (Southwick, 1970). The sequence of
(1884, 1886). Readers are referred to his papers as crystallization differs markedly from that described
well as the review by Hopson (1964) for a discussion by Jackson and others (1975) in the Vourinos ophio-
of the alteration of the gabbro to amphibolite, the lite, Greece, where the sequence includes early
replacement of pyroxene by green amphibole, the olivine plus clinopyroxene and correspondingly
problems of differentiating between relict igneous abundant "rock types" of wehrlite and clinopyroxenite.
amphibole and metamorphic amphibole, and the altera- However, the cumulus sequence olivine-orthopyroxene-
tion of plagioclase to clinozoisite. clinopyroxene has been described for parts of the
Muskox complex by Irvine and Smith (1967) and can be
Isotopic studies of Sr 87 /sr 86 ratios in gabbro modeled by the "system" clinopyroxene-olivine-silica
have been made by Hanan (1976). He reported an having magnesium end-member compositions determined
average value of 0.7097 for least altered gabbro and experimentally by Kushiro and Schairer (1963).
0.7100 for uralitized gabbro. He related the high
Sr 87 /Sr 86 in Baltimore gabbro to metamorphic altera- Volcanic rocks and plagiogranites
tion and to partial exchange of Sr and Rb with the
Wissahickon rocks which have values of srB7/sr86 in Volcanic rocks within the area of the Baltimore
excess of 0.7291. However, the lack of correlation Complex have long been recognized in Cecil County
of Sr 87 /Sr 86 with grade of regional metamorphism and (Bascom, 1902; Marshall, 1937). More recent work in
the small range of variation either in the altered Cecil County (Higgins, 1971, 1972), Harford County,
samples or in the least altered samples all suggests (Southwick, 1969), and Baltimore County (Crowley,
that exchange with sea water (0.7093 0.0007; Cox 1976) has extended the areas known to be underlain by
and Faure, 1974) may have been a contributing factor volcanic rocks and has resulted in revision of the
producing rather uniform Sr 87 /srB6 values. older formatio~al names of gneiss and diorite, names
that were applied to the rocks when little evidence
Diorite was available on the origin of the rocks.
Within the Bel Air belt, the gabbro is bounded
46 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
(+ denotes cumulate phase and+ means post cumulus crystallization. ol-olivine, chrom-chromite, opx-ortho-
pyroxene, cpx-clinopyroxene, pl-plagioclase, hbd-hornblende, mt-magnetite, bi-biotite, and q-quartz)
The James Run Gneiss in Harford County, suggested to Southwick (1969) that all of these rocks
defined by Southwick and Fisher (1967) and described have undergone metasomatic alteration either before
by Southwick (1969), is a layered rock composed of or during metamorphism. Representative analyses of
beds that range from mafic amphibolite (containing the James Run Formation are given in Table 1.
about 54 wt. percent Si02) to a quartz-plagioclase
rock (containing about 76 wt. percent Si02). The The James Run rocks are not in structural con-
James Run contains no relict textures and all rocks tact with the mass of the Bel Air gabbro in Harford
are thoroughly recrystallized. Plagioclase has a and Cecil Counties, and the volcanic rocks are sepa-
wide range in composition; An25 is common for felsic rated from plutonic rocks by a wide belt of diamic-
rocks and An40 for mafic rocks (Southwick, 1969, ti te of the Wissahickon Formation (Southwick, 1969;
p. 47). Chemical analyses of these rocks show a Higgins, unpub. data, 1977) and by later intrusions
high Na20/K20 ratio for all samples regardless of of the Port Deposit Granodiorite. The volcanic
other compositional variations. rocks are in contact with Aberdeen metagabbro and
the James Run is separated from the Cecil County
Higgins (1971, 1972) has expanded the James Run volcanic rocks by this gabbro. The structural rela-
to include all the closely associated, approximately tionship of the James Run to the Aberdeen metagabbro
contemporaneous metavolcanic and metavolcaniclastic is not clear. Southwick's large-scale map (1969,
rocks in the northeastern Maryland Piedmont. His pl. 4) of a critical area on the west side of the
extended definition of the James Run Gneiss, now the metagabbro suggests that the James Run is an over-
James Run Formation, is now added to the Glenarm turned syncline flanking the gabbro and structurally
Group and includes the unit informally called the above it. However, Crowley (1976, pl. 2) indicated
Cecil County volcanic rocks described by Bascom that this contact may be a fault. The Cecil County
(1902) and Marshall (1937). Within Cecil County, volcanic rocks strike directly into the metagabbro;
Higgins (1972) has divided the volcanic rocks into Southwick has interpreted the contact as intrusive,
four informal units, which include metamorphosed the gabbro being a later intrusion. The isolated
rhyolite, dacitic tuff, andesitic tuff, and meta- patches of Cecil County volcanic rocks in the gabbro
morphosed pillow basalt. Many of the rocks are thin are roof pendants according to Southwick (1969).
to medium bedded and contain intercalated fine- However, these rocks may be interpreted as having
grained amphibolite. In Cecil County, surviving been unconformably deposited above the Aberdeen meta-
relict textures consist of epidote-filled amygdules gabbro and subsequently infolded. They now are out-
and plagioclase phenocrysts. Higgins (1971) has liers from the main mass of volcanic rocks.
described well-preserved pillow structures in basalt
in Cecil County and has concluded that the rocks The more southerly Laurel belt of gabbro in
were extruded into a relatively shallow-water Baltimore City and County is boi.mded on the southeast
environment. The Cecil Coi.mty part of the James Ri.m side by leucocratic plagioclase-quartz gneiss having
Formation shows the same compositional variation as a high Na20/K20 ratio. This gneiss is intercalated
the James Run Gneiss described by Southwick in with amphibolite. Knopf and Jonas (1929) considered
Harford County. Mafic rocks have an average value that these rocks were plutonic and named them the
of about 51 wt. percent Si02 and rhyolitic tuffs Relay Quartz Diorite with the type locality at Relay
about 75 wt. percent Si02. The large Na20/K20 ratios on the Patapsco River. Hopson (1964) considered the
BALTIMORE COMPLEX - MORGAN 47
Relay Quartz Diorite to be a differentiation product serpentinized dunite, 1.5 km exposed and terminated
of the Baltimore Gabbro. Higgins (1972) reinvesti- by a thrust fault. The crustal section is comparable
gated the Patapsco River section and stated that the with those of other ophiolite complexes as compiled
Relay is strikingly similar to part of the James Run by Moores and Jackson (1974) and Jackson and others
Formation, especially some of the more siliceous (1975), except that the thickness of volcanic rocks
rocks. He did note that other parts of the forma- in the Baltimore Complex is considerably greater
tion more nearly resemble a plutonic quartz diorite. that that for most documented ophiolites.
A contact of the Relay rocks with the gabbro is
"nearly impossible to pick" (Higgins, 1972, p. 1006). EMPLACEMENT AND AGE
Crowley (1976) considered the Relay rocks in Balti-
more County to be a member of the James Run Formation Almost all earlier reports considered the
Part of that formation as mapped by Crowley probably Baltimore Gabbro to be intrusive into the Glenarm
does represent true plutonic diorite associated with metasedimentary rocks of the Maryland Piedmont
the Bel Air mass. (Williams, 1886; Leonard, 1901; Herz, 1951; Hopson,
1964; Higgins, 1972). Only the more recent investi-
Much of the Laurel belt of gabbro is intruded gations have attempted to look at the Baltimore
by quartz-plagioclase (plagiogranite) dikes which Complex as a whole (Southwick, 1969, 1970; Crowley,
branch and anastomose, producing a pattern of net 1976) and to discuss problems relating to the
veining (Thayer, 1963). Hopson (1964) has suggested emplacement of the entire mass into the Glenarm
that these dikelets along with the Relay Quartz rocks. Crowley has rather convincingly argued that
Diorite are the last differentiation product of the the entire complex must be allochthonous. His
gabbro. However, the similarity in composition arguments rest chiefly on the observation the the
between plagiogranite dikes and leucocratic meta- ultramafic-gabbro-volcanic sequence is found only
volcanic rocks (see table 1) suggests that the net in the Wissahickon Formation and that no gabbro
veins were derived from the James Run volcanic rocks dikes, sills, or other evidence of intrusion through
and are plutonic equivalents of them. Further the underlying rocks can be seen. His detailed
evidence is given by the distribution of net veins. mapping in Baltimore County shows thatthe Baltimore
They are common in the Laurel belt of gabbro near Complex rests on a heterogeneous assortment of meta-
the contact with the James Run volcanic rocks. In sedimentary and metavolcaniclastic rocks; hence, it
the Bel Air belt, the latest preserved differentia- cannot have been intruded as a conformable sill into
tion products are the quartz gabbro and diorite; net the Wissahickon. Finally, Crowley has demonstrated
veins are not described in these rocks. that the internal contacts within the Laurel belt of
gabbro are truncated by the basal contact of the
It is difficult at this writing to make a mass, indicating a fault.
quantitative assessment of the abundance and composi-
tion of the volcanic rocks and associated leucocratic Within the Bel Air belt, the complex appears to
dikes that form a part of the Baltimore Complex, be an intercalated packet of plutonic rocks within
because of the relatively recent remapping of many Wissahickon diamictite. If the plutonic rocks are
areas now considered to be underlain by volcanic fault bounded, then constraints on the geometry of
rocks, and because of the lack of systematic pub- the body indicate that the fault must be a low-angle
lished chemical data. Descriptions of the James Run (thrust) fault rather than a high angle fault.
Gneiss of Southwick (1969) show that the mafic and
siliceous rocks are intimately associated. Else- In addition to the probability that the
where, in Baltimore and Cecil Counties, the more Baltimore Complex is allochthonous on the Wissahickon
silicic rocks dominate. The silicic rocks show an formation, it also seems probable that much of the
affinity with plagiogranite of oceanic origin Wissahickon and all of the James Run formation rocks
(Coleman and Peterman, 1975) rather than with grano- may also be allochthonous (A.A. Drake, oral communi-
phyre (as suggested by Hopson, 1964) or with a cation, 1977). The present outcrop distribution of
basalt-rhyolite association (as suggested by members of the complex shown in Plate II may have all
Southwick, 1969). This affinity is suggested by the been part of a coherent ophiolite now broken into a
high silica, moderate alumina, and low iron, magnesia, series of structural blocks. However, correlation
and potash contents of these rocks. Further work on of all parts of the complex into a single coherent
sr8 7 /sr8 6 ratios might help to define the kinship of mass is not possible with the available data. A
these rocks, but as Hanan (1976) has shown from detailed study of the distribution of gabbro and
analyses of two leucocratic rocks from the Laurel serpentinite clasts in the diamictite should be
belt, regional metamorphism has apparently altered undertaken in order to determine the extent and
the isotopic ratios. nature of the internal correlations within the
complex. It should be emphasized that the present
Leucocratic rocks are widely associated with position of the Baltimore Complex does not mark a
ophiolites (see Coleman and Peterman, 1975, for a suture between colliding crustal plates. Instead,
review of occurrences), and in a few sequences these the complex has been transported to the west within
rocks may exceed basaltic extrusive rocks in abun- the diamictite, and in the process, it has been
dance (Bailey and others, 1970), as they apparently dismembered and has foundered within the broken
do in the Baltimore Complex. terrane of the upper Wissahickon Formation. Plate
II shows the western limit of Wissahickon rocks
A crustal section for the Baltimore Complex containing tectonic blocks of serpentinite and meta-
can be restored from data from the Bel Air belt, gabbro; this line whould approximate the western
from structural data in the Susquehanna River section, limit of allochthonous sheets containing the ophio-
and from drill data at the Woods mine. The section lite.
can be assembled in terms of an ophiolite succession.
From the top of the succession down the thicknesses The age of emplacement of the Baltimore Complex
are as follows: volcanic rocks, 3 km (from must be that of the deposition or emplacement of the
M.W. Higgins, oral communication, 1977); diorite, Wissahickon Formation, inasmuch as detached blocks
1.4 km; gabbro, 3.5 km; pyroxenite 0.4 km; and of the serpentinized base of the complex are found
48 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
distributed throughout the formation (Crowley, 1976). Crowley, W.P., 1976, The geology of the crystalline
The Wissahickon Formation is intruded by granodiorite rocks near Baltimore and its bearing on the
plutons; u2 38/pb20G ages from the Port Deposit, evolution of the eastern Maryland Piedmont:
Ellicott City, and Occoquan plutons (see Plate II) Maryland Geol. Surv. Rept. Invest. 27, 40 p.
are 322, 354, and 557 m.y. respectively. A list of Froelich, A.J., 1975, Bedrock Map of Montgomery
all U-Pb zircon dates from this area has been given County, Maryland: U.S. Geol. Survey, Misc. Inv.
in Higgins and others (1977, table 1). The U-Pb Ser. Map I-920-D.
zircon dates are all discordant, and their use has Green, D.H., 1964, The petrogenesis of the high-
led to a considerable controversy over the age of temperature peridotite intrusion in the Lizard
the Glenarm (Higgins, 1972, 1976; Higgins and others, area, Cornwall: Jour. Petrology, v. 5, p. 134-188.
1977; Seiders and others, 1975, 1976). The argument Hanan, B.B., 1976, Geochemistry and petrology of the
mainly revolves around the nature of plutonic rocks Baltimore Complex: Unpub. M.S. thesis, Virginia
that may or may not intrude Glenarm rocks, the Polytechnic Inst. and State University, 53 p.
correlation of the Glenarm with other units, and the Herz, Norman, 1950, The petrology of the Baltimore
interpretation of the origin of the discordant ages gabbro and the petrography of the Baltimore-
of the zircons. Higgins and others (1977) have Patapsco aqueduct: unpub. Ph.D. dis.: Johns
minimized the evidence from radiometric ages on the Hopkins University.
basis of the wide scatter of ages and have suggested Herz, Norman, 1951, Petrology of the Baltimore
a possible contamination of the zircons by older gabbro, Maryland: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 62,
material derived from the continental basement. At p. 979-1016.
this writing, the age of the Wissahickon rocks to- Higgins, M.W., 1971, Depth of emplacement of James
gether with the enclosed Baltimore Complex has not Run formation pillow basalts, and the depth of
been resolved, and the range of ages for the deposition of part of the Wissahickon formation,
Wissahickon must be between Late Precambrian and Appalachian Piedmont, Maryland: Am. Jour. Sci.
Ordovician. v. 271, p. 321-332.
Higgins, M.W., 1972, Age, origin, regional relations,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and nomenclature of the Glenarm Series, Central
Appalachian Piedmont: a reinterpretation: Geol.
I would like to thank those persons who gener- Soc. America Bull., v. 83, no. 4, p. 989~1026.
ously devoted time and effort in guiding me on field Higgins, M.W., 1976, Age, origin, regional relations,
trips to many areas underlain by the Baltimore and nomenclature of the Glenarm Series, central
Complex: Bill Crowley, Mike Higgins, Tom Thayer, and Appalachian Piedmont: a reinterpretation: Reply:
Avery Drake. I would like to thank both Mike Higgins Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 87, no. 10, p. 1523-
and Avery Drake for access to unpublished geologic 1528
maps of Cecil and Fairfax Counties respectively. I Higgins, M.W., Sinha, A.K., Zartman, R.E., and
would like to thank John Roen for access to an Kirk, W.S., 1977, U-Pb zircon dates from the
unpublished geologic map of the Sykesville, Maryland central Appalachian Piedmont: a possible case of
7 1/2' quadrangle. To Avery Drake I am especially inherited radiogenic lead: Geol. Soc. America
grateful for the long hours of discussion regarding Bull., v. 88, no. 1, p. 125-132.
the interpretation of the complex structure and Hopson, C.A., 1964, The crystalline rocks of Howard
regional geology of the central Appalachian Piedmont. and Montgomery Counties, in The Geology of Howard
Final~y, I am grateful for the careful reviews of and Montgomery Counties: Maryland Geo!. Survey,
this paper by Tom Thayer and Avery Drake. p. 27-215.
Insley, Herbert, 1928, The gabbros and associated
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1108. Knopf, E.B., and Jonas, A.I., 1929, Geology of the
Cox, J.M., and Faure, G., 1974, Isotope composition crystalline rocks, Baltimore County, in Baltimore
of strontitun in the carbonate phase of cores 1474P County: Maryland Geol. Survey, p. 97-129.
and 1445P from the Black Sea: Am. Assoc. Petrol. Kushiro, I., and Schairer, J.F., 1963, New data on
Geol. Mem. 20. the system diopside-forsterite-silica: Carnegie
Inst. Washington Yearbook 63, p. 95-103.
BALTIMORE COMPLEX - MORGAN 49
Lapham, D.M., and McKague, H.L., 1964, Structural Williams, G.H., 1890, The non-feldspathic intrusive
patterns associated with the serpentinites of rocks of Maryland and the course of their altera-
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Maryland: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1283, p. 1-34. p. 651-684.
Leonard, A.G., 1901, The basic rocks of northeastern
Maryland, and .their relation to the granite: Am.
Geol. v. 28, no. 3, p. 134-176,
Marshall, J., 1937, The structures and age of the
volcanic complex of Cecil County, Maryland:
Maryland Geol. Survey, v. 13, p. 191-213.
Mcintosh, F.K., and Mosier, McHenry, 1948, Investi-
gation of Wood chromite mine area, Lancaster
County, Pa.: U.S. Bureau of Mines, R.I. 4383, 5 p.
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petrology, and geochemistry of the State Line
serpentinite and associated chromite deposits:
Unpub. Ph.D. Dissert., Pennsylvania State Univ.
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Moores, E.M., and Jackson, E.D., 1974, A comparison
of selected ophiolites and oceanic crust: Nature,
v. 250, p. 136-139.
Pearre, N.C., and Heyl, A.V., 1960, Chromite and
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Piedmont upland, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and
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707-833.
Seiders, V.M., 1976, Age, origin, regional relations,
and nomenclature of the Glenarm Series, central
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Discussion: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 87, no.
10, p. 1519-1522.
Seiders, V.M., Mixon, R.B., Stern, T.W., Newell, M.F.,
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Glenarm Series in the northeast Virginia Piedmont
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Geology of Harford County, Maryland: Maryland
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Line gabbro-peridotite complex: in Fisher, G.W.,
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78 p.
51
William w. Patton, Jr., Irvin L. Tailleur, William P. Brosge, and Marvin A. Lanphere
U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025
REGIONAL GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE OPHIOLITE BELTS The ophiolite allochthon typically consists of
a lower unit of basalt, diabase, and intercalated
The ophiolite belts are situated in three sepa- chert and an upper unit of ultramafic rocks and
rate and distinctive tectonic provinces: Brooks layered gabbro. The contact between the lower and
Range, Ruby geanticline, and Yukon-Koyukuk (Pl. III) the upper units is interpreted by Roeder and Mull
The Brooks Range province is a broad Cretaceous orogen (in press) as a thrust fault. The base of the
that stretches across northern Alaska from the Yukon allochthon commonly contains slices of Devonian
border to the Chukchi Sea. The northern part of this carbonate rocks, most of which appear to be tectonic
orogen is a northward vergent imbricate thrust com- blocks but some of which show intrusive and extrusive
plex of Paleozoic miogeoclinal deposits. The south- contacts with basalt and diabase. The ultramafic
ern part is a metamorphic core complex of Precam- rocks are composed chiefly of serpentinized perido-
brian(?) and Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks that is tite and dunite that, at least locally, display a
intruded by several large granitic plutons of Cre- well-developed tectonite fabric (Tailleur, 1973a).
taceous age. The Ruby geanticline province (Miller The layered gabbro overlies the ultramaf ic rocks and
and others, 1959) is a narrow Cretaceous uplift that in places is intruded by basalt dike swarms that have
extends from the south edge of the Brooks Range been interpreted by Roeder and Mull (in press) as
southwestward across central Alaska to the Yukon- possible sheeted dike complexes.
Kuskokwim Delta. The axis of the uplift is composed
of metasedimentary rocks of Precambrian(?) and Paleo- Age Data. Three K/Ar ages have been obtained
zoic age that are widely intruded by Cretaceous gra- from hornblende-bearing rocks in the ultramafic-
nitic plutons. Flanking the uplift on the southeast layered gabbro complexes of the western Brooks Range
are severely deformed but unmetamorphosed Paleozoic (Pl. III, Table 1, nos. 1-3). Two of the age deter-
miogeoclinal deposits. The Yukon-Koyukuk province is minations yielded Jurassic ages (15115, 164 7. 2
a wedge-shaped Cretaceous depression filled with vol- m.y.) that agree closely with ages obtained from
canic rocks and volcanogenic sedimentary rocks of ultramaf ic-layered gabbro complexes in the Yukon-
Early and early Late Cretaceous age and intruded by Koyukuk and Rampart belts. One of the samples (no. 2)
granitic rocks of middle and Late Cretaceous age. is from a hornblende pegmatite dike intruding gabbro
Along the perimeters of the province are thick mar- in the Siniktanneyak body, and the other (no. 3) is
ginal conglomerates derived from the bordering ophio- from a hornblende gabbro in the Misheguk body. The
lites and metamorphic core complexes. third determination (no. 1), obtained from an amphibo-
lite which appears to be part of the Asik ophiolite
The Kaltag fault, a major northeast-trending body, gave a middle Paleozoic age (384 55 m. y.) .
strike-slip fault, appears to off set the southeastern This age is considered anomalous and cannot be recon-
margin of the Yukon-Koyukuk province and the Ruby ciled with the other two determinations or, for that
geanticline province 130 to 150 km right laterally matter, with any K/Ar ages obtained thus far from the
(Pl. III). ophiolites of northern and western Alaska. There is
no evidence, stratigraphic or otherwise, to suggest
OPHIOLI TE BEL TS that any of the ophiolite assemblage is older than
Late Devonian.
Western Brooks Range Belt
The basalt-diabase-chert complexes in the western
Distribution. The western Brooks Range ophio- Brooks Range allochthon cannot be dated more precisely
lites extend in a broad belt from the Chukchi Sea to than Late Devonian to Early Cretaceous. The older
Howard Pass, a distance of about 350 km (Pl. III) limit is established by the extrusive and intrusive
Few map details of these ophiolites have been pub- relations between the basalt and slices of Upper Devo-
lished, and the generalized outlines of the bodies nian carbonate rocks that are incorporated in the
shown in Plate Illare taken from a regional-scale map base of the ophiolite allochthon. The younger limit
compiled by Beikman and Lathram (1976). The ophio- is fixed by the abundant occurrence of basalt, dia-
lites are distributed in five separate masses, the base, and chert debris in Early Cretaceous flyschoid
largest of which covers about 3,000 km2 Four large deposits in the Colville basin foredeep at the north
ultramafic-layered gabbro complexes, the Siniktan- edge of the Brooks Range (Tailleur and Brosge, 1970;
neyak, Misheguk, Avan Hills and Asik bodies, make up Roeder and Mull, in press).
about 25 percent of the ophiolite exposures.
Yukon-Koyukuk Belt
Geologic Setting and Lithologic Character. All
recent workers in the western Brooks Range agree that Distribution. The wedge-shaped Yukon-Koyukuk
the ophiolite assemblages represent synclinal remnants province of west-central Alaska is bounded on at
of a northward vergent allochthonous sheet that had least two sides by ophiolites that dip inward beneath
its roots along the northern margin of the Yukon- the Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the
Koyukuk province (Snelson and Tailleur, 1968; Martin, province (Pl.III). The ophiolites have been traced
1970; Tailleur, 1973b; Roeder and Mull, in press). in a narrow but nearly continuous belt along the
The ophiolite allochthon lies at the top of an imbri- northern margin of the province for nearly 500 km and
cated stack of Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata in along the southeastern margin for another 400 km
which as many as six separate allochthonous sheets (Patton, 1973). The Kaltag fault on the Yukon River
can be recognized. Total foreshortening as a result offsets the southeastern margin of the province and
of thrusting is believed to be at least 250 kn (Tail- the ophiolite belt 130 to 150 km right laterally
leur and Brosg~, 1970). Reconnaissance gravity and (Patton and Hoare, 1968). South of the fault, the
aeromagnetic data in the western Brooks Range gener- Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite belt occurs in an isolated
ally support the view that the ophiolites are rootless group of hills situated west of the Kaiyuh Mountains
(Barnes, 1976; Tailleur and others, 1967). near the Yukon River (Pl. III).
TABLE 1. K-Ar AGES AND ANALYTICAL DATA FOR WESTERN BROOKS RANGE, YUKON-KOYUKUK AND RAMPART OPHIOLITE BELTS
(pl. III) Field no. (N) (W) Rock type Mineral (wt. percent) (mol/gm) % 40Arrad (millions of years)
xlolO
1 66ATr 56A 6724 1 16223' Amphibolite Hornblende 0.0588 0.0019 (6) 0.3626 57.0 384 55
)>
2 66ATr 76.2 6820' 15815' Hornblende pegmatite --do-- .131 (1) .2976 42.0 15115
);:
Vl
3 66ATr 152C 6817' 16032' Gab bro --do-- .307 (2) . 7577 50.0 164 7. 2 7\
)>
4 73APa 242A 6558' 15153' Garnet amphibolite --do-- . 681 (2) 1.651 89.6 161 4.9 z
0
138 8.0 -0
5 70APa 271 6601' 15142' Hornblende pegmatite --do-- .117 (2) .2420 20.8 I
6 73APa 254A 6556' 15207' Hornblendite --do-- . 054 (2) .1218 44.0 149 9.6 0
r
--t
7 73APa 246A 6656' 15048' Gab bro --do-- .479 (2) 1.139 84.0 158 4.6 m
Vl
*Mean value and, where more than two measurements were made, standard deviation. Number of measurements is in parentheses.
tA
E
= 0.572 x lo-10 yr-1; A '
E
= 8.78 x lo-13 yr-I; A0
= 4.963 x lo-10 yr-I; 40K/K
to ta 1
= 1.167 x 10- 4 . Where more than one measurement was made on
a sample, the age given is the weighted mean; weighting was by the inverse of the variance. The figures are estimates of analytical precision at
the 68 percent confidence level. Previously published ages recalculated with these decay constants.
01
w
54 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Narrow fault-bounded slivers of basalt and dia- ined in detail, generall y appear to be righ t-s ide up.
base also occur along the western boundary of the The structurally higher unit is made up chiefly of
Yukon-Koyukuk tectonic province on the eas tern Seward serpentinized dunite and peridoti te tectonite overlain
Peninsula and along the south shore of Escholtz Bay. by layered gabbro. In a few pl aces a thin layer of
However, the relation of these mafic rocks to the strongly banded and foliated gar net amphibolite and
Cretaceous rocks of Yukon-Koyukuk province is ob- pyroxene granulite occurs at the base of the upper
scure, and it is problematical whether they are part unit.
of the Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite belt. Interpretation
of the structural relations along the western margin These two units are best exposed in the Kanuti
of the Yukon-Koyukuk province is complicated by a River area along the southeastern margin of the Yukon-
north-trending belt of Late Cretaceous to early Ter- Koyukuk province (Patton and Miller, 1970) (Fig . 1).
tiary folds and thrusts that has cu t across and de- There the lower unit is as much as 2 km thick and
fl ec ted the west and southwest middle Cretaceous rests in probable thrust faul t contact on metasedi-
trends of the province (Patton and Tailleur, in mentary rocks of the Ruby geanticline . The upper
press). unit, which is as much as 1.5 km thick, is thrust
onto the lower unit and a lso onto the metasedimentary
Geologic Setting and Lithologic Character. The rocks. Both units are severely deformed internally
Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite bodies are structurally com- but have a gross regional dip of 10 t o 60 to the
plicated in detail but in gross aspect are inter- northwest beneath the Cretaceous rock of the Yukon-
preted as slablike bodies that dip 10 to 80 inward Koyukuk province.
beneath the Cretaceous ro cks of the Yukon-Koyukuk
province. Computer modeling of gravity a nomalies
along the ophiolite belt appears to support this
interpretation (Barnes, 1970).
Age Data. Fossils of late Paleozoic age have Geologic Setting and Lithologic Character. Struc-
been collected from the basalt-diabase-gabbro unit at tural interpretations of the ophiolites in the Rampart
three localities in the Yukon-Koyukuk belt (Pl. III, belt are handicapped by a combination of poor expo-
Table 2, nos. 1-3). All three collections are from sures and lack of detailed map information. All the
thin carbonate lenses that appear to be in sequence masses appear to be synclinal remnants and to rest on
with pillow basalt. In addition to these collections, Devonian and older strata, except at the extreme
tectonic and exotic blocks of fossiliferous Devonian northeastern end of the belt where they rest locally
carbonate rock have been found in a basalt-diabase- on Mississippian strata. The contact between the
gabbro complex along the northern margin of the Yukon- ophiolites and the underlying rocks, however, is
Koyukuk province (Patton and others, 1968). Most of largely obscured by alluvial deposits and a thick
these carbonate blocks are fault bounded, but a few cover of vegetation. In the few places where seen,
show intrusive and extrusive contacts with basalt and it generally has been interpreted as a fault.
diabase and thereby clearly establish the age of the
basalt-diabase-gabbro unit as post-Middle Devonian. The Rampart ophiolites appear to have the same
internal structural order that is found in the Yukon-
Four K/ Ar hornblende ages ranging from 138 8 to Koyukuk and Brooks Range belts; i.e., the ultramafic-
161 4.9 m.y. (Jurassic) have been obtained from layered gabbro complexes lie structurally above and
ultramafic-layered gabbro complexes in the Yukon- in thrust fault contact on the basalt-diabase-chert
Koyukuk belt (Pl. III, Table 1, nos. 4-7). Three of complexes.
the dated samples (nos. 5-7) are from hornblende
gabbro and hornblende-bearing dikes in the layered The Christian mass (Pl.III) at the northeastern
gabbro sequence in the upper parts of the complexes. end of the belt consists of a large oblong synform of
The fourth sample (no. 4) is from a thin layer of nonlayered gabbro, basalt, diabase, chert, shale and
garnet amphibolite beneath the dunite-peridotite carbonate rocks within which are found two small
sequence in the lower part of the complex. structurally higher(?) bodies of layered gabbro and
ultramafic rocks (Reiser and others, 1965). The con-
tact at the base of the layered gabbro and ultramaf ic
bodies is poorly exposed but is believed to be a
thrust fault. Similarly, the Hadweenzic mass is made
up of a broad sheet of basalt, gabbro, and chert that
Rampart Belt is overlain on the northeast side by a small synclinal
klippe of layered gabbro and peridotite. At the base
Distribution. The Rampart ophiolite bodies occur of the klippe are banded garnet amphibolites similar
as broadly synformal masses that are crudely alined in to those which occur on the sole of the ultramafic
a belt that extends 800 km from the eastern Brooks thrust sheets in the Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite belt
Range to the Kaiyuh Mountains (Pl. III). Four large (Brosg~ and others, 1974). The Rampart mass is made
masses, Christian, Hadweenzic, Rampart, and Kaiyuh, as up entirely of basalt, diabase, chert, and volcani-
well as several smaller bodies have been mapped along clastic rocks, and no large bodies of ultramafic rocks
this belt. Some of these masses may join beneath the or layered gabbro have been found. In the Kaiyuh
alluviated lowlands that border the Yukon River. mass, at the southwest end of the belt, six separate
bodies of serpentinized dunite and peridotite, as
The Rampart belt generally parallels the south- much as 600 m thick, are alined along a northeast-
west-trending segment of the Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite trending belt near the center of a synform of basalt,
belt and is separated from it by the 30- to 50-km-wide diabase, and chert. Structural relations at the base
metamorphic complex of the Ruby geanticline. The of the ultramaf ic bodies are obscured by a dense cover
presence of several small klippenlike masses of ophio- of vegetation, but scattered exposures of banded gar-
lite on the Ruby geanticline suggests that the two net amphibolite suggest that the contact is a thrust
belts were once connected as a single continuous sheet. fault.
1 70APa 236 6705' 15229 1 Foraminifera, bryozoans, Patton and Miller, 1973 Permian
brachiopods
Age Data. Fossils of probable Permian age were the abundance of ophiolite debris in upper Lower
found in carbonate and volcaniclastic rocks inter- Cretaceous conglomerates bordering the Brooks Range
layered with flows in the Rampart mass (Pl. III). Table and Ruby geanticline and by upper Lower Cretaceous
2, no. 4), and radiolarians of probable Mississippian granitic plutons on the Ruby geanticline that cut
age were recovered from cherts in a small body of across the contacts of the ophiolite and the under-
ophiolitic rocks southeast of the Kaiyuh mass (Pl. III, lying metamorphic complex (Patton and Miller, 1973;
Table 2, no. 5). In addition, a K/Ar age of 210 6 Patton and others, 1977).
m.y. (Triassic) was obtained from a gabbro intrusion
in the Rampart mass (Pl. II l, Table 1, no. 11) , and a
K/Ar age of 159 6 m.y. (Jurassic) from a diorite
intrusion in the Christian mass (Pl. III, Table 1,
no. 9). ORIGIN OF THE OPHIOLITES
Two K/Ar age determinations were made for samples We interpret the western Brooks Range and Rampart
from the ultramafic-layered gabbro complexes: 172 8 ophiolite belts as remnants of the leading edges of
m.y. (Jurassic) from a layered gabbro in the Christian allochthonous sheets, and the Yukon-Koyukuk ophiolite
mass (Pl.III, Table 1, no. 10) and 1554.6m.y. (Ju- belt as the root zones of these sheets. The klippen-
rassic) from garnet amphibolite at the base of the like bodies of the ophiolites on the Ruby geanticline
small klippe of ultramafic rock and layered gabbro in and the abundance of ophiolite debris in the marginal
the Hadweenzic mass (Pl. III, Table 1, no. 8). conglomerates of the Brooks Range and Ruby geanticline
support the notion that the metamorphic cores of the
southern Brooks Range and Ruby geanticline were once
covered by the ophiolites.
J.W.H. Monger, Geological Survey of Canada, 100 West Pender, Vancouver, B.C. V6B lRS, Canada
ABSTRACT
bearing, (2) massive, shallow water carbonate,
Ophiolites in the Canadian Cordillera occur (3) mafic volcanic rock (Figure 2a), mainly flows
almost entirely in two belts of late Paleozoic and but locally breccia, and related diabasic or
Mesozoic strata that lie 250 to 500 km east of the microgabbroic intrusions and (4) alpine-type
present continental margin. The western belt, ultramafics. The Bridge River and Hozameen Groups
called the Cache Creek-Bridge River assemblage, differ in that the amount of carbonate in them is
appears to have been emplaced in part in latest relatively minor. Lithological units in this
Triassic and in part in latest? Jurassic time. The assemblage are discontinuous, in part due to
eastern belt, known as the Eastern assemblage, lies originally podiform stratigraphy but in part to
in places with stratigraphic contact on Devonian locally intense tectonic disruption. The
and older miogeoclinal strata and elsewhere is stratigraphy is thus very difficult to establish.
allochthonous. Emplacement of the allochthonous The age of the Cache Creek Group ranges from Early
component was probably in the Late Triassic. Other Mississippian to Late Triassic and that of the
possible ophiolites are of pre-Permian age in the Bridge River Group from Middle Triassic to
Saint Elias Mountains, southwestern Yukon, and possibly mid-Jurassic. Carbonate in the Cache
Eocene age on southern Vancouver Island. Creek Group is mainly Pennsylvanian and Permian,
but locally is as old as Early Mississippian and
INTRODUCTION possibly as young as Late Triassic. Fossils from
chert are Pennsylvanian, Permian, Middle and Late
This brief sunnnary gives the location, nature, Triassic, according to D.L. Jones and E. Pessagno
and setting of rocks in the Canadian Cordillera (pers. comm. 1977). Middle Triassic fossils have
considered by the writer to be ophiolites. been obtained from carbonate in the Bridge River
'Ophiolite' is used for mafic and ultramafic Group and possible mid-Jurassic ones from chert
associations with the characteristics outlined in (D.L. Jones, pers. comm. 1977). External contacts
the report of the first Penrose Field Conference of this assemblage with other upper Paleozoic and
(Geotimes, December, 1972). In the Canadian lower Mesozoic sequences are commonly tectonic.
Cordillera such rocks are mainly in two belts of The Cache Creek Group is intruded by mainly Mesozoic
upper Paleoz6ic and Mesozoic strata, the Cache granites, some as old as 200 m.y., and generally
Creek-Bridge River and Eastern assemblages, that overlain only by Cretaceous and Tertiary continental
lie between 250 km and 500 km east of the Pacific rocks, although in a few places possible Lower
Ocean in the Intermontane Belt and Omineca Jurassic strata overlie it. The Bridge River Group
Crystalline Belt (Figure 1). Volcanic rocks in is overlain by marine Albian sLrata (H.W. Tipper,
these belts are entirely mafic and commonly pers. connn. 1977) and possible Lower Jurassic rocks
associated with alpine-type ultramafics. They lie on volcanics that probably belong to the
contrast with coeval volcanosedimentary strata Hozameen Group (Anderson, 1976), Metamorphic grade
elsewhere in the western Cordillera that contain of the assemblage is generally prehnite-pumpellyite
volcanics ranging in composition from basalt to or pumpellyite-chlorite, but blueschist is known
rhyolite, with no associated alpine ultramafics from the Atlin Terrane, from the Stuart Lake belt
(Monger, in press). Smaller areas of possible (which yields 210-220 m.y. K/Ar ages), and from
ophiolites are of Eocene age on southernmost the type area (Monger, 1969; Paterson, 1973;Paterson
Vancouver Island, southwestern British Columbia and Harakal, 1974; J. Grette, pers. comm., 1976).
(Muller, 1977), of pre-Permian age in the Kluane
area, southwestern Yukon (Read and Monger, 1975) and, Paleontological and paleomagnetic arguments
(extraterritorially) of Jurassic age in the San Juan suggest that it is reasonable to interpret the
Islands, northwestern Washington (Whetten and others, Cache Creek and Bridge River Groups as fragments
1976; Brown, this volume). Other mafic and ultra- of the floor of the ancestral Pacific Ocean of,
mafic associations in the western Cordillera, namely respectively, mainly late Paleozoic and early
zoned, intrusive, Alaskan-type ultramafic bodies and Mesozoic ages, that were trapped east of
probably related Lower Cretaceous alkaline basalt in allochthonous, coeval, non-ophiolitic terranes
southeastern Alaska (Irvine, 1973) and comparable new underlying parts of the Intermontane Belt,
associations of Upper Triassic age in the Inter- Coast Plutonic Complex and Insular Belt (see
montane Belt (Irvine, 1976) are not discussed herein. discussion in Monger, in press). Time of emplace-
ment of the Cache Creek Group was probably in the
CACHE CREEK-BRIDGE RIVER ASSEMBLAGE Late Triassic and that of the Bridge River Group
possibly in the late Jurassic or earliest
Most of this assemblage is made up of the Cretaceous.
Cache Creek Group, except in the extreme south
where it includes the partly younger Bridge River The most widely exposed and probably best
(or Fergusson) Group and its probable correlative preserved strata in this assemblage form the Atlin
the Hozameen Group. Lithologies in the Cache Creek Terrane, northwestern British Columbia (Figure 2b).
Group in decreasing order of abundance are (1) This area is bounded by major faults. Those on
ribbon chert and argillite, typically radiolarian- the southwest are thrust and high-angle reverse
60 N O RTH AMERI CAN O PHI O LITES
100 20C
(j/,';!
I limestone . Thus, basalt in the Atlin Terrane
appears to have been extruded both as part of an
lit
Q:).'Q:)
ophiolit~c basement that in places was thick enough
to have a cover of shallow water carbonate, and
./~ al so as seamounts on chert that overlies this
0 :
/.. basement (Monger, 1977).
a) C hemistrx of
Cadie Creek('.;roup,
volcanicrocks
10
""+ 5 ..
...
--> on-land ophio l ites 0N ...
:.: ...
.: .
( from Bailey and Blake l g14) 0
z ..
.. .
0 50 60 70
AL...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~M
Si:P
,. al ul tramafic rock
Mesozoic (?)
grani tic anq
dioritic rocks
Jurassic
sedimentary rocks
Upper Triassi c
volcanic rocks
~ Triassic sedimentary
~ and volcanic rocks
r-:Ps' Upper Pa l eozoic
L.:_l Cache Creek sedimentary
rocks SCALE
rr:::-:::::i .
0
1 10
li:....:i:..i cumu la te rocks
Km
Figure 2. Cache Creek Group: (a) chemistry of volcanic rocks (from Monger, 1975 and unpublished; Paterson,
1973), (b) geology of the Atlin Terrane and (c) geology of Nahlin ultramafic body (from Terry, 1977).
62 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
observed in fine grained diabase, no consistent Wright (1974) made a detailed petrographic
pattern of sheeted dykes is known. and structural study of the Pioneer ultramafic
body which is exposed 30 km southwest of the
Alpine-type ultramafics (Trembleur intrusions) Shulaps ultramafic. This ultramafic body lies
and basic volcanics of the Cache Creek Group were along the contact between the Bridge River Group
mapped by Armstrong (1949, pp. 79-92) in the and downfaulted argillite, chert, greenstone
Stuart Lake belt, 700 km south southeast of the conglomerate and breccia assigned to the Upper
Atlin Terrane. An early detailed study of some Triassic Noel Formation. It consists of partly
of these ultramafic rocks was made by Little (1949) serpentinized harzburgite with minor orthopyroxenit~
who reported variably serpentinized peridotites dunite, and rare chromitite, and exhibits well-
and dunites together with pyroxenites and norites. developed layering. Wright (1974, p. 119)
Also in this area, a succession of harzburgite concluded that this body is part of a dismembered
with minor dunite and pyroxenite, gabbro and mafic ophiolite.
volcanic rock, with poorly exposed contacts, was
recognized as an ophiolite by Paterson (1973, p. 26). The Hozameen Group appears to be the south-
From the same general area Ross (1977) described southeastern continuation of the Bridge River
the internal fabric of a partly serpentinized Group across the Fraser River fault system.
harzburgite and dunite and found evidence for Separating it from Lower Jurassic elastic rocks
three deformational episodes. He suggested the to the east is a belt of serpentinite, gabbro,
two earlier penetrative fabrics were probably of metadiorite and mafic volcanics known as the
mantle origin and the latest one was produced Coquihalla serpentine belt (Cairnes, 1930,
during emplacement within the crust. In the Stuart p. 144a). In a recent note, Anderson (1976,
Lake belt, ophiolites appear to have been emplaced pp. 443-446) reported a depositional contact
and eroded prior to the latest Triassic. between volcanics of the serpentine belt, that
Serpentinite, chromite, and basic volcanic he concluded was oceanic lithosphere, and possible
detritus is present in an uppermost Triassic early Lower Jurassic strata of the Ladner Group to
(Monotis bearing) conglomerate adjacent to the the east. The recently discovered Jurassic
Cache Creek Group (Armstrong, 1949, p. 53; radiolaria in the Bridge River Group suggest a
Paterson, 1973, p. 37). possible correlation with rocks in the San Juan
Islands, mentioned below, as well.
In the eastern margin of the Coast Plutonic
Complex, southwestern British Columbia, chert EASTERN ASSEMBLAGE
containing possible mid-Jurassic radiolaria
(D.L. Jones, pers. comm., 1977), argillite, pillow Rocks in the Eastern assemblage extend
basalt, and minor limestone pods with Middle discontinuously from the Yukon boundary with
Triassic conodonts form the Bridge River (or Alaska in the north, at latitude 65, almost
Fergusson) Group (Roddick and Hutchison, 1973, to the British Columbia-Idaho boundary in the
pp. 2-3). Numerous alpine-type ultramafics are south (Figure 1). The assemblage consists of two
spatially associated with this group, and locally divisions, the lower predominantly sedimentary,
(tectonically?) cut nearby probable Upper Triassic and the upper, mainly volcanic. The gross
elastic rocks as well. The relationship of these stratigraphy of this assemblage, is summarized
Upper Triassic rocks to the Bridge River Group is in Figure 3a. The lower division is mainly fine-
unknown. grained elastic rock and ribbon chert, with local
sandstone, conglomerate, and carbonate. In most
The largest ultramafic body in the region, places, these rocks lie with stratigraphic or
known as the Shulaps, was mapped by Leech (1953) possibly structural contacts on shallow water
on a scale of one mile to one inch. It lies and intertidal Devonian carbonate, which is the
between the Bridge River Group, to the southwest, uppermost unit of the Cordilleran miogeoclinal
and the major, Yalakom fault to the northeast. succession in these places. In southeastern
It consists of harzburgite, dunite and pyroxenite, British Columbia, the assemblage is underlain
with these three lithologies locally interlayered by a terrane probably metamorphosed in Devonian
and cut in places by gabbroid dykes. On the time (P.B. Read, pers. comm., 1976). The age of
southwest side of the body are exposed diopside the lower division ranges from Late Mississippian
pyroxenite, locally layered gabbro, and inter- to Early Permian. Above the lower division is
mingled gabbro and pillow basalt. Recent studies mainly basalt (Figure 3b), local diabase, gabbro
by J. Nagel of the University of British Columbia and alpine-ultramafic rock. In the Anvil Range,
(pers. comm., 1977) show a melange zone on this Yukon Territory, and Nina Creek, central British
southwest side consisting of pervasively sheared Columbia the volcanics are Lower Permian. The
serpentinite with a near-horizontal schistosity, Sylvester Group contains at least two volcanic
and inclusions of volcanic, gabbroic and assemblages; one, pre-Late Mississippian, the
sedimentary rocks on all scales up to 150 m long. other, mid-Permian. Elsewhere, the volcanics are
The ultramafic rocks appear to be tectonically dated as post-Late Pennsylvanian and post-Late
emplaced within possible Upper Triassic strata, Mississippian, pre-Late Triassic. Metamorphism
although J. Nagel (pers. comm., 1977) has found is predominantly in the prehnite pumpellyite
it difficult to correlate these strata with known grade, but locally in greenschis t and, rarely,
Upper Triassic rocks in the region. The age of amphibolite grade. Contact relations between
emplacement of the Shulaps ultramafic is pre-Early the upper and lower divisions vary. In places,
Cretaceous. Chromite grains, presumably derived as near Nina Creek and between the Milford and
from this body,are present in nearby sandstones Kaslo Groups the two appear to be in normal
that formerly were thought to be of Early Jurassic stratigraphic relationship, with diabase and
age (Leech, 1953, p. 39) but now are known to be gabbro sills, feeders to the volcanic rocks, in
Early Cretaceous (H.W. Tipper, pers. comm., 1977). the top of the underlying sedimentary succession.
CANADIAN CORDI LLERAN OPHIOLITES - MONGER 63
o)
the Yukon , or else to be internally imbricated, so
that the vo l canics cont ain ultramafic slices .
Tempelman-Kluit and others (1976) suggest the time
of thrusting in the Yukon was in the Upper Triassic.
~;~
I~;,
- - -- --- - 0
~ ~~
r~
...,c,;. 193
rodingitized gabbr o ic dykes and s ill s. The contact
' ~ ~;~
m -
.:) P 8Re od .perscomm .
between this b ody and maf ic volcanic rocks is
~ !~
Monge 1, 1973 ~ Sutheolond. Brown, 1957
Monge ond Poieuon.1974
Gobuelie 1975
,_ Compbell, 1973
...,
marked by an aureole over 100 m-wid e of amphibolite
Whe re vns ore 1h1clr. . column, ore b<oken . and totol 1h1ckneu o f with gneissic textures. Further south, in east-
1nd11t1duol unou ,hown on 1hou,ond, '" metei e g , 3
central British Columbia, Hall-Beyer (1976)
Tempelmon-IC IU1 1
s tudied major and trace element geochemistry of
~rr..:TJ the Slide Mountain basalt and concluded they were
1972
0
i
1963; ond
pers . comm ocean floor tholeiites and komatiites . S.
Montgomery (pers. comm. to R.B. Campbell, 1976)
D conglomerate D bedded chert
D boste volc:o nou. locally includes doobose
11nd brecuo ond mlf'Of 1ufl.chert, og1H11e
working on an ultramafic body in the metamorphic
Osoods1one
~'"" ultromofu a lpine type terrane between the Slide Mountain Group and
Fennell Group , found a peridotite base, passing
LJ or91ll11e dole
~ '''bo"''" up into gabbro and overlying greenschis ts .
~ _,..... unconlorm11y u1obl1shed, POUtble
~ ongulo r unconf0fm1 l y
b) ___ ? . _ _ nolue unknown
KLUANE AREA
10
The upper Paleozoic rocks of the Saint Elias
Range, southwestern Yukon and eastern Alaska Range
~5 form the Skolai Group , which consists of a lower
from &oiler o"d Bloke.
z basic to intermediate volcanic unit, the Permian
197
and (?) Pennsylvanian Station Creek For mation,
so 60 10 80
s.o, and an upper sedimentary unit, the Permian Hasen
Creek Formation (Smith and MacKevett, 1970; Read
and Monger, 1975). In the Kluane area, south-
Figure 3. Eastern assemblage (from Monger, in western Yukon, the t ypical Skolai stratigraphy
press) (a) gross stratigraphy of the Eastern with two formations is present only on the east
assemblage, (b) chemistry of volcanic rocks of side of the outcrop area . On the wes t side, at
the Eastern assemblage, from Tempelman-Kluit, 1972, one locality, the Hasen Creek Formation non-
Anvil Range; Gabrielse, 1963 and unpublished, conformably lies on coarse , locally pegmatoid
Sylvester Group; Gabrielse, 1975, Nina Creek; uralitic gabbro and diabase. Nearby, the basal
K.V. Campbell, 1971, Slide Mountain. Hasen Creek consists of a conglomerate with gabbro
and diabase together with local pyroxenite and
probable peridotite clas t s. Similar gabbroic rocks
occur to the west in the eastern Alaska Range (E .M.
MacKevett, pers. comm ., 1976). Richter and Jones
(1973) suggested that the upper Paleozoic vol canic
Elsewhere, as in the Pelly Mountains, Yukon rocks in the eastern Alaska Range are the remains
Territory, ultramafic and volcanic rocks lie of an island arc that was built upon oceanic
above thrust faults on miogeoclinal strata crust. This crust may be the gabbro and diabase
(Tempelman-Kluit, 1976, pp . 99-100), or else the in the Kluane area.
nature of the lower contact of the volcanics is
uncertain (Campbell and others, 1973, p. 80). SAN JUAN ISLANDS
The assemblage can be interpreted as having formed
along the western margin of the North American Ophiolites in the San Juan Islands, discussed
craton, in part on the extension of the craton, elsewhere in this volume by Brown, are of mid-
in part on oceanic crust. In southern British Jurassic age. They are mentioned here only because
Columbia, where coeval arc-like rocks occur they may represent the correlative of the basement
immediately to the west, there may have been of a sequence of highly deformed radiolarian chert,
a true marginal basin, but elsewhere only argillite, greywacke , breccie, and minor pillow
rocks of the Cache Creek Group, with different basalt of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age
faunas, are known to the west. Where the rocks that is exposed on the west coast of Vancouver
are in normal stratigraphic succession, there Island and called Pacific Rim Complex by Muller
was apparently deepening of the basin followed (1973 and pers. collDil .) and possibly the Bridge
by extrusion of mafic volcanics. Elsewhere, River Group.
the ultrama fic and mafic rocks appear to
have been thrust right out of the basin, as in
64 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Edwin H. Brown
PA
48
Tertiary
Subduction
Wedge
0 50
Km
100
'
T
Washington and Vancouver Island have been greatly that of the petrogenesis of plagiogranite and kera-
dislocated relative to one another if their formation tophyre which constitute a large portion of t he
and present distribution are to be explained by plate- complex. Such silicic rocks occurring elsewhere in
tectonic theory . ophiolites are interpreted to have formed by f rac-
tional crystallization of gabbroi c melt in an ocean
INTRODUCTION ridge setting (Coleman and Peterman, 1975), or to be
This report concerns pre-Tertiary rocks on the result of calc-alkaline magmatism in an island
arc environment (Miyashiro, 1973) . The plagiogranite
Fidalgo Island which are part of an assembl age of
and keratophyre of the Fidalgo ophiolite are described
dioritic and gabbroic rocks exposed sporadically in
the San Juan Islands, where they are called the in detail in a separate report (Brown and others,
1977).
Turtleback Complex (McClellan, 1927), and North
Cascades of northwestern Washington, where they are
The purpose of thi s report is to briefly describe
known as the Yellow Aster Complex (Misch, 1966) . The
the Fidalgo ophiolite, t o present evidence relati ng
regional geologic setting of Fidalgo Island is shown
on Figure 1. to the tectonic setting of its origin, and to consider
its significance to the regional geology.
The origin of the Turtleback and Yellow Aster
C.Omplexes has important bearing on the general . problem FIELD AND PETROGRAPHIC RELATIONS
of the tectonic evolution of northwestern Washington. Introduction:
They have been variously interpreted to be: (1)
Primary igneous and stratigraphic relations
continental crust occurring as an extension of the
among differing lithologies of the Turtleback and
North American Craton (Misch, 1966, 1973, 1974) ; (2) Yellow Aster complexes are in most places poorly
continental crust representing a microcontinent pres erved because of faulting. However, the pre-
separate from the North American Craton (Vance, 197~); Tertiary terrane on the northern part of Fidalgo
and (3) portions of an ophiolite possibly representing
Island is relatively undisturbed, and relations
oceanic crust (Hopson and Mattinson, 1973; Brown and
Bradshaw, 1974, 1975; and Brown and others, 1977) . established there can be used to explain the correla-
tive but disrupted rock suites exposed elsewhere.
An allied problem presented by these rocks is A geologic map of this area is given in Figure 2 and
l'
, Igneous and sed imentary bedding
N / , Fau lt
/
/ Conta ct
:: : .
~Roads
.~::
::.:/..
...
0 2
Km
FIDALGO ISLAND OPHIOLITES - BROWN 69
a somewhat idealized stratigraphic section in Figure vary from a gentle southwest to st eep northeast plunge.
3. Raleigh (ibid) observed that t extures in fresh
peridotite on Cypress Island, are similar to those
FIG.3 STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION OF in the ultramafic zone of the Stillwater Complex, and
FIDALGO ISLAND MAP AREA on this basis he inferred a cumulate origin f or the
ultramafic rock of Cypress and Fida lgo Islands.
L . Pelagic argillite
The gabbro is exposed only over a small area on
Fidalgo Island, near Alexander Beach. However, much
10- 50 m ..--- ~~::::;:;:::;::~,- Sedimentary breccia gabbro occurs elsewhere in the region, as on Blakely
I ~ Unconformity Island, South Chuckanut Mtn., and Vedder Mtn.
Virtually all of the gabbr o on Fi dalgo Island shows
Keratophyre and spilite flows, cumulus layering, and locally graded bedding. Slump
flow breccias, dikes structures, pyroxenite dikes and sills and gabbroic
Unconformity pegmatite dikes are also common features in this unit.
The primary minerals are plagioclase, orthopyroxene
Plagiogranite and clinopyroxene. Olivine is not found, however,
the gabbros are a ltered to an extent that all primary
olivine could have been destroyed. Low-grade meta-
morphism of the gabbro has caused partial replacement
Layered gabbro and pyroxenite of the primary phases by minerals of the greenschist
f acies: Ca-plagioclas e is completely replaced by a
fine- grained aggregate of albite + epidote;
clinopyroxene is partially replaced by actinolite;
Unexposed
and orthopyroxene is partially replaced by chlorite.
Grain outlines of the original gabbroic minerals are
still well preserved, and a cumulate texture with
Serpentinite interstitial plagioclase can be observed in some
specimens .
Locally, another type of alteration, predating
Serpentinite: the greenschist facies metamorphism, has been caused
by intr usion of dikes of plagiogranite and hornblende
The stratigraphically lowest part of the complex basalt. The altered gabbro shows all stages of
is serpentinized peridotite which occurs at Washington replacement of pyroxene by hornblende .
Park and on Burrows and Allan Islands (Fig. 2).
Similar ultramafic rock occurs widely in northwestern
Dike Rocks:
Washington, the most notable occurrences being at
Cypress Island and the Twin Sisters (Fig. 1) . The layered gabbro, gabbroic pegmatite , and
pyroxenite dikes and sills are cross-cut by dikes of
In previous studies the ultramafic rock of this mafic to felsic rocks which intrude roughly normal to
region has not been linked with the gabbro, mainly the gabbroic layering, and become increasingly
because an undisturbed contact between the ultramafic abundant toward the upper part of the gabbroic
rock and gabbro has not been observed . The genetic section. In the middle and upper parts of the dike
relation proposed here is based on circumstantial complex gabbro is absent. The di kes comprise a suite
evidence , as follows : (1) There is close spatial of lithologies intergradational in both texture and
association between serpentinite and gabbro throughout mineralo gy, which includes hornblende gabbro, diorite,
the region. The two rocks occur together in fault trondhjemite, albite granite, diabase, keratophyre
contact at many localities (e.g., Fidalgo Is., Blakely and basalt. The diorite ( 56-58% Si02) predominates.
Is . , South Chuckanut Mtn . , Vedder Mtn.) . (2) On In the basal part of the dike complex the dikes have
Fidalgo Island exposures of the main unit of serpenti- sharp contacts with the gabbro, contain xenoliths of
ni te are separated from that of layered gabbro by gabbro and have caused hydrothermal contact metamor-
water and glacial drift; but cumulus layering and phism of the gabbro as described above. Especially
graded bedding in the gabbro indicate that the in the basal part of the dike complex, flow foliation
ultramafic rock lies stratigraphically below the is strongly developed in the dikes.
gabbro, a relation suggestive that the two tock units
are in place with respect to one another and represent Plagioclase and hornblende are ubiquitous
the basal portion of an ophiolite . primary minerals in the dikes and quartz and Fe-Ti
oxide minerals are common. Some dike rocks contain
The ultramafic rock on or near Fidalgo Island pyroxene as well as hornblende. K-feldspar is absent,
and Cypress Island consists of serpentinized harz- even in the most silicic (Si0 2 = 75%) varieties, and
burgi te containing irregular and discontinuous layers the term plagiogranite (cf. Thayer, 1973; Coleman and
of dunite and olivine chromitite (Raleigh, 1965). Peterman, 1975) applies to much of the rock in this
The layering is predominantly north to northwest suite . On Figure 2 undifferentiated rock of the dike
striking and steeply dipping. lsoclinal folds are comprex is broadly referred to as plagiogranite .
found in these layers. Planar or gently folded veins Primary textures are hypidiomorphic granular, with
(or dikes) or dunite and pyroxenite cross-cut the quartz being the typical interstitial phase.
layering and isoclinal folds. The peridotite has a Myrmekitic texture occurs in some of the finer-grained
well developed tectonite fabric defined by preferred dikes of albite granite. Low grade metamorphism has
orientation of olivine with a strong (100) maximum caused partial development of typical greenschist
normal to girdles of (010) and (001) (Raleigh, ibid.). facies minerals, as in the gabbro.
Attitudes of mesoscopic fold axes, mineral lineations
and (100) olivine maxima are mutually parallel and
70 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Volcanic Rocks:
Keratophyre and spilite comprise the volcanic siltstone greywacke unit by E. Artim (pers. comm.,
suite. These rocks occur mainly as flows and flow 1976) and Mulcahe~ (1974).
breccias overlying the plagiogranite and other dikes.
Pillows have not been found in the map area of Figure Table 1 K/Ar ages of hornblende in dike rocks of the
2, but are common in correlative volcanic rocks else- Fidalgo ophiolite. Data obtained by R.
where on Fidalgo Is. (e.g., Rosario Head) and in the Forbes, Geophysical Institute, University
San Juan Islands. Minor red chert occurs locally in of Alaska.
brecciated flows. Keratophyric dikes are common in
the upper part of the plagiogranite complex and may Sample Rock Type K20 40/Ar Age 1 sigma
represent feeders for the volcanic pile. &Location Wt% moles/gm m.y.
x10-ll
Phenocrysts are plagioclase and clinopyroxene. 158.67.9
The unaltered groundmass mineral is dominantly pla- 52-F35 hornblendite 0.092 2.250
Mt. Erie
gioclase, occurring together with quartz in the
felsic varieties. Alteration minerals are chlorite, 52-F82 diorite 0.128 2.914 149.07.4
quartz, calcite, iron-rich epidote, prehnite and Mt. Erie
zeolites. Porphyritic, synneusis and trachytic hornblende
textures are generally well preserved. 52-F84
gab bro 0.400 9.457 153.64.6
Alexander
Sedimentary Rocks: Beach
Sedimentary rock occurs unconformably on pla-
giograni te in part of the map area (Fig. 2). A con- The Fidalgo ophiolite suite thus appears to have
tact relation between volcanic and sedimentary rock originated in mid- to late-Jurassic time, with terri-
has not been observed. However, clasts of kerato- genous sedimentation extending into the Cretaceous.
phyre and spilite occurring in the basal part of the
sedimentary unit indicate the time sequence of the The Jurassic age of the Fidalgo ophiolite con-
rocks. trasts sharply with the Ordovician age of granitic
rocks of the Turtleback Complex in the western San
Sedimentary rock directly overlying plagio- Juan Islands (Mattinson, 1972) and with Yellow Aster
grani te is coarse breccia composed entirely of frag- Complex, near Yellow Aster Butte (Mattinson, ibid.).
ments of plagiogranite and volcanic rock. The Thus, the use of the name Turtleback Complex for all
relative proportions of plutonic and volcanic frag- granitic and gabbroic rocks in the San Juan Islands
ments vary greatly over a distance of a few lOs of must be abandoned and a new name established for the
meters along strike. This unit ranges from 10 to 50 younger suite of plutonic and associated volcanic
meters in thickness. It passes conformably, and rocks. It is herein suggested that the name Fidalgo
sharply, upward to pelagic argillite. Fine-grained Complex be given for this rock suite, including all
(metalliferous?, pelagic?) material occurs in the
breccia matrix near the contact with argillite. The of the plutonic and volcanic rocks of the ophiolite.
argillite is thin-bedded, brown or green and is more The name Turtleback Complex should be restricted to
the older suite of plutonic rocks.
than 90% composed of clay-sized material and radio-
laria. Sparse interbeds consist of greenish tuff,
radiolarite, chert, carbonate sandstone with ultra- CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ROCKS
mafic minerals, and breccia containing clasts of Chemical analyses of plutonic, volcanic and
plagiogranite and keratophyre. The mapped thickness sedimentary rocks of the Fidalgo ophiolite are
of the unit is about 300 meters. reported in detail elsewhere (Brown, and others,
1977). The salient features of these data are as
A thick unit of terrigenous siltstone and grey- follows: (1) The volcanic rocks are consanguineous
wacke-type sandstone occurs in a general stratigraphic with the plagiogranite suite (including the diorite
position above the argillite and igneous rocks. and hornblende gabbro). (2) The cumulus gabbros are
However, an unfaulted contact has not yet been found. not consanguineous with the volcanic rocks and pla-
The lowest beds are siltstone; higher in the section giogranite. (3) All igneous rocks are low in K20;
sandstone and even conglomerate appear. Clast even the most silicic varieties (Si02 = 75%) gener-
lithologies are chert, siltstone, volcanic rock, ally have less than 0.5% K20. (4) The K20 content is
plagiogranite and rarely epidote. Some beds are variable but this variation occurs essentially
tuffaceous. Turbidite bedding is common. irrespective of variation in other components such as
Sio 2 or Cao. Normal crystal/melt fractionation would
AGE OF THE ROCKS yield magmas with greater uniformity of variation of
Three K/Ar ages of hornblende in diorite have K20 to other elements. Thus it is suggested that
been determined for this report by R. Forbes. The K20 variation is not due to a normal process of
fractional crystallization. (5) The chemical compo-
data, summarized in Table 1, indicate that the
plagiogranite dike complex crystallized at about sition within individual igneous units (such as a
1555 m.y. ago. A previously published U/Pb date on dike or flow) is fairly uniform, suggesting that the
zircons from two plagiogranites on Fidalgo and compositions have not been substantially altered by
Blakely Islands, obtained by Whetten and others metasomatism. (6) The layered gabbros are tholeii-
(1976), is 17010 m.y. tic, being similar in composition to gabbros from
other ophiolites. (7) The pelagic argillite is
Preliminary study of radiolaria in the lowermost relatively rich in Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu, as are modern
beds of pelagic argillite by Pessagno (pers. comm., pelagic sediments. The overlying siltstone/grey-
1976) indicates a Tithonian to Neocomain age (approx- wacke unit contains less of these metals and is
imately 140 m.y.) for this part of the sedimentary comparable to nearshore or epicontinental sediment.
section. Cretaceous radiolaria have been found in the
FIDALGO ISLAND OPHIOLITES - BROWN 71
history. Interesting problems are posed by: (1) the Brooks, H.C., 1976, Pre-Cenozoic tectonic framework,
ophiolitic material at Point of the Arches which lies eastern Oregon and western Idaho: Geol. Soc.
far west of the other ophiolites and even west of a America Abs. with programs, v. 8, p. 357.
presumed Tertiary subduction complex; (2) the Carson, D.J.T., 1973, The plutonic rocks of Vancouver
occurrence of Paleozoic schists and gneisses which Island: Geol. Surv. Canada Paper 72-44, 70 p.
appear to represent continental crust on Vancouver Coleman, R.G. and Peterman, Z.E., 1975, Oceanic
Island west of the Fidalgo ophiolite; and (3) the plagiogranite: Jour. Geophys. Res., v. 80, pp.
juxtaposition in the San Juan Islands of the Jurassic 1099-1108.
ophiolite with Ordovician plutonic rocks of the Danner, W.R., 1977, Vedder Discontinuity and Bona-
Turtleback Complex. parte disturbed zone: structural elements of
southwest British Columbia and Northwest Washing-
Of interest in the context of these geological ton: Geol. Soc. America Abs. with programs, v.
complexities, which are not readily explained by a 9, pp. 408-409.
plate-tectonic model, is the recognition of major Davies, H.L. and Smith, I.E., 1971, Geology of Eas-
tectonic dislocations in the region. Whetten (1975) tern Papua: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 82,
has defined a broad zone of intensely sheared rock in pp. 3299-3312.
the San Juan Islands, which he terms melange. Major Hopson, C.A., Frano, C.J., Pessagno, E.A. and Mattin-
high angle faults occur at the southern end of son, J.M., 1975, Preliminary report and geologic
Vancouver Island, striking east into the San Juan guide to the Jurassic ophiolite near Point Sal,
Islands (Muller and others, 1974). Danner (1977) has Southern California Coast: Field trip no. 5, 7lst
proposed that a major fault, the "Vedder Disconti- Annual Meeting Cordilleran Section, Geol. Soc.
nuity", extends from the Fraser Valley of British Amer., 36 p.
Columbia into the San Juan Islands. Vance (1977) has Hopson, C.A. and Mattinson, J.M., 1973, Ordovician
mapped a fault, the "Orcas Thrust", which has carried and late Jurassic ophiolitic assemblages in the
Jurassic ophiolite of the Fidalgo Complex over the Pacific Northwest: Geol. Soc. Amer. Abs. with
Turtleback Complex on Orcas Island. In the Western program, vol. 5, p. 57.
Cascades a 40-mile wide belt of blueschists appear Huntting, M.T., Bennett, W.A., Livingston, V.E.,
to be an entirely allochthonous thrust plate (Misch, Moen, W.S., 1961, Geologic map of Washington:
1966). It is apparent that these structures, and Washington Div. Mines & Geology map. 1:500,000.
perhaps others yet to be recognized, have greatly Mattinson, J.M., 1972, Ages of zircons from the
modified the plate-tectonic configuration within northern Cascade Mountains, Washington: Geol.
which the Jurassic ophiolite formed. Much interesting Soc. America Bull., v. 83, pp. 3769-3784.
research remains to be done in this region before McLellan, R.D., 1927, The geology of the San Juan
these problems will be solved. Islands: Univ. of Wash. Publ. in Geol., v. 2,
185 p.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Misch, P., 1966, Tectonic evolution of the northern
Cascades of Washington State: Canadian Inst.
I am much indebted to J.Y. Bradshaw and G.M.
Mustoe for assistance with the research; to R.B. Mining &Metallurgy, Spec. Vol. 8, H.C. Gunning,
Forbes and the Geophysical Institute of the Univer- ed., pp. 101-148.
~~~~' 1973, The North Cascades in geotectonic
sity of Alaska for K/Ar dates; to R.G. Coleman, R.B.
Forbes, C.A. Hopson, W.P. Irwin and J.A. Vance for perspective. Geol. Soc. America Abs. with
critical review of the manuscript; and to the Bureau programs, v. 5, p. 82.
~~~~' 1974, Geology of the Northern Cascades:
for Faculty Research of Western Washington Univer-
sity for financial support. Northwest Science, Program and Abstracts, 47th
Annual Meeting, p. 12.
LIST OF REFERENCES Miyashiro, A., 1973, The Troodos ophiolitic complex
was probably formed in an island arc. Earth &
Almy, R.B., 1977, Petrology and major element geo- Planetary Sci. Letters, v. 19, pp. 218-224.
chemistry of albite granite near Sparta, Oregon: Moores, E.M. and Vine, J.F., 1971, The Troodos
Massif, Cyprus and other ophiolites as oceanic
Western Washington State College, M. Sc. thesis, crust: evaluation and implications: Phil.
100 p. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A., vol. 268, pp. 443-466.
Bailey, E.H., Blake, M.C., Jr., and Jones, D.L., 1970, Mulcahey, M.T., 1974, The geology of Fidalgo Island
On-land Mesozoic oceanic crust in California Coast and vicinity, Skagit County, Washington: Seattle,
ranges: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 700-C, Univ. of Washington, Msc. thesis.
C70-81. Muller, J.E., Wanless, R.K., and Loveridge, W.D.,
Bailey, E.H. and Blake, M.C., 1974, Major chemical 1974, A Paleozoic zircon age of the west coast
characteristics of Mesozoic Coast Range ophiolite crystalline complex of Vancouver Island, British
in California: Jour. Research U.S. Geol. Surv. Columbia. Can.Jour. Earth Sci., v. 11, pp.
v. 2, pp. 637-656. 1717-1722.
Bonatti, E., Zerbi, M., Kay, R., and Rydell, H., Page, B.M., 1972, Oceanic crust and mantle fragment
1976, Metalliferous deposits from the Apennine in subduction complex near San Luis Obispo,
ophiolites: Mesozoic equivalents of modern California: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 83,
deposits from oceanic spreading centers: Geol. pp. 957-972.
Soc. America Bull., v. 87, pp. 83-94. Prostka, H.J., 1963, The geology of the Sparta
Brown, E.H. and Bradshaw, J.Y., 1974, A layered Quadrangle, Oregon: Baltimore, Johns Hopkins
gabbroic complex in the San Juan Islands,
Washington: Geol. Soc. America Abs. withprograms, Univ., PhD. dissert., 245 p.
v. 6, p. 148. Raleigh, C.B., 1965, Structure and petrology of an
, 1975, Plagiogranite in the San Juan Islands, alpine peridotite on Cypress Island, Washington,
----wiShington: EOS (Abs.) 56, p. 1079. U.S.A.: Beitrage zur Mineral. und Petrog., v. 11,
Brown, E.H., Bradshaw, J.Y., and Mustoe, G.E., 1977, pp. 719-741.
Plagiogranite and keratophyre in ophiolite on
Fidalgo Island, Washington: Ms submitted for
publication.
FIDALGO ISLAND OPHIOLITES - BROWN 73
Snavely, P.D., MacLeod, N.S., and Tabor, R., 1972,
Pre-Tertiary rocks on the west side of the Olympic
Peninsula: Proc. Oreg. Acad. Sci., (Abs.) Annual
meeting, Portland.
Tabor, R.W., 1975, Guide to the geology of the
Olympic National Park, Washington: Univ. of
Washington Press, Seattle, 144 p.
Thayer, T.P., 1973, Some implications of sheeted dike
swarms in ophiolitic complexes. Manuscript for
publication in International Symposium on
"Ophiolites in the Earth's Crust", Acad. Nauk,
Moscow.
Thayer, T.P. and Himmelberg, G.R., 1968, Rock
succession in the alpine-type mafic complex at
Canyon Mountain, Oregon: XXIII International
Geological Congress, v. 1, pp. 175-186.
Vance, J.A., 1974, Mid-Paleozoic stratigraphy and
metamorphism in N.W. Washington: Geol. Soc.
America Abs. with programs, v. 6, p. 269.
, 1977, The Stratigraphy and Structure of Orcas
----ysfand, San Juan Islands. In "Geological Excur-
sions in the Pacific Northwest", E .H. Brown and
R.C. Ellis ed., Western Wash. Univ.
Vance, J.A., Whetten, J.T. and Eddy, P., 1975,
Geologic map of the San Juan Islands, San Juan
County, Washington. In "Geology and Water
Resources of the San Juan Islands, San Juan
County, Washington", R.H. Russell, ed., Washington
Dept. of Ecology Water Supply Bull. 46.
Whetten, J.T., 1975, Tertiary (?) melange in the
southeastern San Juan Islands, Washington:
Geol. Soc. America Abs. with programs, v. 7, pp.
387-388.
Whetten, J.T., Zartman, R.E., Cowan, D.S., Glassley,
W.E., Jones, D.L., and Pessagno, E.A., 1976, New
dates and their significance from the San Juan
Islands, Washington: Geol. Soc. America Abs. with
programs, v. 8, p. 1166.
75
William P. Irwin
U. S. Geological Survey
Menlo Park, California 94025
Northward, most of the pre-Tertiary rocks are con- lies not in their abundance but rather in their un-
cealed by a blanket of young volcani c rocks, but im- usual diversity in apparent age, in the geometry of
portant segments of be lts of ophiolitic rocks are seen their distribution, and in their structural succes -
i n the Ochoco-Blue Mountains (John Day and Baker sion. Distribution of the ultramafic rocks a l ong
areas) of east-centr a l Oregon a nd in northwestern the foothi ll s of the Sierra Nevada had been estab -
Washington. A few wide l y-spaced localities of sparse l ished by the c l assic earl y geological surveys of
ophiolitic rocks form an interesting but vague and the Mother Lode belt during the mid and late 1800 ' s
rather enigmatic belt in north-central Nevada. All that close l y followed the gold rush of '49. In the
of these regions except northwestern Washington will northern Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains, the dis-
be r evi ewed briefly in this report for the purpose of tribution of much of the ultramafic rock remained un-
documenting the ages and belt-like distribut i on of known until the area was mapped in reconnaissance
the ophiolitic and associated oceani c rocks where during the 1950's. Essentially t he onl y detai l ed
pertinent data are availab l e. More elabor ate descrip- studies of the ultramafic rocks were in regard to
tions of ophioli t e of variou s parts of the belts are associated deposits of chromite, and these studies
i ndicated by reference to the literature and are found generall y were not of a kind that related the ultra-
in other papers in this volume. mafic rocks to the regional geology . However, by the
earl y 1960's it was recognized that the ultramafic
bodies tend to mark boundaries between rocks of
different sedimentary and metamorphic facies and are
probably of great structural signi ficance . During
the early 1970's the ophiolite concept in its modern
guise began to take hold in the Pacific Coast region,
fir s t in relation to the Coast Range ophiolite. Most
of th e ultramafic rocks of the Pacific Coast region
are now regarded as parts of allochthonous slabs of
45- ophiolite .
The ophiolitic rocks of the Pacific Coast are
herein grouped into four generally subparal lel linear
terranes on the basis of their pr esumed age (Fig . 2).
In addition to the ophiolites the terranes inc l ude
large tracts of arc -related volcanic rocks and flysch,
and these as well as the ophiolitic rocks occur both
as me langes and as relatively coherent b l ocks . The
ophiolitic rocks of the terranes are successively
younger from east to west (oceanward). The oldest
are Paleozoic, succeeded on the west by Triassic,
next by Lower or Middle Jurassic, and finally by
Upper Jurassic. This compl ete age sequence is identi-
fied only at the latitude of the Klamath Mountains
and the northern Sierra Nevada and may not exist at
mos t other latitudes along the Pacific Coast.
The most direct avai l able method of determining
the age of formation of an ophio lite is the isotopic
dating of the gabbroic and plagiogranitic rocks, but
even this does not give the age of the associated
ultramafic rocks nor does i t take into consideration
any intervals of time that may exist between differ-
ent elements of the ophiolitic sequence , particularly
the great hiatus that may exist between the cons truc-
tional pile and the underlying metamorphic peridotite.
In some instances the upper part of the ophiolite can
now be dated paleontologically if the pillow l ava s
include or are capped by radiolarian chert or tuff .
I An upper limit to the age of some ophiolites can be
120
determined by the paleontologic age of overlying or
Figure 1 - Map of the Pacific Coast region showing the associated strata, which are commonly flysch or arc-
major geomorphic features referred to in related volcanic dep osits, but thes e ages are inter-
the text . Nevadan and older r ocks are i n- preted to be the times of convergence of ophiolitic
dicated by stipple pattern. plates at an island arc or at a continental margin
rather than the time of formation of the ophiolite.
The terranes of ophiolitic rocks of the Pacific However, within broad limits these are useful data.
Coast region generally have an obscure but obviously Similarly, certain metamorphic rocks such as amphibo-
long and complex tectonic history . The ophiolites at lites and blueschists are thought to form during
most places are highly broken and dismembered, and times of plate convergence, and in some instances
rarely is an ophiolite sequence seen that is complete these contribute to our interpreta tion of the age of
or nearly so. In most cases it is not clear whether an associated ophiolite . Other fea tures that com-
the greatest deformation occurred before, during, or monly serve to place upper limits on the age of the
after the ophiolite became incorporated with the con- ophiolitic rocks are regional unconformities and in-
tinental crust. In this regard, the distinction be- trusive plutonic rocks. Despite the obvious short-
tween a dismembered ophiolite, an ophiolitic melange, comings and inherent vagueness in assigning ages to
or an olistostrome may not be recognized as readily ophiolite belts, the belts thus dated nevertheless
in the field as in theory . provide a systematic framework to guide or suggest
The Pacific Coast region includes the largest further inves tigation as well as to emphasize certain
exposures of ultramafic rocks in North America . How- tectonic aspects of the Pacific Coast region. Wheth-
ever, the greatest interest in the ultramafic rocks er the age i~ the time of formation of the construe-
CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND NEVADA OPHIOLITIC TERRAN ES - IRWIN 77
tional pile at a mid-ocean ridge, or is the time of The ophiolitic nature of the Trinity ultramafic
tectonic emplacement along an island arc or contin- sheet has been studied in most detail near Callahan,
ental margin, the ophiolitic terranes of the Pacific at the south end of the Yreka area of Paleozoic
Coast region seem to be sequentially younger from strata, where the ultramafic rock is the basal part
continent to ocean and support the idea that the con- of a sequence that includes successively overlying
tinental border is built up by accretion of successive zones of gabbro, mafic dikes, and, locally, mafic
slices of oceanic crust and related rocks. volcanic rocks (Lindsley-Griffin and others, 1974).
The volcanic rocks are partly interbedded with and
PALEOZOIC OPHIOLITIC ROCKS overlain by sedimentary rocks that have an Ordovician
paleontologic age (Lindsley-Griffin and others, 1974).
The terrane of Paleozoic ophiolitic rocks trends Early Paleozoic isotopic ages have been obtained for
northwest along the southern Sierra Nevada foothills, some of the gabbro and other rocks of the sheet (333-
curves northward toward the Taylorsville area of the 439 m.y., K-Ar, Lanphere and others, 1968; 455-480
northern Sierra Nevada region, and then swings north- m.y., Pb/U, Hopson and Mattinson, 1973), and these
west toward the eastern part of the Klamath Mountains are compatible with the concept that the sheet repre-
where it constitutes a west-facing arcuate nappe. sents oceanic crust on which the early Paleozoic
Paleozoic oceanic and ultramafic rocks are seen strata of the eastern Klamath Mountains were de-
through windows in the broad cover of Cenozoic vol- posited.
canic rocks in the Ochoco-Blue Mountains region of In the southern part of the eastern Klamath Moun-
eastern Oregon, and also at scattered localities in tains region the Trinity ultramafic sheet is overlain
north-central Nevada. The ophiolitic rocks do not by the Copley Greenstone of Devonian age, which con-
represent the same part of the Paleozoic along all sists of intermediate to mafic volcanic flows, pillow
segments of the belt. Those in the eastern Klamath lavas, breccias, and tuffs, and which is a minimum of
Mountains are early Paleozoic in age, as probably are 1,130 meters thick. The Copley is succeeded strati-
some in the northern Sierra Nevada and in Nevada. graphically upward by a thick succession of arc-re-
Those in the southern Sierra Nevada and eastern lated volcanic and sedimentary rocks that range from
Oregon are considered to be late Paleozoic in age. the middle and upper Paleozoic into the Jurassic
(Irwin, 1977).
Klamath Mountains The Devonian metamorphic rocks that underlie the
Trinity ultramafic sheet on the west are the co-meta-
The oldest known ophiolitic rocks of the Pacific morphic Salmon Hornblende Schist and Abrams Mica
Coast region are the Trinity sheet and related rocks Schist. The Salmon, a metamorphosed mafic volcanic
of the eastern Klamath Mountains. The Trinity sheet unit, is the structurally lower of the two units.
is one of the largest exposures of ultramafic-mafic The Abrams is a dominantly metasedimentary unit that
rock in North America, and is the easternmost of the locally contains micaceous crystalline limestone.
several belts of ultramafic-mafic rock in the Klamath There is no stratigraphic evidence of the age of the
Mountains province. Its arcuate western boundary is two formations. However, Rb-Sr ages of approximately
virtually continuous for a length of more than 160 380 m.y. are obtained from the Abrams (Lanphere and
kilometers, and although the greatest width of out- others, 1968), and K-Ar ages of 390-399 m.y. were
crop is 50 kilometers, the sheet probably underlies measured by M. A. Lanphere on Salmon(?) from the Yreka
all of the Paleozoic and younger strata of the east- area (P. E. Hotz, oral commun., 1976). These ages of
ern Klamath Mountains. The Trinity sheet consists metamorphism presumably represent the time that the
mostly of tectonized harzburgite and dunite, both Trinity ultramafic sheet overrode the Salmon and
partly serpentinized, and is intruded by gabbro, Abrams protoliths.
pyroxenite, diabase, and plagiogranite. This lithic
association led some geologists to consider the Sierra Nevada
Trinity sheet an ophiolite (Mattinson and Hopson,
1972; Hopson and Mattinson, 1973; Irwin, 1973; and The Feather River ultramafic body of the northern
Lindsley-Griffin, 1973). Sierra Nevada is thought to occupy a tectonic position
The Trinity ultramafic sheet was early recog- correlative to that of the Trinity ultramafic sheet of
nized as a fundamental tectonic element of the the Klamath Mountains (Davis, 1969). The Melones
Klamath Mountains owing to its widespread and con- fault zone, along which most of the ultramafic bodies
sistent separation of rocks of differing histories of the Paleozoic terrane occur, is a major structural
(Irwin and Lipman, 1962). The upturned lip of the element of the Sierra Nevada province. It trends
sheet is along the western side where the ultramafic southward for half the length of the Sierra Nevada,
rock overlies Devonian metamorphic rocks. The con- dividing the province longitudinally to where the
tact is somewhat irregular for it is folded on a large fault is truncated at a low angle by the Sierra Nevada
scale, in some places nearly isoclinally, and locally batholith. The strata east of the fault are mainly
is offset by cross faults (Irwin, 1963; Davis and Paleozoic, including both lower and upper Paleozoic
others, 1965). Fold axes tend to be parallel to the units. Those west of the fault include some upper
regional arcuate trend of the contact. Both composi- Paleozoic but are mainly Mesozoic. The Paleozoic
tional layering and foliation in the ultramafic rock rocks of the southern and central part of the eastern
are parallel to the contacts with the Devonian meta- side of the fault are generally assigned to the
morphic rocks (Irwin and Lipman, 1962; Lipman, 1964). Calaveras Formation, and in the northern part to the
The exposed lip of the ultramafic sheet generally Shoo Fly Formation and various other Paleozoic forma-
ranges from a few meters to a kilometer or more in tions of the Taylorsville area. Although the Cala-
thickness, and at a few places it pinches out en- veras is considered upper Paleozoic, its age is not
tirely. Eastward the ultramafic sheet disappears well documented paleontologically. Some indication
beneath the Paleozoic strata, in the direction of its of its age is shown by a pyroxene diorite pluton that
root zone. The thickness of the ultramafic sheet forcibly intruded and contact metamorphosed the Cala-
seems likely to increase eastward toward the root veras and that has a U/Pb isotopic age of 259 m.y.
zone, if one judges from the considerable topographic (Morgan and Stern, 1977). A recent summary of the
relief and extremely broad exposure of ultramafic regional geologic units and possible tectonic evolu-
rock between the Yreka and Redding areas of Paleozoic tion is given by Schweickert and Cowan (1975).
strata.
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CALIFORNIA, O REGON, AND NEVADA OPHIOLITIC TERRAN ES - IRWIN 79
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TERRANE CONTAINING UPPER JURASSIC OPHIOLITE: includes Great Valley sequence in
California and Myrtl e Group in Oregon: dominantly flysch of Late Jurassic and
Cretaceous age: depositional on Coast Range ophiolite: ophiolitic rocks are
indicated by dark irregular areas.
-
TERRANE CONTAINING LOWER OR MIDDLE JURASSIC OPHIOLITE: includes the Galice and
Rogue Formations in Klamath Mountains and the Mariposa, Logtown Ridge, and
related formations in the Sierra Nevada: mainly fl ysch and meta-andesite of
a middle to Late Jurass ic vol canic ar c built on ophiolite: ophiolitic rocks
are indicated by dark pattern in irregular area .
AMPHIBOLITIC METAMORPHIC ROCKS: includes Salmon Hornblende Schist and Abrams Mica
Schist of Devonian metamorphic age in California, and Briggs Creek amphibolite
of Mesozoic age in Oregon.
GRANITIC ROCKS: virtually all are Mesozoic in age : Salinian block includes much
metas edimen tary rock of indeterminate age.
The Feather River body is the most northerly of mation in this region is described by Saleeby (1977)
a number of ultramafic bodies in a belt that trends as an eastward-dipping succession that consists of
southward along the Melones fault zone to where it is chert and argillite with limestone olistoliths,
truncated by the Sierra Nevada batholith. A series grading upward into massive white quartzite with lime-
of isolated patches of ophiolite known as the Kings- stone layers, in turn grading upward into silicic vol-
Kaweah belt (Saleeby, 1975) represent a further ex- canic rocks. He states that the limestone olistoliths
tension of the ultramafic belt within the southern contain Permo-Carboniferous fossils and that the upper
part of the Sierra Nevada batholith. The ultramafic limestone layers contain Triassic and Early Jurassic
bodies along the Melones fault zone and extension fossils.
seem to be tectonically related, but not all are
thought to represent the same part of the Paleozoic. Nevada
Somewhat similar to the Trinity ultramafic sheet,
the Feather River body is flanked on the east by a Serpentinite crops out at widely-spaced locali-
terrane that includes lower Paleozoic strata, and ties along a narrow zone that trends north-south
although a continuous belt of Devonian metamorphic through north-central Nevada. The serpentinite bodies
rocks is not present, as in the Klamath Mountains, are few in number and are small in comparison with
there are a few small fault slices of possibly corre- those of California and Oregon, the largest being no
lative metamorphic rocks adjacent on the west. Un- more than a kilometer or two in length. The most
like the Trinity, the Feather River body is apparently northerly reported occurrence of serpentinite in
bounded by steep faults. If truly correlative with Nevada is at the north end of the Hot Springs Range
the Trinity sheet, the Feather River ultramafic body (R. Willden, in Ross, 1961, p. 29). Southward, ser-
is part of an early Paleozoic ophiolite. pentinite bodies occur at several localities in the
The Feather River ultramafic body is described Toiyabe Range, as well as at the western edge of the
by Weisenberg and Ave Lallemant (1977) as a meta- Toquima Range, and at Monarch Ranch ruins (F. J.
morphosed alpine peridotite and gabbro, with the Kleinhampl, oral commun., 1974; F. G. Poole, written
peridotite having a steep northeast-trending tec- commun., 1975). The occurrence at the western edge
tonitic fabric that is overprinted by a steep north- of the Toquima Range may be the same as that reported
west-trending foliation. The foliation formed during by Ferguson (1924, p. 40)--perhaps the earliest refer-
a second tectonic event that resulted in the formation ence to serpentinite in Nevada. The most southerly
of ultramafic and mafic schists that are concordant reported occurrence of serpentinite is in the Cande-
with and localized along the western boundary of the laria district. There the structural and distribu-
Feather River body. These geologists consider the tional trends are east-west, having changed from the
formation of the schists and the emplacement of the generally north-south trend of the preceeding lo-
ultramafic body to be syntectonic. They report that calities. As described by Page (1959), the serpen-
Ar 4 0-39 incremental heating data obtained on horn- tinite of the Candelaria district occurs in a complex
blende from the schist by John Sutter show a plateau of rocks that includes metadolerite and metasedimen-
at 236 m.y., which they regard as a cooling age re- tary rocks.
lated to emplacement of the ultramafic body along the Although the serpentinite bodies are sparse and
western boundary fault during a collision of a widely spaced, they follow the general lineal configu-
Sierran-Klamath island arc with the continental margin ration of other regional lithofacies trends in north-
during Permian and Triassic time. central Nevada. Detailed descriptions of the indi-
According to Ehrenberg (1975) the Feather River vidual occurrences are not available, but the serpen-
ultramafic body includes peridotite and dunite. The tinites are described as small elongate, semi-concord-
rock consists of primary olivine, enstatite, diopside, ant bodies that are tectonically interleaved with
and chromite, and secondary tremolite, chlorite, talc, allochthonous lower and upper Paleozoic oceanic rocks
anthophyllite, diopside, and serpentinite. The pri- in the upper plates of the Roberts Mountains and
mary pyroxene of the peridotite is so thoroughly Golconda thrusts (Speed, 1971; Poole and Desborough,
altered that it is not clear whether the original 1973), the oceanic plate presumably interacting with
rock was harzburgite or lherzolite. Ehrenberg con- the continental margin during the Antler (Late
siders the evidence for the origin of the ultramafic Devonian and Early Mississippian) and Sonoma (Late
body to be inconclusive as to whether the body in- Permian and Early Triassic) orogenies. The Paleozoic
truded at a high temperature or as a cool slab derived oceanic rocks are distributed in two parallel but
from the upper mantle. somewhat overlapping belts, the lower Paleozoic
The Kings-Kaweah belt of ophiolite trends along generally to the east of the upper Paleozoic. Ac-
the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada in the cording to Stewart and Carlson (1974) the lower Paleo-
vicinity of the Kings and Kaweah Rivers. It is a zoic oceanic rocks are mainly Ordovician and include
series of discontinuous patches of ophiolitic rocks the Vinini, Valmy, Palmetto, and Camus Formations that
that, along with Calaveras Formation, appear to be consist of chert, shale, quartzite, greenstone, and
pendants or remnant inclusions in the Sierra Nevada minor limestone. The upper Paleozoic oceanic rocks
batholith. The ophiolite includes serpentinized tec- are Late Mississippian to Early Permian in age, and
tonitic dunite and harzburgite with metabasite dikes, include the Havallah and Pumpernickel Formations of
overlain by cumulus pyroxenite, troctolite, anortho- chert, argillite, shale, and greenstone. Both the
site and gabbro, a diabase dike complex, albitite, Roberts Mountains and Golconda thrusts are commonly
hornblende tonalite, pillow basalt, keratophyre, considered to be easterly-directed overthrusts, with
chert, and marble (Saleeby, 1974). In the Kings River western assemblages of oceanic rocks being carried
area, several tectonic blocks as large as 17.5 kilo- over eastern assemblages of transitional and miogeo-
meters in length show a complete ophiolite sequence, synclinal rocks (Roberts and others, 1958). The ser-
but southward along the belt the ophiolite blocks de- pentinite associated with the Golconda plate may be
crease in size and most of the belt becomes a melange derived either from remobilization of the Antler
with a serpentinite matrix (Saleeby, 1975). Concordia orogenic terrane during the Sonoma orogeny, or from
plots (U/Pb on zircon) on plagiogranite from the newly sliced upper mantle (Poole and Desborough,
ophiolite have upper intercepts of 300 m.y., which is 1973) .
taken as a primary crystallization age that approxi-
mates the age of formation of the ophiolite at a
spreading ridge (Saleeby, 1976). The Calaveras For-
82 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
the west. Rocks of the North Fork and Stuart Fork and the Melones fault zone is based on the presence of
terranes are on the east limb, and rocks of the Hay- a few bodies of fossiliferous limestone. Three lime-
fork terrane on the west. A typical ophiolitic stone bodies in the narrow sliver of "Calaveras" in
sequence of plutonic rock is not seen in the core. the latitude of the Mokelumne River contain Permian
However, some cumulate gabbro that may be in the upper fusulinids of Tethyan fauna affinity (Douglas, 1967).
part grades upward a few meters into diabase. Dikes Similarly, limestones with fossils of Tethyan faunal
and sills are absent. Tectonitic harzburgite occurs affinity are present at three localities in the west-
structurally between the diabase and overlying pillow ern Paleozoic and Triassic belt of the Klamath Moun-
basalts. Ando states that these features create tains (Irwin and Galanis, 1976; Irwin, 1977). Another
difficulty in comparing the North Fork rocks to similarity to the western Paleozoic and Triassic belt
"classical" ophiolites. is the presence of blueschist in the vicinity of the
Glaucophane- and lawsonite-bearing schists are North Yuba River (Schweickert, 1976), but it appar-
present (Davis, 1968) in the North Fork terrane on ently is in an anomalous patch of "Calaveras" rocks on
the east limb of the antiform south of the Salmon the east of the main ultramafic belt rather than on
River, and also near the Trinity River (Cox, 1967), the west.
but isotopic dates of metamorphism are not available The "Calaveras" west of the Feather River ultra-
for them. In the Yreka-Fort Jones region to the mafic body is divided into two units by Hietanen
north, and also in north-central Oregon, blueschists (1977, and oral commun., 1977)--the Calaveras Forma-
in presumably correlative rocks yield K-Ar isotopic tion (restricted) on the east and the Horseshoe Bend
ages of approximately 220 m.y. (Hotz and others, Formation on the west, separated by island-arc meta-
1977). The blueschists are not thought to represent volcanic rocks of the Fra.nklin Canyon Formation. The
metamorphosed ophiolite. Their isotopic ages, if ultramafic and other ophiolitic(?) rocks occur mainly
Middle Triassic, seem to indicate a metamorphic event with the Horseshoe Bend Formation. They include ser-
somewhat older than the Late Triassic age of the upper pentinite, peridotite, metagabbro and hornblendite,
part of the North Fork ophiolite indicated by the metadiorite, and metatrondhjemite. The Horseshoe
radiolarian chert. Bend Formation is interbedded volcanic, volcani-
Ophiolite in the Preston Peak area, just south of clastic, and sedimentary rocks, with lenses of re-
the Oregon border, forms the western lip of the thrust crystallized limestone that contain deformed and
plate of so-called western Paleozoic and Triassic unidentified fossils. Although considered probably
rocks. As described by Snoke (in press), the ophio- Paleozoic by Hietanen, there is no direct evidence of
lite consists of a basal sheet of serpentinized tec- the age of these rocks in the Feather River region.
tonitic peridotite and minor pyroxenite, overlain and However, the associated ophiolitic(?} rocks are here
intruded by a diabasic complex, with a metamorphic tentatively considered to be Triassic by analogy with
contrast between the two units. The diabasic complex presumably correlative rocks of the western Paleozoic
is in turn overlain by metabasalt and metasedimentary and Triassic belt of the Klamath Mountains.
rocks. In the ultramafic rock near the base of the Not only the melange terrane of the Sierra Nevada
sheet is a serpentinite melange that contains blocks but also the melange terrane of east-central Oregon in
of amphibolite. An unusual aspect of the Preston some ways resembles the western Paleozoic and Triassic
Peak ophiolite is the presence of coarse jackstraw- terrane of the Klamath Mountains. A general resem-
textured talc-olivine rock in the peridotite. Snoke blance in lithology and tectonic style is enhanced by
considers this spinifex-like texture to result from the presence in Oregon of Permian limestone bodies
hydrothermal alteration of the peridotite rather than with fossils of Tethyan fauna! affinities (Bostwick
from a chilled ultramafic melt. The ophiolite is and Nestell, 1967) and 220 m.y.-old blueschist (Hotz
bordered on the west and underthrust by Upper Jurassic and others, in press}. For the present discussion,
flysch (Galice Formation). It is overlain by volcanic the principal difference lies with the ophiolitic
and sedimentary rocks of the western Paleozoic and rocks for which, as previously noted, there is iso-
Triassic belt. Isotopic or paleontologic ages that topic evidence of Late Paleozoic age in Oregon
are pertinent to the age of the Preston Peak ophiolite (Canyon Mountain Complex) and paleontologic evidence
are not available, but the age probably is Triassic of Late Triassic age in the southern Klamath Mountains
based on analogy with the age tentatively assigned to (ophiolites of North Fork and Rattlesnake Creek ter-
the ophiolite of the North Fork and Rattlesnake ter- ranes) .
ranes.
LOWER OR MIDDLE JURASSIC OPHIOLITIC ROCKS
Sierra Nevada
Island arc volcanic rocks and flysch of Jurassic
In the northern Sierra Nevada, a broad belt of age lie in a belt that trends along the western side
interbedded chert, phyllite, minor mafic volcanic of the central and northern Sierra Nevada, and re-
rocks, and limestone trends generally along the west- appear to the northwest where they crop out along the
ern side of the Feather River ultramafic body and its arcuate western edge of the Klamath Mountains, Asso-
southerly extensions along the Melones fault zone. ciated with these are abundant ultramafic and other
These rocks are referred to the Calaveras Formation rocks of probable ophiolitic affinity. Correlative
(Clark, 1976) and are considered by some to be a rocks are not known to extend into east-central Oregon.
melange (Schweickert and Cowan, 1975). They are
thought to be tectonic correlatives of the so-called Sierra Nevada
~estern Paleozoic and Triassic belt of the Klamath
Mountains (Davis, 1969). Southward the continuity of In the Sierra Nevada these volcanic rocks and
these rocks is disrupted by large fault-slices of arc- flysch are typified by the Logtown Ridge and Mariposa
related rocks of probable Jurassic age, and'may be Formations, and are associated with the Smartsville
represented in the latitudes of the Consumnes and complex. The Logtown Ridge Formation ranges from
Mokelumne Rivers by a narrow sliver of melange (Duf- fine-grained tuf f to coarse breccia of pyroxene meta-
field and Sharp, 1975) consisting of rocks referred andesi te, and includes some pillow lava. It is about
to by earlier workers as a western belt of Calaveras 1320 meters thick at the type locality (Clark, 1964)
Formation (Clark, 1964). As with the western Paleo- and is Middle or early Late Jurassic in age (Duffield
zoic and Triassic belt, the Paleozoic age of the and Sharp, 1975). The Mariposa Formation, as des-
Calaveras west of the Feather River ultramafic body cribed by Clark (1964), consists mostly of slate,
CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND NEVADA OPHIOLITIC TERRANES - IRWIN 85
tuff, graywacke, and conglomera.te, and locally in- Formation of the western Sierra Nevada. At some
cludes a volcanic member that is lithologically simi- places the volcanic rocks greatly predominate in the
lar to the Logtown Ridge Formation. Chert is rare. lower part of the section, where they are as much as
Thicknesses of partial sections measured at two lo- several kilometers thick and are locally known as the
calities are 830 and 1230 meters. The Mariposa Rogue Formation (Wells and Walker, 1953). The Rogue
locally overlies the Logtown Ridge Formation and is Formation is mainly pyroclastic meta-andesite but in-
Late Jurassic (Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian) in age. cludes metabasalt and metarhyolite.
At the latitude of the Tuolumne River, Morgan The largest exposure of ultramafic rock in the
(1973) describes an ophiolite that lies in a narrow western Klamath Mountains is the Josephine Peridotite,
zone between the Bear Mountain fault on the west and which lies across the boundary between California and
faulted Mariposa Formation on the east. The ophio- Oregon and which rivals the Trinity ultramafic sheet
lite is mainly dunite, wehrlite, gabbro, pillow lava in size. It is exposed continuously for more than
and volcanic breccia. The gabbro intrudes both the 150 kilometers along the western boundary of the pro-
ultramafic and volcanic rocks. The pillow lava and vince, and although the northern and southern parts
breccia are part of the Pe~on Blanco Volcanics, which are only a few kilometers wide, the width of the
conformably underlie the Mariposa Formation elsewhere middle section is nearly 20 kilometers.
and which are probably Late Jurassic in age (Clark, Exposures of cumulate gabbro, diabase, and
1964). Antigorite schists predominate near the base spilite just north of the boundary between California
of the ophiolite. The presence of blocks of marble, and Oregon are described by Vail and Dasch (1977) as
slate, chert, greenstone, and amphibolite in the the mafic part of an ophiolite that includes the
schists suggest a metamorphosed melange. Morgan in- Josephine Peridotite. Major element compositions of
terprets the ophiolite as being thrust onto the con- the rocks are similar to those of other ophiolites,
tinental margin. and the abundance patterns of titanium, zirconium, and
The Smartsville complex is an ophiolite (Moores, rare earth elements show close affinities to oceanic
1975) that occupies a narrow wedge-shaped area about ridge rocks. Slate and graywacke of the Galice For-
70 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide in the mation depositionally overlie the ophiolite, and
northern Sierra Nevada. It is separated from the although there is no bedded chert at the contact,
alluviated floor of the Great Valley by a narrow band minor amounts of radiolarian chert occur between
of pyroxene meta-andesite that resembles Logtown Ridge pillows in the underlying volcanic rocks. Vail and
Formation, with which the ophiolite is in contact Dasch interpret the ophiolite as oceanic crust that
along a broad north-northwest-trending shear zone. On formed in a marginal basin, near a continent, behind
the east the Smartsville complex is in contact with an island arc that is represented by Rogue and Galice
melange. The complex consists largely of pillow lava Formations. However, at some localities the Rogue is
and sheeted dikes and is thought to be a slab of the intruded by a multitude of diabase, gabbro, and
upper level of pre-Late Jurassic oceanic crust that is diorite dikes, and these may represent a sheeted-dike
surprisingly unaffected by younger tectonic events part of an ophiolite (Ramp, 1975).
(Moores, 1975). Schweickert and Cowan (1975) also Rocks of the region along the northern part of
consider the complex a fragment of oceanic crust, but the Josephine Peridotite are called Rogue River Island
one that formed in an interarc or marginal basin Arc Complex by Garcia (1976), who describes the com-
during the Jurassic. The slab of crust is broadly plex as consisting of three units that are separated
antiformal along a north-northwest axis, as described by steep northeast-trending faults. The western unit
by Buer (1977), and for a width of 2 to 5 kilometers is essentially the Josephine Peridotite consisting of
along the core of the antiform nearly all of the rocks tectonized harzburgite and dunite, clinopyroxenite,
are diabase dikes that consistently strike north- lherzolite, troctolite, banded anorthosite and gabbro,
northwest and dip steeply eastward. The dikes average and quartz diorite. These rocks were folded and meta-
.1 to 2 meters thick, have crosscutting relations, and morphosed prior to intrusion of 140 m.y.-old grano-
are chilled against screens of plagiogranite, diorite, diorite. The middle unit, Briggs Creek amphibolite,
and gabbro near the base of the complex (Day, 1977). is in fault contact with the ultramafic-mafic unit.
On the flanks of the dike complex is a sequence of It consists of a 3.5 kilometer width of folded and
pillow lavas about 1.5 kilometers thick that toward metamorphosed mafic igneous and sedimentary rocks that
the lower contact is increasingly intruded by dikes, include bedded chert with manganese deposits. In
and as further described by Buer (1977), the pillow fault contact on the east is a 5 kilometer thick sec-
lavas are succeeded stratigraphically upward to the tion of predominantly intermediate to silicic volcanic
west by a 1.5 to 2 kilometer-thickness of pyroxene rocks of the Rogue and Galice Formations. Garcia
meta-andesitic and related volcanic rocks similar to interprets the volcanic rocks as an island arc deposit
those west of the Smartsville terrane. based on their composition and dominantly pyroclastic
nature, and he suggests that the ultramafic-mafic and
Klamath Mountains amphibolite units represent fragments of oceanic
lithosphere on which the volcanic arc was built.
In western Klamath Mountains, the flysch and vol-
canic arc. deposits with which the ultramafic rocks are UPPER JURASSIC OPHIOLITIC ROCKS
associated are the Galice and Rogue Formations. The
rocks along the arcuate westerly-facing border of the The Coast Range ophiolite
province are underthrust from the west mainly by South
Fork Mountain Schist (blueschist facies) in California The youngest of the belts of ophiolitic rocks
and by tectonized Dothan Formation and related rocks under discussion is the Coast Range ophiolite. It is
in Oregon. On the east they are thrust beneath rocks exposed mainly along the Coast Ranges of California
of the western Paleozoic and Triassic belt. The between the latitudes of the south end of the Klamath
Galice Formation is exposed along most of the 350 Mountains and the Transverse Ranges, but important
kilometer length of the western boundary of the pro- exposures are present to the north in southwestern
vince. It consists of slaty shale and graywacke, Oregon and as far to the south as the Vizcaino Penin-
with some interlayers of volcanic rock, and is thous- sula of Baja California (Jones and others, 1976).
ands of meters thick. Fossils indicate that the The Coast Range ophioljte is the most thoroughly
Galice is Late Jurassic (late Oxfordian to middle studied and perhaps the best understood in regard to
Kimmeridgian) in age, an equivalent of the Mariposa structural position and regional tectonic development
86 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
of any of the major divisions of ophiolites of the to zeolite or greenschist assemblages, and does not
Pacific Coast region. It was described in broad out- show evidence of blueschist metamorphism char acteris-
line and named in a now c lassic paper by Bailey, tic of some Franciscan rocks.
Blake, and Jones (1970)--a paper that sparked much The foregoing generalizations regarding the Coast
additional interest in the s tudy of ophiolites. The Range ophiolite are based most ly on relations at ten
Coast Range ophiolite is now considered by most localities at various intervals along the northern and
workers to be the basal part of a regional thrust southern Coast Ranges, some localities that Bailey and
plate of Great Valley sequence flys ch, beneath whi ch others ( 1970) examined in the field, and others that
the Franciscan assemblage of the Coast Ranges is they r e -interpreted from published reports. As a re-
thrust (subducted) eastward. sult of quickened inter est in ophiolites, much add i-
Most of the ultramafic rock of the Coast Range tiona l research has been done on the Coast Range
province of California is in the northern par t, where ophiolite, and much of this has been at the localities
the general distribution was mapped in reconnaissance described by Bailey and others (1970) . Two of these
during the 1950' s ( Irwin, 1960). At that time the localities in particular are at Point Sal and the Red
Franciscan "eugeosynclinal" rocks that made up most Mountain-Del Puerto area, both of which are described
of the northern Coast Ranges were genera lly thought in detail elsewhere in this volume .
to be "basement" on which the Late Jurass ic and
Cretaceous fly sch of the Great Valley sequence were
deposited. However, the reconnaissance mapping showed
that most of the ultramafic rock occurs as tabular
masses that separate Franciscan rocks from flysch of
the Great Valley sequence . The reconnaissance a l so
resulted in the dis covery of additional fossils, and
owing to these and other factors it became apparent
that the Franciscan rocks are the same general age as
the Great Valley sequence r a ther than older (Irwin,
1957). To explain the distribution of t he ultramafic
rock, the two facies of coeval stratigraphic units,
and other relations, it was postulated that the Great
Valley sequence was thrust on top of Franciscan rocks
along a great low-angle fault with a root zone to the
east , and that the ultramafic rock intruded along the
fault (Irwin, 1964). Along this great fault, later
named the Coast Range thrust (Bailey and others,
1970), Great Valley sequence was considered to be
thrust over Franciscan as much as 80 kilometers west
of the main trace of the fault (Irwin, 1964) . With
the advent of the plate tectonic concept in the late
1960's, the oceanic aspect and blueschist content of
the Franciscan quickly led to the interpretation of
the Franciscan-Great Valley interface as a subduction
zone a long a convergent plate boundary. This raised
the possibility that the Coast Range thrust may have
resulted in much greater crustal shortening than the
minimum 80 kilometers previously envisioned .
The Coast Range ophiolite, as described by Bailey
and others (1970), is depositionally overlain by Upper
Jurassic mudstone, sandstone, and conglomerate of the
Great Valley sequence, and at the base is in fault
contact with Franciscan rocks along the Coast Range
thrust. They state that typically the lowest part of
the ophiolite is pyroxene-bearing peridotite that Figure 8 - Looking westward toward ophiolitic rocks at
locally includes dunite and minor pyroxenite and that "The Gorge"- - a narrow canyon where Thomes
generally is not more than 1500 meters thick . The Creek cuts through the Coast Range ophiolite
peridotite gives way upward to a layered complex con- at the west edge of the Great Valley near
sisting of norite, gabbro, anorthosite, hornblendite, Paskenta. Man in foreground is standing on
and minor trondjemite. These rocks are overlain by a serpentinite. Pillow lavas are exposed in
600- to 1500-meter thick section of volcanic rocks. the canyon walls.
The lower part of the volcanic section is diabase and
basalt, some showing pillow structure. Kera tophyre
or quartz keratophyre locally predominate in the upper A third loca lity mentioned by Bailey and others
part of the volcanic section, which tends to be (1970) is an allochthon of Coast Range ophiolite near
breccia and tuff. Chert c ommonly occurs at the top San Luis Obispo, west of the Salinian block. It is
of the volcanic section, in some instances as silici- described in more detail by Page (1972) as a coherent
fied tuff, and in some as rhythmically bedded radio- synclinal remnant of mantle, oceanic crust, and over-
larian chert . On the basis of 64 analyses of rocks lying Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, resting on Francis-
from vari ous localities of Coast Range ophiolite, can melange. The Mesozoic sedimentary rocks are
Bailey and Blake (1974) concluded that the major marine shale and sandstone of the Toro Formation, a
element content is like that of rocks dredged from correlative of the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) and
oceanic ridges, but that the data are not sufficient Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian) rocks of the Great
to distinguish among a spreading ridge, interarc Valley sequence. Here the Toro is 600 meters thick,
basin, or root zone of an island arc, as the site of and at the base is 5 to 130 meters of Upper Jur assic
formation of the Coast Range ophiolite. According to radiolarian chert that Page considers to be clearly
R. G. Coleman (oral commun., 1977) the Coast Range depositional on the pillow basalt at the top of the
ophiolite shows only oceanic hydrothermal alteration ophiolite sequence. The upper layer of the ophiolite
CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND NEVADA OPHIOLITIC TERRANES - IRWIN 87
EXPLANATION
ROCKS OF THE
FRANC I SCAN ASSEMBLAGE
c
CALAV ERAS FAULT
--l
H -- 0
HAYW ARD FAULT .v
v
s -- ~V__ _
SARGENT
FAULT
;.___
--0 v -
q- -
0
0 100
KILOMETERS
{oppro<i mole)
is not only pillow lava but includes basalt breccia amphibolite. The high-pressure mineral assemblage
and keratophyre. It is intruded by many dikes and forsterite-enstatite-diopside-spinel is reported from
sills of diabase, gabbro, quartz diorite, and quartz the four named peridotite bodies by Medaris and Dott
albitite, and is greater than 1200 meters thick. (1970), which, combined with other data, suggests to
Part of the upper layer is faulted out where it is in them that these peridotites recrystallized at high
contact with the lower layer of the ophiolite. The temperature (1100-12000C) over a range of pressures
lower layer is serpentinite that is derived partly decreasing from 19 to S kilobars. They consider the
from harzburgite and probably dunite and pyroxenite, peridotites to be derived from the upper mantle at a
and is more than 1400 meters thick. Page visualizes depth of SO to 60 kilometers along an ancestral
this remnant of oceanic crust as floating like a raft spreading ridge.
while Franciscan melange passed under it in the upper The resemblance of the Snow Camp peridotite to
part of a subduction zone during plate convergence. the Coast Range ophiolite results from the presence of
The Late Jurassic age assigned to the Coast Range strata correlative with the Great Valley sequence that
ophiolite is based mainly on the relation of the Great rest on the Snow Camp peridotite, and the presence of
Valley sequence to the ophiolite, the paleontologic regional blueschist (Colebrooke Schist) in fault con-
age of the chert in the upper part of the ophiolite, tact on the west of the peridotite. The strata
the isotopic ages of gabbroic parts of the ophiolite, correlative with the Great Valley sequence are de-
and on the tectonic relation of the ophiolite to the positional on the Snow Camp peridotite according to
blueschist that regionally underlies the Coast Range Datt (1971), but are considered to be allochthonous in
thrust. The Great Valley sequence is depositional on relation to the peridotite by Coleman (1972, pl. 1).
the Coast Range ophiolite (Bailey and others, 1970), Unlike the Coast Range ophiolite, the Snow Camp peri-
and the basal strata generally are considered to dotite is intruded by "Nevadan" diorite plutons--
represent the middle or upper Tithonian Stage of the plutons of Coleman's "Pearse Peak type"--that com-
Upper Jurassic. However, at an ophiolite locality monly yield K-Ar isotopic ages of approximately 145
near Paskenta, the lowermost strata of overlying m.y. The oldest of these is the Collier Butte Diorite
Great Valley sequence contain fossils, Buchia rugosa, of Koch (1966), with an age of 151 m.y. (Datt, 1971).
that represent a middle to late Kimmeridgian Stage of In addition to the "Nevadan" intrusives, dioritic to
the Upper Jurassic (Jones, 1975). Radiolarians from gabbroic rocks that are considered to be part of the
chert at a number of ophiolite localities, including mafic-ultramafic complex yield K-Ar isotopic ages that
Point Sal, are characteristic of Subzone 2A--the same are considerably older than would be expected for the
age as the Buchia rugosa-bearing beds of the Great Coast Range ophiolite. Of these, the Saddle Mountain
Valley sequence near Paskenta (Pessagno, 1977) . pluton in the Snow Camp peridotite gave an age of 285
K-Ar isotopic ages were measured on Coast Range m.y., and a small gabbro mass in the highly sheared
ophiolite at two localities by Lanphere (1971)--one Carpenterville peridotite gave 215 m.y. (Dott, 1971).
locality at South Fork of Elder Creek near Paskenta, An allochthon of Coast Range ophiolite and asso-
and the other in the Red Mountain-Del Puerto area. ciated strata correlative with Great Valley sequence
At the Elder Creek locality, gabbro dikes cut pyroxe- occupy a wedge-shaped area of more than 700 square
nite and are truncated at a contact with overlying kilometers in the vicinity of Riddle at the north end
mafic volcanic breccia. A sample of the gabbro about of the Klamath Mountains. According to Jones (1973)
2 meters below the breccia yielded an age of 151 m.y. the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous correlatives
Gabbro from the Red Mountain-Del Puerto ultramafic of the Great Valley sequence, in this region called
mass yielded an age of 160 m.y., and amphibole from an Myrtle Group, are depositional on the ophiolite, He
isolated block of cumulate peridotite yielded an age states that the ophiolite and associated Myrtle Group
of 158 m.y. At Point Sal, Hopson and others (1975) are thrust over the coeval Dothan Formation that
report a concordant U-Pb isotopic age of 160 m.y. for borders the allochthon on the northwest, and that the
zircon from an albite granite dike that cuts gabbro. fault probably is a northern equivalent of the Coast
They interpret the isotopic age to correspond to the Range thrust of California. Just northwest of Riddle,
Callovian Stage of the late Middle Jurassic. a lateritic soil developed on the ophiolite is the
source of the only significant production of nickel in
Southwestern Oregon the United States.
Burnett, J. L., and Jennings, C. W., 1962, Geologic Hietanan, Anna, 1977, Metamorphic and plutonic rocks
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CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND NEVADA OPHIOLITIC TERRANES - IRWIN 91
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92 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Saleeby, J. B., 1975, Structure, petrology, and geo- Thayer, T. P., 1956, Preliminary geologic map of the
chronology of the Kings-Kaweah mafic-ultramafic John Day quadrangle, Oregon: U.S. Geol. Survey
belt, southwestern Sierra Nevada foothills, Cali- Miscellaneous Investigations Field Studies Map
fornia: University of California at Santa Barbara, MF-51.
Ph.D. thesis, 286 p. Thayer, T. P., 1963, The Canyon Mountain Complex,
Saleeby, Jason, 1976, Zircon Pb/U geochronology of Oregon, and the alpine mafic magma stem: U.S.
the Kings-Kaweah ophiolitic belt, southwestern Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 475-C, p. C82-C85.
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93
Thomas P. Thayer
the peridotite is on the north, the gabbro in the deposits occur. The peridotite, however, ranges in
middle, and the basaltic dikes and silicic rocks on composition from dunite to wehrlite, in a pattern
the south. The gabbro forms the highest part of the that appears to characterize other alpine complexes.
Canyon Mountain section of the range, which is 2000 Dunite commonly forms dikes and small lenses in
to 2450 m in altitude and has local relief of 900- harzburgite, but the larger masses occur near or with
1400 m. Peridotite and gabbro are well exposed in wehrlite and pyroxenite (shown together as pyroxene-
the northern slopes, which were glaciated above about rich peridotite on the map) near the transition zone
1500 m. The sheeted dike unit and border of the to gabbro. Unlike harzburgite, in wehrlite the
gabbro are Levealed in precipitous exposures on the olivine and pyroxene show a marked tendency to
southern side of the range. The complex is covered segregate into lenses of dunite and pyroxenite in
by Tertiary volcanic rocks on the south, and faulted which diopside crystals commonly are 5 cm but may be
on the other three sides. On the east it is faulted as large as 15 cm. Olivine in dunite also may be as
against Tertiary volcanic rocks, and on the west it much as 15 cm in size. Cumulus textures and layering
is sheared against or over serpentinite melange. are shown best in wehrlite composed about half-and-
half of olivine and pyroxene that are 2-5 nnn in
Previous investigations and present study grain size.
Podif orm chromite dep~sits that range in size
The first mapping of the Canyon Mountain Complex from a few kilograms to 125,000 tons are scattered
was done in 1939, when the U.S. Geological Survey through the peridotite (Thayer, 1940, 1956). The
examined the chromite deposits in the region and, in chromite ore ranges from massive chromitite, in which
cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, appraised grains of chromite and occluded olivines are centi-
the chromite resources (Thayer, 1940). In 1946, the meters across, to fine-grained low-grade layered
author undertook systematic geologic mapping of the olivine chromitite (disseminated ore) that shows
complex in a search for guides to chromite ore relict net texture (Thayer, 1969) .. Nodular texture
bodies, a study that expanded ultimately to regional is shown in several deposits. Undeformed solid
dimensions (Brown and Thayer, 1966a, 1966b; Thayer, nodules as much as 3 cm in diameter occur in the
1956; Thayer and Brown, 1966). In 1975, the parts of Haggard and New deposit (Thayer, 1940). Olivine or
the complex covered by the Strawberry Mountain serpentine after olivine forms the matrix in most of
Wilderness, mainly the gabbro and sheeted dike unit, the deposits, but diopside is also present in several
were sampled geochemically, and certain areas, deposits in the eastern part of the complex. At the
especially in the dike unit, were examined in detail Celebration mine, poikilitic diopside and a little
(Thayer and Stotelmeyer, 1977). Studies were based enstatite form the matrix between undeformed nodules,
primarily on field mapping with aerial photographs at and diopside is intergrown with chromite in the cores
scales of 1:20,000-1:25,000, thin section petrography, (Thayer, 1969, fig. 9); some specimens, however, show
and rock analyses. Ave~Lallemant (1976) contributed gradations to an olivine matrix between nodules.
petrofabric data on the peridotite and gabbro. Cotectic diopside and chromite are shown in the Ajax
deposit and are indicated in several others. In the
Aim of the paper and acknowledgments Ajax, diopside is intergrown with high-Al chromite in
the cores of lineated nodules that are enclosed in a
The aim of this paper is to describe the field matrix of serpentine after olivine (Thayer, 1940,
relations and some petrography of the rocks in the fig. 13; 1969, fig. 12). Textures and distribution
complex, and to present some chemical data. The of diopside, chromite, and serpentine in higher grade
information has led to interpretations that differ and more strongly lineated ore at the Chambers and
from some generally accepted petrologic and structural some other deposits indicate original cotectic inter-
theories, but that are believed to be more consistent growths of chromite and diopside. Cleaned chromite
with features seen by the author or described by from deposits in the Canyon Mountain Complex shows
others in other ophiolitic complexes, the following general range in composition, in weight
Interpretations regarding petrogenesis and percent (Bird, 1977): Cr203, 31-63; Al203, 8-39;
emplacement of the various rocks in the Canyon total Fe as FeO, 14-22; MgO, 10-16. This composi-
Mountain Complex have changed drastically in 30 years tional variation is similar to that found by
as work progressed, and visitors came and went. The Greenbaum (in press) in the Troodos Ophiolite Complex,
following members of the Geological Survey contributed Cyprus.
to the field mapping: C, Ervin Brown, G.R. Hinnnelberg, The gabbroic rocks of the complex range mostly
R.A. Loney, P.W. Guild, A.B. Griggs, E.R. Force, and between about 30 and 70 percent bytownite or labra-
R.R. Carlson. As visitors, Ian Campbell, E.D. Jackson, dorite; olivine, hypersthene, and augite in various
A. Nicolas, and J.W. Dickey, Jr., provided critical proportions; and accessory magnetite or ilmenite.
ideas and observations. Discussions with B.A. Morgan, Primary brown hornblende is present only in some
III and B.R. Lipin were invaluable in focusing and rocks as thin reaction rims, All gradations between
incorporating some of the ideas into the manuscript. feldspathic peridotite, pyroxenite, anorthosite, and
gabbroic anorthosite containing as much as 30 percent
PERIDOTITE-GABBRO SEQUENCE quartz have been found. Intense shearing of quartz-
rich layers to quartz-labradorite granulite shows
The rocks that the quartz is primary. Anorthosite and quartz
anorthosite occur only as layers a few centimeters
The peridotite and gabbro form a condnuous thick, Layering is well developed over wide areas,
lithologic sequence, which probably was emplaced into and in places remarkable mineralogic contrasts are
its present structural setting as a solid tectonic shown between adjacent layers (Thayer, 1963a, p. 56).
unit. The sequence exemplifies the harzburgite Cumulus textures are common in unsheared gabbro and
subtype of alpine peridotite-gabbro complexes are implied by mineral-graded bands in gneissic
(Jackson and Thayer, 1972). The peridotite is facies. Layering is most prominent near peridotite,
dominantly harzburgite that probably averages about and much gabbro near the southern border shows little
80 percent olivine, in which enstatite ranges from primary structure, The normal gabbro ranges from
10-30 percent, diopside ranges from 4-10 percent about 1 or 2 ,nnn to about 5 mm in grain size, and shows
(Ave'Lallemant, 1976, p. 9) and podiform chromite. allotromorphic or granulitic textures. No ophitic or
CANYON MOUNTAIN COMPLEX - THAYER 95
diabasic textures have been seen in gabbro. In peg- except for small channel-type peridotite lenses, the
matitic dikes and irregular masses, 10-15 cm crystals gabbro forms a homogeneous, although complexly
are common. In most gabbro pegmatites the plagio- folded, mass. South and southwest of Baldy Mountain,
clase is An75-90, both hypersthene and clinopyroxene peridotite and gabbro appear to be intercalated in
are abundant, magnetite content is low, no amphibole complex lenticular masses that strike east to north-
or quartz is present. Although pegmatites cut both east, In this area, peridotite and gabbro show
peridotite and gabbro, they seem to be most abundant extremely complex field relations, and according to
in highly deformed gabbro. Ave Lallemant (1976, p. 13), the gabbro shows
Numerous isolated lenses of wehrlitic peridotite isoclinal folding that is not present in the western
occur in the gabbro apparently as much as 2 km from part.
the main peridotite contact. They range in size from The differences between the e.astern and western
about 2 by 10 m to 150 by 275 m, show poikilitic parts of the peridotite-gabbro block may be explained
(apparently cumulus) or coarse granular texture, are by an overall westward plunge of the unit as a whole,
rich in olivine, and grade into gabbro through a few and by folding and faulting. A recent aeromagnetic
centimeters of pyroxenite. They are interpreted as survey of the complex (Case and Thayer, 1977) shows
small channel deposits analogous to those described steep magnetic gradients which indicate that
by Myers (1976) in the Fiskenaesset Anorthosite peridotite extends southward under the gabbro in
Complex in Greenland. Canyon Mountain. South of Baldy Mountain, positive
Petrologic continuity between peridotite and magnetic anomalies over peridotite lenses are dispro-
gabbro is manifest in outcrop, and is indicated by portionately large, and broaden into a magnetic bench
geochemistry. Complete transitions from harzburgite or terrace 900-1200 m in width. A magnetic trough
through wehrlite to gabbro by interlayering, by about 1 km wide slopes southwestward across the west
mineral grading across layering, by variation in end of the magnetic bench from the northerly salient
composition of minerals, and by interfingering of in the peridotite-gabbro contact west of Baldy
layers along strike, are magnificently displayed Mountain. The magnetic trough is believed to
along the divide between Pine and Indian Creeks south indicate a steep westward plunge of the mixed
of Baldy Mountain, and in ridges to the west in Pine peridotite-gabbro zone south of Baldy Mountain under
Creek basin. The cumulus and metacumulus textures in the southeast limb of a synclinal trough filled with
chromite deposits label their harzburgite host rocks gabbro. The magnetic trough and the anticline at the
as cumulates or metacumulates also. The succession west end of the complex appear to plunge at similar
harzburgite-wehrlite-olivine gabbro is explained angles in the same direction. The distribution of
most logically by enrichment of MgO-rich gabbroic peridotite and gabbro south and southwest of Baldy
magma in Cao, Al203, and Si02 as the result of Mountain and the magnetic bench imply a series of
fractional crystallization of olivine and enstatite. anticlinal folds in the peridotite-gabbro transition
The appearance of diopside before plagioclase in the zone. Large tight east-west folds and fault slices,
cumulate sequence indicates a high ratio of CaO to which were cross-folded along northerly axes during
Al203 in the liquid, but the coprecipitation of development of Ave Lallemant's F1 and F2 folds could
high-Al chromite (30-36 percent Al203) with the account for the present distribution of the rocks.
diopside shows that the wehrlite formed from magma Westward plunge of the complex would bury peridotite
rich in Al203. Absence of an obvious iron-enrichment in the crests of anticlines under stratigraphically
differentiation trend from harzburgite to wehrlite is higher gabbro. Much more detailed mapping than has
consistent, on a larger scale, with the progressive been done so far will be needed for a realistic
decrease of total iron in chromite that Jackson (1963) estimate of the relative proportions or thicknesses
found through 960 m of peridotite in the Stillwater of gabbro and peridotite in the complex.
Complex, and also indicated in the Great Dyke and Deformation of the magma chamber during crys-
Bushveld Complexes. Equilibration during intense tallization of peridotite and gabbro, as George (1975)
deformation and recrystallization, furthermore, would has postulated in Cyprus, would explain the westward
reduce or eliminate original zoning. decrease in deformation of gabbro that Ave"Lallemant
has described, and would be consistent with
Structure of the Peridotite-gabbro Block peridotite-gabbro relations in the ridge south of
Baldy Mountain. There, as Frank Schairer observed in
The peridotite and gabbro together form a 1961, "Peridotite and gabbro sure have been stirred
structural unit that originated before intrusion of up with a long-handled platinum spoon." Unusual
plagiogranite and basaltic dikes. Deformational plasticity of feldspathic rocks in the presence of
features that characterize the peridotite and much of pyroxenite and gabbro magma is implied by foliated
the gabbro have been outlined previously by Thayer dikes in gabbro and peridotite (Thayer, 1963a, figs.
(1963a, 1969) and described in considerable detail by 8, 9; Ave"Lallemant, 1976, figs. 4c, 4d). Although
Ave'Lallemant (1976). Such features do not affect Ave"Lallemant (1976, table 1) postulated a definite
the sheeted dikes that cut them. The overall sequence of igneous phases, others and I would compare
structure and evolution of this block still are the formation of foliated and undeformed gabbroic
obscure and controversial in some respects, pegmatites (Thayer, 1963a, figs, 3, 10) to granite
The distribution of peridotite and gabbro, and pegmatites in migmatite terrains. Whether the magma
especially of the wehrlitic rocks, differs essentially was introduced, as postulated by Ave"Lallemant, or
in the eastern and western parts of the complex. At formed interstitially in mushy cumulate, deformation
the west end, a southwestward-plunging anticline is of peridotite and gabbro in the presence ofinterstial
indicated by symmetrical distribution, from the liquid seems indisputable. In accordance with
center outward, of olivine-rich harzburgite, dunite, George's hypothesis, the stratigraphically higher and
and the wehrlite-pyroxenite facies (py on map) younger gabbro in Canyon Mountain would not have
between gabbro in Canyon and Little Canyon Mountains. crystallized sufficiently to transmit shear stresses
In the south limb of the anticline, gabbro has been by the time the basal gabbro and wehrlite were folded.
dropped perhaps 500 m against harzburgite and In the western end of the complex, however, much of
wehrlitic rocks by an east-west fault between Dog and the gabbro is foliated and is more strongly folded
Canyon Creeks. Between Dog and Dean Creeks the than Ave"Lallemant implies. Demonstration of
harzburgite-wehrlite-gabbro sequence is intact, and gradually decreasing deformation in gabbro toward the
96 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
west, therefore, might be very difficult. Moores (1975, p. 391) have emphasized this process in
the Vourinos wi th the s tatement that "The gener al
Petrogenesis of Peridotite and Gabbro paucity of space- filling postcumulus phases indicates
tha t cooling took a rather long time compared with
Although prevailing theory (Ave"Lallemant, 1976; large layered complexes of similar depth and
Bail ey and Blake, 1974; Greenbaum, in press; Jackson, thickness.,.". I believe that the Vourinos , Troodos,
Gr een and Moores, 1975) postulates a major petro- a nd Canyon Mountain complexes exhibit a harzburgite-
geneti c hiatus between tectonitic harzburgite as a wehrlite ~ c linopyr oxenite - gabbro cumulus differentia-
refractory residuum and ultramafic and gabbroic tion trend that characterizes ophiolites . The
cumulates as gravitational differentiates, comparison composition of segregated chromite and absence of
of t he Canyon Mountain Complex with the Vourinos prominent orthopyr oxene cumulates are only two of
Ophiolite and Troodos Ophiolite Complex sugges t s a several features tha t s et this alpine trend apart
different i nte rpretation. In the Vourinos, Jackson, from the Stillwater and Bushveld magmatic lines of
Green, and Moores (1975) found a major "unconfo rmity" descent. More careful study and consideration of the
between tectonitic harzburgite and a gently folded effect s of deformation during crystallization of
c umulate sequence from dunite through wehrlite and cumulates should clarify the problem .
clinopyroxenite to hornblende gabbro. In the Troodos,
Geor ge (1975) and Greenbaum (in press) have described THE SHEETED DIKE SEQUENCE
a similar sequence. There, tectonitic harzburgite
contains lense& of chromitite in dunite , principally The sheeted dike unit i s a complex of silicic
near the border "where they grade into apophyses of and basaltic r ocks ; it is exposed over a length of
large dunit e bodies int erdigi t a t ed with the harz- about 13 km and a width of 0.8-4 km. The unit
burgite" (George, 1975 , p. 21). Dunite forms masses consis t s mostly of sheets of basalt or diabase,
1 km or more i n width (or thickness) and grades keratophyre, and plagiogranite (f ig. 1).
upward into wehrlite, c linopyroxenit e, and gabbr o.
Intense penetrative deformation dies out in the
dunite; chromite ore in different parts of the Chrome
Mine r anges in t exture from undeformed c umulu s
orbicular to tec t onitic schlieren-banded. Cumulus
textures in wehrlite and gabbr o are undeformed.
Chromit e in the Troodos deposits r anges f rom about
35 to 63 percent Cr 2 o3 , and s hows the r eciprocal
Cr-Al variation typical of podiform deposits
(Greenbaum, in press) . The principal difference
between the peridotite-gabbro sequences in the Canyon
Mountain, the Vourinos, and the Troodos seems to be
that part of the gabbro in Ca nyon Mountain shows the
same deformational histor y as the harzburgite.
If the harzburgite in these complexes is not
cogenetic with the associat ed wehrlitic and gabbroic
rocks, r epetition of the same suite of rocks in many
alpine complexes must be explained. The three
complexes show almost identical cumulus mineral
s uccessions in ascending order: olivine, olivine-
chromite, olivine-diopside , olivine-diopside-plagio-
clase, and plagioclase-diopsid e-hypersthene .
Podiform ore bodies of high-Cr chromit e occur with
dunite i n the harzbur gite in all three complexes,
In the Canyon Mountain and in the ultramafic bel t in
the Coolac District, Australia, (Golding and Johnson ,
1971) the unusual association chromite-diop side~
olivine can be regard ed as merely bringing together
two mi nerals that form separate cumulate l ayers in
the lowe r unit of the Vourinos s tratifor m complex
(Jackson, Green, and Moores, 1975, p. 391). Further-
more, Smith (1958, p. 98) portrayed a very close
association of high-Al chromite (63.6 percent
Cr203+Al203, 22 pe r cent Al203) with clinopyroxenite Figure 1. Dikes of albite granite (white)
in dunite below gabbro and above harzburgite in the and basalt or diabase (gray) near the
Bay of Island igneous complex in Newfoundland, southern contact with gabbro, Canyon
The petrologic continuity from harzburgite to Mountain Complex, Oregon . At lower left,
gabbro and a bsence of any magmatic structural break albite granite cuts across diabase, but
in the Canyon Mountain sequence suggests to me that other basaltic dikes appear to cut the albite
deformation during crys tallization (George, 1975) has granite,
led to a fundamental misconception in relation of
tectonitic harzburgite to associated gabbroic rocks. Plagiogranite is a generic term for KzO-def icient
The high olivine content, lack of cryptic zoning, granitic rocks that range from quartz diorite to
scarcity or absence of diopside and plagioclase, albite granite (Coleman and Peterman, 1975).
large volume, and deformed fabrics of alpine harz~ The sheets range mostly from about 0.3 to 3 m in
burgite' seem easiest to explain by processes of thickness, alternate singly or in groups in any
partial melting. The high olivine content and order, dip 60 or more, and interfinger irregularly
associated dunite, however, can be explained just as along strike. All three kinds of rocks are known to
well by slow deposition of cumulus olivine and exten~ form dikes, but in many outcrops the order of
sive postcumulus overgrowth. Jackson, Green, and emplacement of parallel dikes may be difficult to
CANYON MOUNTAIN COMPLEX - THAYER 97
ascertain. Few individual dikes are traceable more characterize the fine-grained rocks; they form
than 100 m, although groups can be followed much fringes on quartz phenocrysts and in some rocks form
farther. The proportions of the basaltic and silicic most of the groundmass. Patchy devitrification in
rocks vary widely from place to place and have not some specimens shows an original high proportion of
been determined. Plagiogranite, mostly albite glass. Although quartz phenocrysts commonly are
granite, is concentrated as rather coherent units in corroded and resorbed, many in flow-banded rocks and
a belt 500 to 1200 m wide next to the gabbro. The in holocrystalline granophyric facies show squarish
main zone of basaltic dikes appears to be about 2 km outlines, indicating a high-temperature polymorph.
wide, but as the dikes die out to the north and south Coarse, rude myrmekitic texture is present in some
by decreasing in numbers, the limits of the zone are albite granite, but is not common. Various degrees
vague. Albite granite and keratophyre are mixed in of brecciation are widespread in albite granite and
various proportions over a distance of 2-2.5 km south keratophyre, None of these rocks show textures
of the albite granite belt. At the widest exposure similar to those in the average range of andesite
of the dike unit, between Tamarack and Skin Shin and dacite.
Creeks, keratophyre predominates across the southern
1.5-1.8 km, and basaltic dikes are widely spaced. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CUMULATE AND VOLCANIC ROCKS
No pillow lavas, tuffaceous materials, or fragmental
rocks definitely of surface origin were found in the Intrusive relations and screens
dike unit.
The basaltic and silicic rocks related to the Intrusion of the basaltic and silicic rocks
sheeted dike unit overlap chronologically. Basaltic apparently was controlled or guided by a major
dikes probably range in age from Early Permian to fracture system in the peridotite and gabbro. In
Early Jurassic. The oldest basaltic dikes were general, the boundary between the sheeted dike unit
recrystallized by quartz diorite of the plagiogranite and gabbro dips steeply and strikes westward parallel
suite and converted to amphibolite. Dikes of inter- to the main peridotite-gabbro contact. Most dikes
mediate age in gabbro were followed by albite within the sheeted unit follow the same westward
granite, which had relatively little metamorphic trends and dip 60 or more, either north or south.
effect. The youngest basaltic dikes cut albite Basaltic dikes are widely scattered in peridotite
granite, are altered only to uralite and prehnite or and gabbro, but are most abundant near the southern
zeolites, and are regarded as probable feeders for border of the gabbro, Dikes that do not follow
Upper Triassic or Jurassic pillow basalt flows. foliation or layering most commonly follow west-
Blocks of plagiogranite and lack of dikes in Upper trending fractures or shear zones. The southern
Triassic graywacke show that all the plagiogranite is border of the gabbro is so splintered by basaltic
pre-Carnian in age. Foliation was found only in some dikes and larger plagiogranite intrusions that no
basalt and plagiogranite dikes that cut peridotite definite contact can be plotted; that shown on the
and gabbro. map is approximate, at best. East of Skin Shin
Creek, screens or slivers of altered gabbro were
Basaltic dikes found between dikes as much as 1.8 km south of the
gabbro contact as mapped. Sheets of keratophyre
The basaltic dikes grade from very fine grained between screens of gabbro and the main body of gabbro
or aphanitic at the borders to medium grained (1-2 mm) must have been dikes because of their structural
in centers of dikes less than about 2 m wide, and to position; they cannot have been surface flows.
coarse grained (3-5 mm) in dikes more than about 6 m Simple intrusive relations between albite
wide. Most dikes show even-grained ophitic texture, granite, diabase, and gabbro are exemplified by the
but some are porphyritic and carry equant or tabular breccia dike shown in figure 2. The albite granite
plagioclase phenocrysts. None of the dikes now followed a diabase dike about 60 cm thick in layered
contain glass, and textures at contacts of most dikes gabbro, widened the original fracture by spalling
indicate that they were finely crystalline rather slabs from the walls, and floated much of the diabase
than tachylitic. Some post-plagiogranite dikes, away, The albite granite has sharp contacts against
however, had glassy margins. The basaltic dikes are both gabbro and diabase, and decreases in grain size
readily distinguished from gabbro by their chilled from the usual 2 or 3 mm to 0.5-0.75 mm.at the
margins, diabasic and porphyritic textures, dark contacts. The diabase has been altered to blue-green
color, blocky fracture, and lack of layering and amphibole and albite in which original calcic cores
foliation. are indicated by distribution of amphibole and
epidote, Ophitic texture is rather well preserved
Plagiogranite and keratophyre by the hornblende and albite.
DEFORMATION , STRATIGRAPHY
IGNEOUS ACTIVITY METAMORPHISM SEDIMENTATION
-i=pUoo
t- Cl.. eruptions, subordinate
<t:
_J
pillow basal t , and si licic tu ft Vester Formations
u
?T T
0 0:::
t- <t:
u 0
(/) z
(/) <t:
_J
Fields Creek Formation
<t: Folding and faulting, CMC exposed to erosion.
0:::
(/)
Fields Creek and Vester Formations worked
t
t- Angular unconformity
UJ
into melange. t
t-
<t:
_J
T Vester Formation
~
u
z
<t: (/)
(/)
:2: <t:
0::: 0::: GREAT REGIONAL UNCONFORMITY
UJ t-
Cl..
UJ
>- t- Fragmentation of Elkhorn Ridge
_J
<t:
0::: _J
Argillite, formation of melange
<t:
UJ 0
t- t
J_
1
Greensch ist metamorphism of Elkhorn Ridge Argillite,
gab bro, and basalt dikes
Keratophyre,
Albite granite
-r _Li
Mylonite zones
<=
Basaltic and keratophyric flows and tufts,
0
u; Steep faulting argillite, chert, l imestone lenses
2 I Basaltic dikes _ L -1- 1
c
1
Metamorphism of pillow basalts in
z UJ Elkhorn Ridge Argill ite and basaltic
<t: (/)
<t: dikes to amphibolite, and gabbro to
:2: I
0::: Cl.. epidiorite; hornblende pegmatites
UJ
u
Ti!
Cl.. Quartz diorite
z
>-
_J
0:::
<t:
<t:
UJ
u
T ?
I
UJ 0
_L I
I
F2 folding of Ave' Lallemant (1976)
Gabbro I
I
<=
0
:;:;
"'
-~
I
Pyroxenite
F1 folding of Ave ' Lallemant (1976)
~
Wehrlite
"'~
u
I
Harzburgite
t
?
critical relations between the various rocks. Advocates of a common parentage of all three rocks
Most petrologists seem to agree that the have proposed a variety of models in which basalt
cumulate rocks of the ophiolite assemblage are dikes are rooted in gabbro and plagiogranite is
cogenetic differentiates with plagiogranite, kerato- generated at the top of magma chambers above cumu-
phyre, and basaltic dikes from an oceanic basalt lates. Moores and Vine (1971, p. 462) have presented
magma. Bailey and Blake (1974, p. 652) summarized a model featured by a series of magma cells that are
the theory very well: progressively older, one above the other. Basaltic
"Various models suggested for the buildup magma and plagiogranite that were differentiated in
of oceanic crust [ophiolite] at spreading the lower, younger cells form dikes in overlying
axes postulate: (1) removal of basaltic cumulates and basalt flows that became part of the
magma from lherzolite or related mantle thickening roof.
material to yield a residual, harzburgitic Derivation of basalt dikes that cut an exposed
upper mantle, (2) coeval extrusion of the peridotite-gabbro complex from a hypothetical younger
basaltic magma to form an overlying cover mass at depth poses two questions. How many
of pillow basalt, into which a related swarm complexeslike the Canyon Mountain Complex can be
of parallel dikes is intruded, and (3) intrusion superposed vertically within the narrow confines of
of mafic magma at or near the base of the a spreading center like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
basalt layer to fill chambers in which the (Moores and Vine, 1971, p, 462)? If basalt dikes
magma differentiates by crystal settling to were tapped from the top of a magma chamber during
yield layered cumulates of gabbroic to anor- the time when peridotite and gabbro cumulates were
thosi tic rocks and a small amount of silicic crystallized, they should show marked differentiation
magma that may be extruded to form kerato- trends. The composition of magma from which harz-
phyre or consolidate in situ as trondhjemite." burgite or wehrlitic dunite and chromite crystallize
Coleman and Peterman (1975, p. 1103) discussed at an early stage, as in the Vourinos, must be very
differentiation of basalt according to this hypo- different at the stage when hypersthene gabbro
thesis in more detail: crystallizes from it,
"Another chemographic method of relating Mutual relations of fresh gabbro, gabbroic
rocks to differentiation processes is the MgO pegmatites, epidiorite, and plagiogranite in Canyon
variation diagram. From this plot showing Mountain cast doubt on the differentiation series
the parent liquid, the cumulate gabbros, and from gabbro to plagiogranite proposed by Coleman and
the oceanic leucocratic differentiates it is Peterman (1975, p, 1102):
apparent that the selective removal of calcic "Eight new analyses of the oceanic plagio-
plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine from the granites and associated gabbros from the Cyprus
parent magma to form the cumulate gabbros ophiolite are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
will lead to a residual magma that will High silica, low to moderate alumina, low
crystallize abundant quartz and sodic plagio- total iron-magnesium, and extremely low KzO
clase. The Si02, Cao, Al203 plots versus the characterize the oceanic plagiogranites and
MgO plot show that the removal of predominately their associates, Normative orthoclase is
calcic plagioclase with lesser amounts of usually less than 4 mol %, and the normative
clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and olivine An content of the plagioclase ranges from
could produce a residual melt whose composition An21 to An61 The wide range in An content
is similar to the oceanic plagiogranites. demonstrates differentiation from basaltic
However, the plots of FeO (total) and Ti02 composition toward leucocratic types. Plotting
versus MgO show iron and titanium depletion normative Or, An, and Ab from these rocks on
in both the cumulate gabbros and the oceanic a triangular diagram reveals that they all
plagiogranites compared with the parent fall within the low-pressure one-feldspar
liquid. II boundary."
Field and petrographic relations in the Canyon
Problems of the One-Magma Theory Mountain show beyond question that the plagiogranites
intruded gabbro and metamorphosed it to epidiorite,
The two papers specified only gabbroic and after the gabbro had been intensely deformed. The
anorthositic rocks as cumulates, but they omitted two igneous suites are completely different. One
ultramafic rocks which should have been included, can, however, show an overlapping range in composi-
In the Vourinos, three-quarters of the 1565-m tion of normative plagioclase from fresh gabbro to
cumulate section described by Jackson, Green, and plagiogranite as follows: fresh gabbro, An92-49;
Moores (1975, p. 391) consists of dunite, wehrlite, epidiorite, An65~35i plagiogranite, An45-4. Norma-
and pyroxenite. In the Troodos, George (1975, p. 28) tive orthoclase has the following ranges: Oro-2 in
showed that ultramaf ic rocks make up about 65 percent gabbro, Oro.9-5.1 in epidiorite, and Orl.4-4.7 in
of the cumulate section, compared with an estimate of plagiogranite, It seems almost certain to me that
40-50 percent ultramafic by Greenbaum (1972). All Coleman and Petermants (1975) analyses include
three accounts agree that the rocks in question, from epidiorite, which is abundant in Cyprus. Bailey and
dunite to "high level" gabbro, form a continuous Blake (1974) expressed uncertainty about the signifi-
cumulate sequence that must be considered as a whole, cance of hornblende in gabbro and considered the
Omitting the ultramafic cumulates simplifies, but possibility that it is metasomatic. Their descrip-
also grossly skews, problems of petrogenesis, If tions (p. 640) of green hornblende as a primary
cumulate processes formed hundreds of meters of mineral in gabbro and of pegmatitic gabbros which "in
dunite in the Vourinos and the Troodos, why not contrast to the layered gabbros, are non-foliated and
harzburgite, too? commonly contain large randomly oriented crystals of
The definitive field relations of peridotite and hornblende and a little quartz" smack of epidiorite
gabbro with plagiogranite and basaltic dikes in the to me,
Canyon Mountain present serious problems for the one- Efforts to calculate chemical balances between
magma theory, Derivation of plagiogranite and gabbro basalt as parent magma and alpine peridotite, gabbro,
from basalt that cuts the gabbro and is cut by the and plagiogranite as differentiates have not been
plagiogranite (figure 2) obviously is impossible, notably successful (Thayer, 1976). Divorcing
CANYON MOUNTAIN COMPLEX - THAYER 103
harzburgite from gabbro as a refractory residuum and 1970), This suggests that the picrite, although it
overlooking ultramafic cumulates help, but do not is described as noncumulate, may be a remobilized
solve the problem. Coleman and Peterman's (1975) cumulate differentiate of the tholeiite.
plots of "FeO" and Ti02 versus MgO in oceanic basalt, Variations in the composition of chromites from
gabbro, and plagiogranite show excesses in the basalt different kinds of basalts reflect close magmatic
comparable to those in my table 1. In my table, 6 control that should apply also to segregated chromi-
basal tic dikes average 10 percent "FeO" and 1. 4 tite, In addition to the high-Al chromite,
percent Ti02, compared to 5. 5 percent 1'FeO" and 0. 25 Sigurdsson and Schilling found distinctly different
Ti02 in gabbro and 3.1 "FeO" and 0.22 percent Ti02 in chromite in a low-Si02 and high-Ti02 basalt in the
albite granite and keratophyre. Alpine peridotite, same segment of the Ridge, That chromite is 1.5-2
gabbro, and plagiogranite just do not include Fe- and times as rich in iron (23-24 percent as FeO) and 4-10
Ti-rich members needed for a chemical balance with times as rich in Ti02 (about 1.7 percent). A Cr:Fe
common varieties of basalt as the parent magma. The ratio of 1,45;1 in this chromite, in comparison with
close association of basaltic dikes with the plagio- ratios of 2;1 to 2.35;1 in the high-Al chromites,
granite--keratophyre suite and their low potash places it squarely in the stratiform high-Fe trend
content suggest that they very likely are comagmatic. (Thayer, 1970). Evans and Wright (1972) found
Gabbroic pegmatites present strong evidence liquidus chromite from Kilauea and Makaopuhi to be
against derivation of tholeiitic magma from ophioli- even richer in iron (25-33 percent as FeO) and Ti02
tic gabbro mush. In the Canyon Mountain Complex, (2,3-3,2 percent). The chemical "sensitivity" of
these pegmatites have the composition of hypersthene chromite to magma composition would seem to severely
gabbro rich in MgO and CaO, contain no hornblende or restrict the choice of basalts that might represent
quartz, and have been deformed to various degrees parent magma for alpine peridotite, gabbro, and
(Thayer, 1963a). They clearly are formed locally, chromitite,
and are presumed to represent interstitial liquid Gabbroic partial melts that chemically seem
from cumulate mush. Their composition is consistent similar to the tholeiites containing high-Al chromite
with the lack of zoning in the cumulus minerals and have been described in lherzolite in the Lanzo
is far from that of any plagiogranite, (Budier and Nicolas, 1972) and Serrania de la Ronda
The critical problem of the one-magma theory of (Dickey, 1970) complexes. The "magmatic" gabbros in
ophiolite parentage is that no one yet has presented both complexes are "hyperaluminous" olivine and
convincing evidence either of ophiolitic cumulate diopside normative tholeiites, contain more Cr203
gabbro grading into diabase or of a differentiation than Ti02, and have Mg0: 11 Fe0" ratios mostly between
sequence from gabbro to plagiogranite. Both relations 3.2 and 4.6, Normative feldspar ranges between
are common in small stratiform gabbroic complexes. An 60-65 in gabbro from Lanzo, and An77-83 in
If the one-magma concept for ophiolites is valid, why Serrania de la Ronda. Budier and Nicolas (1972,
has no one found "hard" field evidence to substanti- p. 50) calculated that the gabbro represents melting
ate it? of 25-30 percent of the lherzolite at pressures
between 5 and 8 kb.
A Multi-Magma Theory of Ophiolite Parentage A multi-magma hypothesis for genesis of ophio-
lite does not simplify conception of a plausible
The difficulties in trying to fit the various model of a spreading ridge; it probably complicates
igneous components of the ophiolite assemblage into a the problems. I believe, however, that it emphasizes
structurally and geochemically coherent one-magma the need for much more explicit information on the
theory or model suggest that something is inherently physical relations between sheeted dike swarms,
wrong with the concept. The possibility of peridoti- plagiogranite, and alpine gabbro. Chemically and
tic lavas was rejected by most geologists until about- physically, the basalt dikes in the Canyon Mountain
8 years ago when komatiites were discovered. Modern Complex seem cogenetically incompatible with the
theories of plate tectonics are still in rapid flux, gabbro, but the plagiogranites might be related
but the one-magma concept of ophiolites seems to have chemically to either. Their close structural and
an air of petrologic sanctity. A more careful search temporal ties, however, suggest that the plagio-
through the many varieties of oceanic basalt should granite and basaltic dikes probably are related.
find a more suitable parent magma for cumulate The intimate association of the plutonic and
peridotite and gabbro than the one Coleman and volcanic rocks of the ophiolite assemblage is beyond
Peterman (1975, p. 1103) selected; magma that argument and, in a broad sense, they must be related
crystallized as an ordinary pillow lava obviously genetically through the processes of plate tectonics.
will not do. The upper mantle, however, is being recognized as a
Discovery of high-Al chromite by Sigurdsson and complex affair in which many kinds of rocks origi-
Schilling (1976) in some basalt from the Mid-Atlantic nate, One might compare a spreading ridge to an
Ridge indicates progress in the search for a more old-fashioned barnyard. There, several kinds of
compatible parent for alpine peridotite-gabbro cumu- animals live together. Some animals, such as
lates. The flows are olivine and di0pside normative chickens and goats, obviously have very different
tholeiite and A1203-rich picrite. Chromites from ancestry, Cows and horses have many features in
both kinds of rocks are typically alpine in affinity common, but have evolved separately since the
in that they are the high-Al variety (Al203>20 earliest Eocene. I would like to propose that the
percent, Cr203 + Al203 >60 percent) and show a ophiolitic assemblage has many aspects of a petrolo-
reciprocal relation between Cr203 and Al203. gic and petrogenetic barnyard, in which basaltic
Chromite from the tholeiite flows ranges from 37.1 to magmas belonging to different genera and species have
43.5 percent Cr203 and 23.7 to 30.8 percent A1203, been brought together. This is the essence of the
whereas that from picrite ranges from 19,5 to 24 multi-magma theory,
percent Cr203 and 43 to 47.3 percent Al203. Total
iron as FeO and Ti02 range from 13,2 to 17,8 percent SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
and 0.15 and 0.42 percent, respectively. On a Cr:Al
plot the samples show a strong bimodality, but a plot Excepting pillow lavas, the Canyon Mountain
of Mg:Fe shows continuous variation; both trends Complex comprises all the igneous components of the
characterize podiform or alpine chromites (Thayer, ophiolite assemblage: a plutonic suite of rocks that
104 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
range from harzburgite to gabbro, and a volcanic Bird, M, L., 1977, Electron-microprobe analyses of
suite made up of basaltic dikes and silicic rocks chromite and olivine from alpine ultramafic
that range from quartz diorite to albite granite complexes: U. S. Geol, Survey Open-File Report
(plagiogranite) and keratophyre. The two suites of OF 77-236, 70 p.
rocks are completely separate in outcrop, structurally Boudier, F,, and Nicolas, A., 1972, Fusion partielle
and geochemically. gabbroique dans la lherzolite de Lanzo (Alpes
The plutonic rocks form a continuous sequence Piemontaises): Suisse Mineral. Petrog. Bull.,
from harzburgite through wehrlite and clinopyroxenite v. 52, p. 39-56.
to gabbro in which cumulus textures are preserved in Brown, C, E., and Thayer, T. P., 1963, Low-grade
chromitite if not in silicates. The petrologic mineral facies in Upper Triassic and Lower
sequence is remarkably similar to those in the Jurassic rocks of the Aldrich Mountains, Oregon:
Vourinos and the Troodos. In all three complexes Jour, Sed. Pet., v. 33, p. 411-425.
deformation of the rocks decreases upward, but the Brown, C. E., and Thayer, T. P., 1966a, Geologic map
upper limit of intense tectonism and sharpness of of the Mount Vernon quadrangle, Grant County,
break between obvious cumulates and tectonites varies Oregon: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-548
from complex to complex. These differences are (with text).
attributed to variations in timing of accumulation Brown, C, E., and Thayer, T. P., 1966b, Geologic map
and syntectonic deformation of cumulate crystal mush, of the Canyon City quadrangle, northeastern
In the Canyon Mountain, the peridotite and gabbro had Oregon: U. S. Geol. Survey Misc. Inv. Map I-447.
formed a solid tectonic unit before intrusion of the Brown, C. E,, and Thayer, T. P., in press, Geologic
volcanic suite. map of pre-Tertiary rocks in the eastern Aldrich
The rocks of the volcanic suite form a composite Mountains and adjacent areas to the south, Grant
sheeted dike unit that cuts gabbro off abruptly and County, Oregon: U, S. Geol. Survey Misc. Inv.
encloses screens of it. Dikes of basalt and silicic Map I 1021 (with text),
rocks cut each other in the sheeted dike unit and Case, J, E., and Thayer, T. P., 1977, Geologic
where intruded along fracture systems are chilled interpretation of aeromagnetic map of the
against gabbro and peridotite. Gabbro has been Strawberry Mountain Wilderness and adjacent areas:
extensively hornblendized to epidiorite near larger U. S. Geol, Survey Open-File Report, OF 77-420.
masses of plagiogranite, and pargasitic pegmatite Coleman, R. G., and Peterman, Z. E., 1975, Oceanic
occurs locally. Textural gradations from albite plagiogranite: Jour. Geophys. Research, v. 80,
granite to flow-banded quartz keratophyre and classic p. 1099-1108,
intrusive relations of these rocks in basalt and Dickey, J, S., Jr., 1970, Partial fusion products in
gabbro imply that they represent the substructure of alpine-type peridotites: Serrania de la Ronda
a silicic volcanic' pile. and other examples: Min, Soc. of America Spec.
Although the complex is in a terrain that has Publ. no, 3, p, 33.,.49,
been subjected to major folding repeatedly, from Dickinson, W, R., in press, Subduction tectonics in
Permian to Pliocene time, the dikes in the sheeted Japan, EOS.
unit are believed to be near their original attitude, Evans, B. W, 1 and Wright, T. L,, 1972, Composition of
The relations of basaltic dikes to gabbro in the liquidus chromite from the 1959 (Kilauea Iki) and
Canyon Mountain are identical, except for details of 1965 (Makaopuhi) eruptions of Kilauea Volcano,
gabbro structure, with those exposed along the coast Hawaii; Amer, Mineral., v. 57, p. 217-230.
of Hatay, Turkey (Parrot, 1973). Plagiogranite also George, R, P,, Jr,, 1975, The internal structure of
cuts gabbro and basaltic dikes there, although in the Troodos Ultramafic Complex, Cyprus: State
minor amounts. The original cover of volcanic and Univ. New York at Stony Brook, unpub. Ph.D.
sedimentary rocks presumably has been eroded from the thesis, 223 p.
complex, as along the beach cliffs of Hatay. Inter- Golding, H. G., and Johnson, K. R., 1971, Variation
pretation of the sheets as sills that have been in gross chemical composition and related physical
rotated 90 or more would involve a section of crust properties of podiform chromite in the Coolac
11-12 km thick, and would require also that the now District, N,S,W., Australia: Econ. Geol., v. 66,
vertical diorite plugs in gabbro originally were p. 10lhl027.
intruded horizontally. Progressively lower grade Greenbaum, D., 1972, Magmatic processes at oceanic
metamorphism of gabbro and basalt by plagiogranite ridges: Evidence from the Troodos massif, Cyprus:
under conditions that formed pargasitic hornblende Nature Phys. Sci., v. 238 1 p. 18-21.
pegmatite and epidotic greenschist, respectively, Greenbaum, David, in press, The chromitiferous rocks
indicates falling temperatures that would accompany of the Troodos Ophiolite Complex, Cyprus: Econ.
elevation of the block. The mylonitic shear zones Geology,
in gabbro involving plagiogranite probably are all Jackson, E. D,, 1963, Stratigraphic and lateral
pre-Late Triassic in age, although movements variation of chromite composition in the Still-
undoubtedly occurred along many of them much later, water Complex; Min, Soc, America, Spec. Paper 1,
The complex has been compressed in the core of a p, 46~54,
late Tertiary anticline with 40 dips in the south Jackson, E, D, 1 Green, H, W., II, and Moores, E. M.,
limb, so it must have undergone much internal 1975, The Vourinos Ophiolite, Greece: Cyclic
adjustment. units of lineated cumulates overlying harzburgite
tectonite: Geol. Soc, America Bull., v. 86,
REFERENCES CITED p. 390-398,
Jackson, E, D,, and Thayer, T. P., 1972, Some
Ave Lallemant, H. G., 1976, Structure of the Canyon criteria for distinguishing between stratiform,
Mountain (Oregon) ophiolite complex and its concentric and alpine peridotite-gabbro complexes:
implication for sea-floor spreading: Geol. Soc, 24th Internat, Geol, Congress, Montreal, Sect. 2,
America Spec. Paper 173, 49 p. p, 289.,.296.
Bailey, E. H., and Blake, M, C., Jr,, 1974, Major Moores, E. M., and Vine, F, J., 1971, The Troodos
chemical characteristics of Mesozoic Coast Range Massif, Cyprus and other ophiolites as oceanic
ophiolite in California: Jour. Research U. S, crust; evaluation and im~~ications: Royal Soc.
Geol. Survey, v. 2, p. 637-656. London Phil, Trans, 1 Ser, A., v. 268, p. 443-466.
CANYON MOUNTAIN COMPLEX - THAYER 105
Nancy Lindsley-Griffin
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
The Ordovician (480-455 m.y.) Trinity ophiolite, The Trinity ophiolite is located in the Eastern
located in the eastern Klamath Mountains of northern Klamath Subprovince (Irwin, 1966) of the Klamath
California, is a large, nearly horizontal sheet of Mountains, northern California, just west of the
mafic and ultramafic rocks with minor volcanic and Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Cascade Range
diabasic rocks . Along its northwestern edge, the (Fig. 1). It is approximately 75 km long and SO km
ultramafic rocks are predominantly harzburgite and wide, and consists predominantly of ultramafic and
feldspathis lherzolite, with minor dunite and pyrox- gabbroic rocks, with minor diabase and volcanic
enite. Three types of gabbro have been recognized: rocks. The area which I have studied in detail
layered cumul ate gabbro and associated diorite, (Figs. 1, 3) includes about 250 square km of the
amphibolitic gabbro with gneissic structures and a northwestern edge of the ophiolite and the rocks
layer of recrystallized clinopyroxenite at its base, overlying it .
and younger (430 m.y.) pegmatitic gabbro which Geophysical data (gravit y and magnetic) suggests
intrudes the rest of the ophiolitic sequence. Over- that the Trinity ophiolite is a relatively thin sub-
l ying the layered cumu l ate gabbro and diorite and horizontal sheet overlying a l ess dense basement
gradational with them is a complex of diabasic dikes (Irwin and Bath, 1962; Irwin and Lipman, 1962;
and sills which do not appear to exhibit sheeted LaFehr, 1966). The geophysical data further suggest
structure. The diabase grades upward into mafic that rocks of this sheet probably extend westward
keratophyres and spilites. The ophiolite sequence is under the Paleozoic sediments and metasediments as
folded and faulted; some folding and faulting pre- far as the Scott Valley (Fig. 1), and may extend
dates the intrusion of the 430 m.y. pegmatitic some distance southeastward beneath younger rocks
gabbros, and some is later . (Griscom, 1977).
Directly overl ying the Trinity ophiolite is a
melange consisting of several assemblages of distinct
age and lithology. Conglomeratic lenses of probable Oregon
middle Ordovician to early Devonian age within one Ca lifornia
melange unit contain clasts of diorite similar in
composition and age (460 m.y.) to diorites of the
ophiolite . This relationship suggests that part of
the ophiolite was uplifted and being eroded before c
the melange formed. The melange also contains "'
<!)
t)
t ect onic blocks of gabbro, pyroxenite, and peridote, 0
as well as schist and amphibo lite which may be meta-
morphosed ophiolitic rocks, and in a fenster 10 km to t)
z
Na20 0.005 0.12 0.01 0.25 0.11
--
97.62 98.08 83 .16 100.12 100. 84 101.44 100.16 97.84 100 .18
Sample a: Feldspathic lherzolite, Scott Mountain. Small opx + ol + cpx + sp + saussurite interlayered with large opx + ol + sp.
Sample b: Serpentinized harzburgite, Rock Fence Creek. Opx + sp + serpentine; no olivine.
Sample c: Recrystallized clinopyroxenite, China Mountain. Cpx + sp.
(1) This chrome-spinel appears to be optically pure in both plane-polarized and reflected light. When the electron microprobe analyses all
proved to be about 10% low, an elemental scan was performed in which the only detectable anomaly was silica. It is possible that the
silica is due to finely disseminated serpentine not optically visible, as the harzburgites are all intensely altered.
0
--0
110 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
.5 0 2 3
mi Jes
1 .5 0 1 2 3 4
km
Figure 3. Geologic map of the northwestern edge of the Trinity ophiolite, between Callahan and Gazelle,
California.
LEGEND. Surficial deposits: Qal, Quaternary alluvium (no pattern); Qg, Glacial and fluvioglacial debris
(no pattern).
Younger igneous rocks: hfp, hornblende-feldspar porphyry intrusions (no pattern); di, diorite and quartz
diorite intrusions (no pattern); v, post-lower Devonian volcanic rocks: tuff, breccia, pillow lava ("v" pattern).
Rocks of the overthrust plates: p, phyllite (tight, asymmetric fold pattern); cq, calcareous quartzite (open
fold pattern); SDg, Siluro-Devonian Gazelle Formation (horizontal bar pattern); m, melange, containing blocks of
Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian sedimentary rocks, and of igneous and metamorphic rocks derived in part from
the ophiolite (stipple pattern).
Lower Ordovician Trinity ophiolite: Opg, pegmatitic gabbro (perpendicular dashes); Ov, mafic volcanic rocks
(open circles); Od, diabase dikes and sills, diorite in lower part (randomly oriented sets of two parallel
lines); Og, hornblende gabbro and diorite (closely spaced parallel dashes); Op, serpentinized peridotite with
minor dunite and pyroxenite (crosses).
A-A': line of cross section (Fig. 4).
small enstatite grains, olivine, and chrome-spinel. Dike and Sill Complex
Between the lenses or bands of lherzolite are zones
consisting of harzburgite (large enstatite grains, Stratigraphically above and gradational with the
olivine, and chrome-spinel) with little or no layered gabbro/diorite is a complex of mafic dikes
clinopyroxene or feldspar. Similar textures described and sills of variable composition and texture, which
at Papua (England and Davies, 1973) and Othris typically consist of pyroxene, hornblende, and/or
(Menzies, 1972; Menzies and Allen, 1974) have been feldspar phenocrysts in a very fine-grained to
attributed to incomplete extraction of partial fusion aphanitic groundmass. The minerals are commonly
products in the upper mantle. altered to a characteristic greenschist assemblage
which includes epidote, chlorite, and albite.
Gabbroic Rocks It is not possible to demonstrate sheeted
structure, partly due to the fact that the diabase
Stratigraphically above the ultramafic rocks lie weathers readily and is poorly exposed. However, the
gabbros and diorites exhibiting cumulate textures and few good exposures that have been observed suggest a
layering. The cumulate rocks are characterized by very roughly parallel set of dikes cut by numerous
the graded bedding, cross-bedding, cut-and-fill, and anastomosing sills and dikes at various other
slump structures typical of igneous rocks formed by orientations.
processes of sedimentation within a magma chamber. As the contact between the gabbro/diorite zone
These features have been described in other ophiolites and the dike/sill zone is approached, a few fine-
(Hopson, 1975; Ewing, 1976; Harkins and others, 1976). grained diabase dikes may be observed, ordinarily
In composition these are now hornblende gabbros cutting hornblende diorite or quartz diorite, but
and hornblendites, grading upward into hornblende sometimes cutting hornblende gabbro. As one con-
diorites and quartz diorites. The hornblendes are tinues upsection, the amount of diabase rapidly
commonly pseudomorphous after pyroxene crystals. increases relative to the diorite, until the rocks
Feldspars range in composition from anorthite to consist predominately of diabase or very fine-grained
labradorite, with albite being common in the quartz diorite. Blocks of layered gabbro and hornblendite
diorite to diabase zone. may occur fairly high within the diabasic zone and
The contact between the gabbroic rocks and the presumably represent patches of screen.
ultramafic rocks is invariably sheared and serpentin-
ized. Near the contact, structures in both the ultra- Volcanic Rocks
mafic and the gabbroic rocks may strike either
parallel or perpendicular to the contact. The The mafic volcanic rocks associated with the
gabbroic rocks are typically severely deformed near Trinity ophiolite are spilites and keratophyres
this contact, and exhibit gneissic structures which exhibiting typical prehnite-pumpellyite and low
become less common away from the contact. greenschist facies mineral assemblages. In the field,
The fault-bounded, synformally folded block of phenocrysts of feldspar and pyroxene may be observed,
gabbro exposed on the west shoulder of China Mountain as well as small grains of red chert or jasper.
(Fig. 3) is characterized throughout by gneissic or Considerable amounts of secondary silica and calcite
amphibolitic structures, which are especially well- are present (the matrix consists locally of as much
developed near its base. Along the base of the block as 15% calcite) and rocks of this unit will "fizz"
(to the east and north) is exposed a band, 100 to 300 upon application of HCl. Contacts between diabase
meters thick, of clinopyroxenite characterized by and volcanic rocks were drawn partly on this basis.
boudin structures. In thin section, this rock This unit is further characterized by extensive
exhibits even grain size, straight or slightly curved metallic mineralization. Sulfide minerals in small
grain boundaries, and equiangular triple points veins, or disseminated, are common. Numerous small
between grains, suggesting that it has been partially copper prospects and pits dot the exposures of
to completely recrystallized. This recrystallized volcanic rocks, although none have developed into
clinopyroxenite is found only in association with large-scale operations.
amphibolitic gabbros, and northwest of China Mountain A chemical analysis of a sample of keratophyre
(Fig. 3) is faulted against serpentinized harzburgite. published by Potter and Scheidegger (1973) shows the
This fault is in turn cut off by an intrusive contact major element composition of these rocks to be fairly
with the 430. m.y. pegrnatitic gabbros which form the characteristic of other ophiolitic and oceanic
peak of China Mountain. volcanics which have undergone prehnite-pumpellyite
to low-greenschist metamorphism (Smith, 1968; Hynes,
1975; Church and Coish, 1976).
112 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Both massive lavas and agglomerates are present, Trinity ophiolite); diabase, siliceous argillite, and
and both may be strongly foliated due to the perva- quartzite or recrystallized chert. About 80-90% of
sive shearing characteristic of this unit. No the clasts are ophiolitic rocks.
undoubted pillow structures have been recognized, but My field assistant, Catherine Anderson, under-
many oblate structures or "pseudo-pillows" may be took a petrographic study of clasts from this breccia
observed which could be sheared pillow structures. in 1976 as a senior research project at the Univer-
Although the mafic volcanic rocks exposed at sity of California, Davis. She found that many of
Lovers Leap (Fig. 3) have been variously described as the fine-grained clasts are actually mylonites, and
thrust over the ophiolite (Rohr, 1972), or as part of that many of the coarser-grained clasts exhibit
an island arc (Potter and others, 1975), the mapped various stages of cataclasis. Electron microprobe
relationships do not support either hypothesis. The analyses of gabbros and metagabbro clasts show that
contact is not well-exposed but based on the small they could have been derived from gabbros of the
outcrops available, and on float, there appears to be Trinity ophiolite (C. Anderson, written comm., 1976).
a gradation upward from undoubted dike-and-sill One gabbroic clast collected by Ms. Anderson and me
complex into a massive fine-grained rock resembling is composed partly of diabase which was intruded
the diabase, into a porphyritic rock resembling the after cataclasis occurred.
volcanics, and finally into undoubted volcanic rock. The breccia deposit overlies serpentinized
Particularly compelling is the observation that in harzburgite of the Trinity ophiolite, and on the east
all localities where these rather distinctive vol- side it appears to be faulted against layered gabbro.
canic rocks crop out, they exhibit the same strati- Above it are the overthrust shales and siltstones of
graphic relationship, grading downward into dike-and- the Gazelle Formation. Similar breccias have not
sill complex, and then into diorite or gabbro been observed elsewhere within the mapped area
(Figs. 2, 3). (Fig. 3).
It is likely that the clasts in this breccia
Pegrnatitic Gabbros originated in an oceanic fracture zone and that the
breccia itself formed in or near such a fracture
Pegmatitic gabbros underlie South China Mountain, zone. The complete absence of ultramafic clasts in
part of China Mountain, Kangaroo Lake, and occur as the breccia suggests that it was transported to its
dikes and small stocks throughout the mapped area present location subsequent to its formation.
(Fig. 3). They typically consist of altered feldspar
(usually saussuritized but sometimes altered to hydro- Structure
garnet) and hornblende-rimmed pyroxene crystals as
large as 10 cm in diameter, and locally may exhibit Structure within the Trinity ophiolite is
zones of medium- or coarse-grained (.2-.5 cm) gabbro. complex. The ultramafic tectonites exhibit at least
The pegmatitic gabbros are commonly cut by numerous three generations of structures; the mafic cumulates
dikes of quartz diorite, hornblende pegrnatite, and above them exhibit less deformation, but at least
aplite. one generation of folds is present (Lindsley-Griffin,
Field relations demonstrate that the pegrnatitic in prep.). The contact between the ultrarnafic and
gabbros were intruded into the ophiolite complex mafic rocks is sheared, and layering (defined in both
after some folding and faulting occurred, but before lithologies by a change in the relative proportions
any of the overlying sediments or volcanics were of minerals) strikes into the contact at varying
present. For example, the relationships on the west angles. Layering within either the peridotite or
shoulder of China Mountain (Fig. 3) indicate that the the gabbro may also be locally parallel or perpen-
amphibolitic gabbro and recrystallized clinopyroxenite dicular to the contact.
were faulted against serpentinized harzburgite before Several generations of faulting have affected
the intrusion of the pegrnatitic gabbro body which the Trinity ophiolite, the earliest having occurred
forms the peak of China Mountain. This observation before juxtaposition of the ophiolite and the over-
agrees with U-Pb dates obtained by Mattinson and lying rocks, and before intrusion of the pegrnatitic
Hopson which suggest that the pegmatitic gabbros are gabbros. Some of the early folding and faulting
about 30-40 m.y. younger than the layered gabbros probably occurred within the oceanic crust, but some
(C. A. Hopson, pers. comm., 1975). may have occurred during emplacement. The jumbling
Because the pegmatitic gabbros are associated and local overturning of fault blocks along the
only with the ophiolitic rocks, they are included in northwestern edge of the ophiolite (Fig. 3) may have
the Trinity ophiolite complex. It is likely that occurred any time before or during the juxtaposition
they are the result of late-stage magmatic activity of the overlying thrust sheets. Some of the minor
within oceanic crust. high-angle reverse faults may be related to emplace-
ment of the overlying thrust sheets, although not all
Sedimentary Rocks of these faults cut the thrust sheets.
Scott A'
River
A ? I
,I'/ . c. C\. ?
,,7/ .
QQI
SI>
.5 0 2 3
km
Figure 4. Structural cross section along line A-A' of Figure 3. Symbols and patterns same as in Figure 3.
114 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
UNIT LITHOLOGIES
Gregg Ranch well-bedded Ordovician (2) siltstone and mudstone massive micaceous siltstone
shale predominantly volcanics with (part of melange matrix?)
Devonian (2) algal lime- minor ophiolitic diorite greens tone
stone and graywacke ophiolitic diorite (exotic
massive limestone (age both graywacke and limestone block? or basement
unknown) in varying proportions showing through thin
very angular volcanogenic entirely limestone, but dif- veneer?)
graywacke ferent types in each lens
chert granules and pebbles (3)
Lovers Leap several large blocks Ordovician (4) limestone not observed
.5-1 km in diameter clasts
of Ordovician (4) clasts of Silurian (5)
and possibly some inter- volcanics, rare limestone,
bedded graywacke and mud- siltstone and graywacke,
stone and diorite which is the
Silurian (4) limestone same age and composition
graywacke interbedded with as those of the Trinity
shale complex (6)
TABLE 2--continued
UNIT LITHOLOGIES
Lower Grouse Devonian (7) fossilif- angular clasts of diorite, serpentinized peridotite
Creek erous gray limestone bull quartz, quartzite pyroxenite
interbedded shale and (metamorphic), quartzite pegmatitic gabbro
siltstone conglomerate, quartz sand-
interbedded mudstone stone, keratophyre, phyl-
and graywacke lite (not same phyllite as
the one in Mountain House
conglomerate)
Bonnet Rock large block (about .5 km chert, volcanic pebbles, volcanics and pillow
(Yreka Quad) diameter)consisting of a quartz-feldspar sandstone volcanics (local rare
sequence of graywackes interbeds of pelitic
and cherts capped by mas- sediments)
sive limestone
red shale and siltstone
green shale and siltstone
interbedded with very
silty limes tone
Horseshoe Gulch middle Ordovician (9) shale limestone, diorite (10) serpentinite (11)
(Fort Jones several types of limestone limestone, graywacke volcanic rocks (12)
Quad) of Ordovician, Silurian, volcanics blueschist (13)
and Devonian age (10)
arkose (10)
(1) Appearance is strikingly si~ilar to that of tectonic melange described by Cowan (1974) and shown
in his Figure 4b.
(2) Dates by A. J. Boucot and associates, in part based on fossils collected by the author.
(3) May belong to overthrust Gazelle Formation.
(4) Dates from Rohr, 1972.
(5) A. J. Boucot, personal communication, 1973.
(6) Mattinson and Hopson, 1973.
(7) Savage, 1976.
(8) Based in part on work by Micbael Churkin, Jr. (Churkin and Langenheim, 1960); on reconnaissance by
John R. Griffin, 1970-71; supplemented by reconnaissance by the author, 1970-75.
(9) Berry and others, 1973.
(10) Zdanowicz, 19 71.
(11) John R. Griffin, personal communication, 1974.
(12) According to Potter and others (1975), this is quartz keratophyre and may belong to the Trinity
ophioli te.
(13) Susan M. Cashman, written communication, January, 1977. (Blueschist was first recognized there by
P. E. Hotz; later confirmed by Cashman.)
(14) Hotz, 1974; supplemented by reconnaissance in 1974-75 by the author and John R. Griffin.
(15) According to Hotz, 1974, similar to rocks at Lovers Leap which the author considers to be part of
the Trinity ophiolite.
116 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
0
z
REGIONAL SETTING OF THE TRINITY OPHIOLITE
Grouse
Before determining the time of accretion of an Cre e k
ophiolite onto the continental margin, its relation-
0
ship to the surrounding rock units must be ascertain- m iles
ed. Of considerable importance is the age and type 0 2
of basement, if any, over which the ophi o lite is km
emplaced.
In the case of the Trinity ophiolite, however, Figure 5. Locations of melange units described
neither older nor structurally lower rocks have been in Table 2 .
discovered. It has been suggested that the Trinity
complex was emplaced by thrusting or intrusion into
rocks of the Central Metamorphic Be lt (Lipman, 1964; ceous siltstones, and cherty sandstones and granule
Davis, 1968), but the area where these relationsh ips to pebble conglomerates . Rare interbeds of a very
have been observed is 50 km southwest of the main sandy, organic-rich, rusty-weathering black limestone
body of the Trinity ophiolite. A comparison between are al so prese nt. The shales are commonly thin
structural styles and metamorphism of the two areas bedded, whereas the coarser interbeds vary in th i ck-
(Lipman, 1964; Hotz, 1974; Lindsley-Griffin and Rohr, ness from a few centimeters to about .5 meters.
1977) suggests that the rocks along the western edge Rocks of this thrust plate are probably Siluro-
of the Trinity sheet (Fig. 1) have experienced a Devonian in age (A.J. Boucot, pers. comm., 1974;
different tectonic history than the main body, and Savage, 1977) and formed in a quiet, fairly deep
may even be entirely unrelated to it. This strip of marine environment. They exhibit a single gener ation
ultramafic and mafic rocks, as shown in Figure 1, is of folds and have undergone little or no metamor-
continuous with the Trinity sheet along its south- phism. The Gazelle Formation thrust plate directly
western edge but near Callahan diverges from the main overlies the Trinity ophiolite in some places,
sheet and continues northward as a thin septum along whereas in other places it overlies the melange sheet
Scott Valley to northeast of Yreka. which in turn overlies the ophiolite (Figs. 3, 4).
Althou gh I have mapped the lower contact of the
Rocks of the Overthrust Sheets Gazelle Formation as a low-angle fault, Potter
(1977), in d i scussing a locality just north of my
To the west and northwest, the Trinity ophiolite area , describes this contact as a "sheared deposi-
and the juxtaposed melange are overlain by a complex tional contact". Such apparently contradictory
of imbricated thrust sheets (Figs. 3, 4) which are evidence as to the nature of contacts is common in
composed of sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks melange terranes (Hsu, 1968; Cowan, 1974; Maxwell,
(Hotz, 1974; Lindsley-Griffin and Rohr, 1977). As 1974). According to Hsu (1968), a contact between a
shown on Figure 3, these include the Gazelle Forma- coherent rock-stratigraphic unit and a tectonic
tion, calcareous quartzite and metasiltstone which melange which seems to be allochthonous in one
~ay be ~orrelative to the Moffett Creek Formation locality and autochthonous in another may be evidence
(Potter and others, 1977; Hotz, in press), and that the two are coeval . Thus, the Gazelle Formation
phyllites which were originally assigned to the Duzel may have been deposited over the melange while the
Formation of Wells and others (1959) and more recent- melange was forming.
ly to the Duzel Phyllite (Hotz, in press). . Thrust over the Gazelle Formation are rocks
The Gazelle Formation (Fig. 3) consists of a se- which probably belong t o the Moffett Creek Formation
quence of siliceous shales interbedded with tuffa- (Potter and others, 1977; Hotz, in press). This
TRINITY OPHIOLITE - LINDSLEY-GRIFFIN l l7
thrust sheet, at least in the area of Figure 3, is marginal basin was not immediately adjacent to a
composed of interbedded phyllite and calcareous continent during the early Paleozoic (Lindsley-
quartzite. The rather distinctive quartzite is an Griffin, 1976; Churkin and McKee, 1974). Shortly
extremely hard, fine-grained, gray-brown, quartz-rich after its formation the ophiolite experienced some
rock, often massive in appearance, which weathers to folding and faulting (perhaps related to transform
a light brown color. This quartzite-phyllite se- faulting or to its emplacement) and was then intruded
quence exhibits graded bedding, convolute bedding and by the pegmatitic gabbros at about the end of the
other features typical of turbidite sequences, and it Ordovician.
probably represents a portion of a deep-sea turbidite The occurrence within the melange of conglomer-
fan. It is also characterized by zones of disrupted ate which contains clasts of the same age and composi-
bedding, slump folds, and sedimentary breccia, and tion as the Trinity ophiolite (Hopson and Mattinson,
thus probably formed at least in part where rela- 1973) is significant. Either a part of the Trinity
tively steep slopes were present. These rocks have ophiolite, or another ophiolite of similar age and
been metamorphosed to very low greenschist facies and composition, was situated in a location which permit-
exhibit at least two generations of tectonic folding ted it to shed large clasts into conglomeratic
(Lindsley-Griffin, in prep.). Along Willow Creek, deposits, or possibly into submarine debris flows.
just north of the area of Figure 3, they are faulted Geologic relationships suggest that this may have
against the Trinity ophiolite along high-angle faults. occurred as early as middle Ordovician, but no later
The phyllites (Fig. 3) which are thrust over than early Devonian. Thus, sometime during that
both the calcareous quartzite and the Gazelle Forma- interval, oceanic crust may have been emplaced on the
tion are green, chlorite-rich, thin-bedded phyllites leading edge of the overriding plate as uplifted
with sparse interbeds of very fine metasiltstone. obducted slabs, or perhaps serpentinization of the
They probably should be placed in the Duzel Phyllite leading edge of the overriding plate occurred due to
(Hotz, in press). They have been metamorphosed to dewatering of subducted sediments, permitting it to
low greenschist facies, perhaps a little higher than be uplifted.
the calcareous quartzite, and exhibit at least two, The sedimentary rocks now included as blocks
possibly three, generations of folding (Lindsley- within the melange apparently formed during the
Griffin, in prep.). These phyllites probably repre- period from middle Ordovician to early Devonian; at
sent distal turbidites, but their age is not known. least, rocks older or younger than that have not yet
been observed within the melange. However, the age
Younger Igneous Rocks of formation of the melange in a subduction zone can
not be determined solely from the ages of blocks
The Trinity ophiolite is cut by numerous dikes contained within the melange (Hsu, 1968). It is
and stocks, many of which also intrude the sedimen- possible that the melange was forming continuously
tary and metasedimentary rocks of the overlying during the time from middle Ordovician to early
thrust sheets. Some of the dikes can be traced Devonian, or it may have formed only after the early
upward into volcanic rocks which overlie both the Devonian, or it may have formed in several stages at
Trinity ophiolite and the melange in numerous locali- various times.
ties (Fig. 3, Unit "v"), These younger volcanic If the contact between the melange and the
rocks are spilites and keratophyres, commonly char- Siluro-Devonian Gazelle Formation is indeed deposi-
acterized by large green pyroxene phenocrysts. They tional in places (Potter, 1977), then the two are
consist of massive to pillowed lavas and breccias, coeval, at least in part. Thus, a subduction zone
with rare interbeds of tuff or volcanogenic gray- could have been active in the early Devonian, and
wacke. Field relations clearly demonstrate that possibly during the late Silurian. Since there is no
these volcanic rocks are distinct from the ophiolitic evidence for a nearby volcanic arc in the early
volcanics and that they are younger than both the Devonian, this subduction zone may have been too
ophiolite and the melange. Field relations further short-lived for an arc to develop. An alternate
suggest that these younger volcanic rocks were possibility is that the dip of the subduction zone
erupted through the ophiolite and the melange after was very shallow, causing the volcanic arc to develop
their juxtaposition. Unfortunately, their relation- at a great distance from the trench.
ship to the other thrust plates (Gazelle, calcareous Since the melange is not significantly metamor-
quartzite, Duzel) is not clear, as the volcanics are phosed and exotic blocks are rare, a reasonable
faulted against rocks of the Gazelle plate and are environment for its formation would be the upper
not in contact with the other two. portion of the trench slope, near the trench-slope
Stocks and dikes of diorite, quartz diorite, break (Karig, 1974). The presence of some metamor-
and hornblende-feldspar porphyry intrude the Trinity phosed sedimentary and ophiolitic fragments suggests,
ophiolite, the melange, and the Gazelle Formation, however, that some in-shuffling of deeper basement
and are frequently localized along major shear zones and subducted sediments was occurring--probably along
(Fig. 3). Although these intrusions have not been high-angle reverse faults dipping away from the
dated radiometrically, they are clearly younger than trench. Portions of the sedimentary rocks within the
the faulting which affected lower Devonian rocks of melange may have been trapped in fault-controlled
the Gazelle Formation thrust plate. Intrusions of basins, supplied by density flows or by gravity-
similar composition into the Trinity ophiolite to the sliding of blocks formed elsewhere.
east and south of the area shown in Figure 3 have The fact that the pegmatitic gabbros intrude
been dated as 224 m.y. (Castle Crags) and 133 m.y. only the ophiolite and not the melange suggests that
(Craggy Peak) according to Lanphere and others the thrust sheet consisting of melange arrived in its
(1968). present position relative to the ophiolite after
about 430 m.y., or sometime after the end of the
Ordovician. However, the actual time of arrival of
TECTONIC HISTORY OF THE TRINITY OPHIOLITE the melange and of the other thrust plates cannot be
dated precisely. Nevertheless, it would not be
The Trinity ophiolite presumably formed at an unreasonable to conclude that the emplacement of the
oceanic spreading center during early Ordovician time melange sheet, and possibly the other thrust sheets
(480 to 455 m.y.). This spreading center which may as well, was related to the emplacement of the strip
have been located along a mid-ocean ridge or in a of ultramafic and amphibolitic rocks along the western
118 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
edge of the thrust complex (Fig. 1). K-Ar dates for folding and faulting appear to have been important
the metamorphism of these amphibolites of 382 and 391 in the Trinity ophiolite. Is this related to some of
m.y. (Hotz, 1974) suggests emplacement of this the other peculiarities of the Trinity ophiolite, or
ultramafic belt in the early Devonian, which is also is it common in all ophiolites?
the most likely time for the melange to have formed. Like many other ophiolites, the Trinity has
The absence of a well-developed, thick island experienced a long and complex tectonic history since
arc sequence of early Paleozoic age in the Klamath its formation. Knowledge of regional relationships
Mountains is puzzling, since early Paleozoic island is still incomplete, and there will always be some
arcs have been mentioned frequently in the literature questions that can never be answered. Thus, it is
(Hamilton, 1969; Condie and Snansieng, 1971; Churkin not possible at this time to construct a specific
and McKee, 1974; Burchfiel and Davis, 1975; to name model for the emplacement and subsequent history of
only a few). The earliest indisputable preserved the Trinity ophiolite.
island arc sequence in the eastern Klamaths is middle
to late Paleozoic (D'Allura and others, 1974). These
rocks are middle Devonian (Eifelian, Boucot and REFERENCES CITED
others, 1974) through Permian (Strand, 1964) in age,
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faulting. However, the most reasonable conclusion is Burchfiel, B. C., and Davis, G. A., 1975, Nature
that no island arc developed in the near vicinity of and controls of Cordilleran orogenesis, western
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activity. Formation with the Central Metamorphic Belt,
The Devonian or younger volcanics which uncon- northeastern Klamath Mountains, California: Geol.
formably overlie both the melange and the Trinity Soc. America Abs. with Programs, v. 9, p. 398.
ophiolite (Figs. 3, 4) are very minor in volume, and Church, W. R., and Coish, R. A., 1976, Oceanic versus
it is probable that they are related to the develop- island arc origin of ophiolites: Ear. Planet.
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(shown as upper Paleozoic on Fig. 1) lying to the Churkin, M., Jr., and Langenheim, R. L., Jr., 1960
east and southeast of the Trinity ophiolite. Thus, Silurian strata of the Klamath Mountains, '
during the late Paleozoic, the Trinity ophiolite, the California: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 258, p. 258-273.
juxtaposed melange related to it, and possibly some Churkin, M., Jr., and McKee, E. H., 1974, Thin and
or all of the overlying thrust plates, lay in the layered subcontinental crust of the Great Basin
fore-arc region of an island arc and was the site of western North America inherited from Paleozoic
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p. 1-15.
CONCLUSION Coleman, R. G., and Irwin, W. P., 1974, Ophiolites
and ancient continental margins, in Burk, C. A.,
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graphic and petrologic requirements for an ophiolite, margins: New York, Springer-Verlag, p. 921-931.
but it has some peculiarities which either are not Condie, K. C., and Snansieng, S., 1971, Petrology
part of the definition of ophiolites (Anon., 1972) or and geochemistry of the Duzel (Ordovician) and
which are different from most previously described Gazelle (Silurian) formations, northern Califor-
ophiolites: 1. The ultramafic rocks include a nia: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 41, p. 741-751.
relatively large proportion of lherzolite and felds- Cowan, D. S., 1974, Deformation and metamorphism of
pathic lherzolite, although both the feldspar and the the Franciscan subduction zone complex northwest
clinopyroxene are very small and thus difficult to of Pacheco Pass, California: Geol. Soc. America
recognize in the field. Are there other ophiolites Bull., v. 85, p. 1623-1634.
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recognize and map? 2. Sheeted structure does not and Moores, E. M., 1974, Cordilleran tectonic
appear to be presentin the diabase. There is a history--A view from northern California: Geol.
distinct diabase zone, but internal structures are Soc. America Abs. with Programs, v. 6, no. 7,
complex, and cross-cutting relationships suggest p. 704.
several sequential episodes of dike and sill intru- Davis, G. A., 1968, Westward thrust faulting in the
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most ophiolites or of ophiolites formed in a particu- Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 79, p. 911-934.
lar tectonic setting? 3. Farly (pre-emplacement)
TRINITY OPHIOLITE - LINDSLEY-GRIFFIN 119
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Union Trans., v. 57, no. 12, p. 1027. ophiolite complex, eastern Klamath Mountains,
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complex, a product of triple-junction tectonics: no. 12, p. 1025.
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plutonic and metamorphic events in the Klamath 95 p.
120 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Russell C. Evarts
Department of Geology,
Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
A dismembered remnant of the late Jurassic Ultramafic rocks, mainly serpentinites, have long
ophiolitic basement of the Great Valley sequence is been recognized as distinctive and characteristic
exposed in the Del Puerto (Red Mountain)area of the components of the late Mesozoic Franciscan terrane of
northern Diablo Range. Rocks representing several the California Coast Ranges (Bailey and others, 1964).
levels within the original ophiolite section are Such rocks are particularly prevalent in the vicinity
preserved in four fault-bounded blocks along the of the fundamental geologic boundary separating the
major tectonic contact between the Great Valley structurally complex and metamorphosed elastic and
sequence and the Franciscan Complex. The largest volcanic rocks of the Franciscan Complex (Berkland
block is a mass of alpine-type (metamorphic tectonite) and others, 1972) to the west from coeval but
peridotite consisting of: 1) a unit of refractory essentially undeformed and unmetamorphosed elastic
harzburgite (depleted mantle), 2), a unit of dunite sediments to the east, referred to as the Great Valley
and lesser wehrlite containing podiform chromitites sequence (Bailey and others, 1964). The nature of
and mafic minerals somewhat less magnesian than those this contact, which is crucial to tectonic and
of the harzburgite (interpreted as a penetratively- paleogeographic interpretations of the region, is
deformed olivine+chromian spinelclinopyroxene cumu- disputed (Taliaferro, 1943; Bailey and others, 1964,
late), and 3) various kinds of serpentinites, includ- 1970; Bailey and Blake, 1969; Ernst, 1970; Maxwell,
ing antigorite schists. A fault marked by distinctive 1974). Along much of this boundary, the two great
black serpentinite separates the tectonized perido- lithologic belts are physically separated by sub-
tites from the overlying constructional parts of the stantial exposures of serpentinized peridotite,
ophiolite. Two small fault blocks contain plutonic raising the question of whether the ultramafic rocks
igneous rocks from the middle levels of the original are linked in some fashion with rocks of one of the
section. These consist of peridotite and gabbro other of the two belts, or are unrelated solid
cumulates, hornblende gabbros, and hornblende quartz intrusions injected along a preexisting contact.
diorites considered to be parts of a single dif feren-
tiated mafic pluton. These rocks have been intensely The recognition that in many localities these
fractured, faulted, and intruded by dikes and ultramafic bodies are intimately associated with
irregular bodies of diabase, microdiorite, and various mafic to silicic plutonic and volcanic rocks,
plagiogranite. The top of the ophiolite is preserved forming a typical ophiolite affiliation (Bailey and
in a block of volcanic flows and breccias and others, 1970), has had a profound effect on recent
hypabyssal intrusions, mainly sills. Earlier mafic geologic models of the Coast Ranges. These authors
to intermediate lavas may represent liquids periodi- proposed that the ophiolite occurrences represent
cally tapped from the differentiating pluton, whereas fragments of oceanic lithosphere upon which the late
younger intermediate to silicic lavas are apparently Jurassic to latest Cretaceous Great Valley sequence
related to the intrusive bodies cutting the pluton. was deposited, and that the Great Valley rocks plus
All igneous rocks in the ophiolite are the products basal ophiolite had formed the lip of an upper, North
of differentiation of hydrous low-K subalkaline American continental plate that was thrust over the
basaltic magma, in which an early trend of iron- Franciscan assemblage and its underlying Pacific
enrichment was terminated by crystallization and Ocean crust during late Cretaceous time. The contact
settling of hornblende and lesser magnetite, the between the Franciscan and ultramafic rocks was
ultimate products being extremely silica-rich therefore considered to mark the surficial expression
plagiogranites and quartz keratophyres. Deposited of this major fault, named the Coast Range Thrust.
on the ophiolite volcanic rocks are tuffaceous cherts
interbedded with volcaniclastic sandstones derived Whole-rock chemical data from numerous scattered
from an active calc-alkaline volcanic arc; ophiolitic localities within the ophiolite belt have been
debris is absent. Zeolites and other secondary collected by Bailey and Blake (1974), who stressed
minerals in the sediments are ascribed to burial the chemical similarities with ophiolite occurrences
metamorphism, but most of the alteration of the elsewhere in the world and with oceanic crustal rocks.
ophiolite rocks is attributed to low-P metamorphism The data also indicate an impressive chemical diver-
contemporaneous with igneous activity. sity among the ophiolitic rocks, especially pronounced
with respect to the volcanic lithologies. The highly
The fragmental nature of the occurrence and the silicic nature of some ophiolite volcanics from the
pervasive secondary alteration impede satisfactory southern Coast Ranges is singularly striking. It
evaluation of the tectonic setting of ophiolite thus appears that the Great Valley ophiolite is far
formation, but a marginal basin origin is considered from a single homogenous petrologic entity, and it
most probable. Formation within an island arc is may in fact be composed of several discrete ophiolite
also plausible, but generation at a normal mid-ocean "plates", created by somewhat different processes,
ridge, as now understood, is unlikely. in disparate tectonic environments, and perhaps at
slightly but significantly different times. Detailed
122 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
studies of individual occurrences using combined Highly shear ed se r pentini te commonly intervenes
geologic, petrologic, and geochemical tools will be between the Franciscan and Gr eat Valley units along
necessary to substantially improve our understanding the boundary faults, though it is much less abundant
of the role of the ophiolites in western North here than in the northern Coas t Ranges. Unshear e d
American Mesozoic geology. This paper is a brief and only partially s erpentin i zed peridotites are
presentation of some of the results of one such restricted to a pair of large outcrops in the north-
investigation. ernmost parts of the Diablo Range--in the Red Moun-
tain area described in this paper, and the Cedar
Mountain area to the northwes t--both of which are
GEOLOGIC SETTING associated with other t ypical ophiolitic igneous
rocks (Bauder and Liou, 1976) . The two occurrences
The Del Puerto (or Red Mountain) ophiolite may actually be parts of a single ophiolite fragment
(locality 5 of Bailey and others, 1970) is located that have been offset by a north-northwest-trending
along the eastern ma rgin of the Diablo Range in cen- right-later al s trike-slip fault (Ernst, 197la).
tral California, approximately 100 km southeast of
San Francisco. The Diabl o Range (fig. 1) is a topo- A simplified geologic map of the Del Puerto area
traphic and geologic entity composed of a central (fig. 2) shows the scattered distribution of the
core of Franciscan rocks exhibiting a characteristic various members of the ophiolite. The immediately
disrupted structure and complicated metamorphic surrounding Franciscan terrane is a graywacke-chert
history (Kerrick and Cotton, 1971; Ernst, 197la; melange containing slabs of coherent stratigraphic
Cotton, 1972; Raymond, 1973; Cowan, 1974). The core sections, up to several hundred meters l ong, i n a
is flanked on nearly all sides by outward-dipping pervasively sheared argillitic ma trix which is easily
strata of the Great Valley sequence. The two units eroded and thus rarely exposed. The graywacke is
a re juxtaposed across a series of faults that together jadeit e-bearing, and typically possesses a distinct
comprise the local segment of the Coas t Range Thrust, foliation, being similar in this respect to the
The present structural configura tion of the range is semischist described by Cowan (1974) from the Pacheco
attributable to postthrusting diapiric uplift of the Pass area. Structural trends in the Diablo Range
Franciscan core in late Cenozoic time, resulting in Franciscan are generally oriented north-northwest,
rotation of the original thrust surf ace a l ong the but near the ophiolite perido tite they swing sharply
borders of the uplifted block into its current, near east- west parallel to t he contact. High-grade
vertical position. Erosion has completely stripped blueschists (Coleman and Lanphere, 1971) are distrib-
the upper plate rocks from most of the elevated area, uted irregularly throughout the melange (see Maddock,
revealing the subjacent Franciscan assemblage. 1964) and are not exceptionally abundant along the
Because of this l a t e movemen t , original, undistrubed contacts with the ultramafic rocks.
contacts along the Coast Range Thrust are rarely, if
ever, preserved (Raymond, 1973).
DEL PUERTO OPHIOLITE
nr 1s
The ophiolite occurs as four separate pieces
strewn on both sides of the Fr anciscan-Great Valley
boundary fault, each of which is petrologically dis-
N tinct and a ll of which have faulted contacts with
adjacent units (see fig. 2). The reconstructed
121 Jo
I
I
37"25 .
Figure 2. Simplified geologic map of the Del Puerto area. Franciscan Complex (blank), Great Valley sequence
shales of late Jurassic-early Cretaceous age (diagonal rule), late Jur a ssic basal voleanielastie sandstones and
cherts of Great Valley sequence (horizontal dashes). Ophiolite components: alpine peridotite member and ser-
pentinite outliers (dotted), plutonie member (random dash pattern), and volcanic member (V-pattern).
Harzbu:r>gite Unit.--The most abundant rock type matched by a very limited variation in bulk rock and
in the alpine peridotite is a rather monotonous, mineral chemistry. The ratio: lOOMg/Mg+Fe* in bulk
massive harzburgite virtually identical in most re- rock analyses of harzburgites and associated dunites
spects to the well-studied occurrences at Burro ranges from 90.3 to 91.4, CaO and Al 20 3 are very
Mountain, California (Burch, 1968; Loney and others, low, and the alkalies are present in negligible
1971) and Vulcan Peak, Oregon (Himmelberg and Loney, amounts (Bodenlos, 1950; Himmelberg and Coleman,
1973; Loney and Himmelberg, 1976), the most obvious 1968). Electron microprobe analyses of the constit-
dif ferenee being the very poor development of foli- uent minerals reveal the following ranges in
ation and compositional layering in the Del Puerto lOOMg/Mg+Fe* (see fig. 6): olivine, 90 .7- 91 . 8;
body. The weak layering that is discernible displays orthopyroxene, 90.6-91.8; elinopyroxene, 93.7-95.0,
a consistent orientation (N. 70-80 E., near-vertical with 0.4 -1.4 weight percent Cr 203. Chromian spinel s
dips) throughout the mass, which therefore cannot show much greater compositional variation
have been folded subsequent to emplacement into its (Cr/Cr+Al=0.33-0.73; Mg/Mg+Fe 2+=0.42-0.68), and dis-
current position (Maddock, 1964; Saad, 1969). play a negative correla t ion between Mg/Fe 2+ and
Cr/Al that is a universal characteristic of alpine
Contacts with the surrounding Franciscan meta- peridotites (Irvine, 1967; Irvine and Findlay, 1972).
sediments are predominantly high-angle faults. The Olivine in the associated dunites is slightly more
peridotite in a wide zone (up to 200 m) adjacent to magnesian (100Mg/Mg+Fe*~91.5-93.2), and the coexisting
the contacts is intensely sheared and serpentinized. spinel is richer in chromium (Cr/Cr+Al=0.74-0.82).
Gravity data suggest that this sheared serpentinite
ex tends beneath the central area of massive harz- Olivine mierofabrie analyses (Evarts, unpub.
burgite at a shallow depth (Thompson and Robinson, data) of two typical harzburgites reveals the presence
1975) so that the peridotite body, despite the steep of strong X=[OlO] maxima oriented approximately
contacts, has the general form of a horizontal sheet. normal to the plane of the compositional layering.
Combined with the general absence of a dimensional
The harzburgite, like all alpine-type perido- preferred orientation of the olivine i n these rocks,
tites, is a metamorphic teetonite. Its mierostrue- and the large percentage of optically st r ain-free
ture is remarkably uniform throughout, being composed crystals, the strong fab ric sugges t s that synteetonie
of an interlocking mosaic of anhedral, equant to recrystallization under high-temperature, low-strain-
amoeboid grains of olivine and orthopyroxene averag- rate conditions was the dominant deformation process
ing 3-4 mm. Minor elinopyroxene is finer grained Av~ Lallemant and Carter, 1970; Loney and others,
(<2 mm), and occupies interstitial positions relative 1971; Av~ Lallemant, 1975). Such conditions are
to the two other silicates. Chromian spinel likely to exist within the upper mantle, especially
(0.5-2.0 mm) is a persistent accessory phase that in the vicinity of a spreading center, hot spot, or
varies in shape from equant and rounded to highly in the roots of an island are. The chemically
irregular. Lenticular dunite bodies are scattered re fractory nature of the peridotite is most readily
through the harzburgite, and these of ten contain explained as due to extensive partial melting of a
minor spinel concentrations which display apparently lherzolitie parent mantle and remova l of most of the
cumulus textures (Thayer, 1964, 1969, 1970). In s egregated melt, perhaps at the same time the rock
addition to a uniform texture, the harzburgite also was being subjected to deformation (for example,
has a uniform modal composition (fig. 5), which is Irvine and Findlay, 1972; Ringwood, 1975).
124 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLI TES
Ji-25 '
ZO N ES OF INTENSELY S H E AR ED PERIDOTITE,
OPHIOLITE
S HO WN SCH E MATICALLY
Wf4;~;JlXl PLUT O Nl C M E MB ER
' ------
Isograd
3 FAULT
Gabbro c umulates : pla gio c lase+pyroxene cumulates, in-
tensively fract ure d a nd faul t e d, and - like all parts
of the plutoni c membe r - c ut by a myriad of small
intrusive bodies compose d of diabase, mi crodiorite ,
a nd plagiogranites.
Peridotite cumula tes: olivine+spinelciinopyroxene
cumulates .
FAULT
Blac k serpentini t e: co ntains numerous inc lusions of
gne i ssic gabbro, py~oxcnitc , and plag . pcridotite .
Dunite-Wehrlite unit : part ially serpentinized massive
4
LJ.J
dunite and lesser we hrlite . Clinopyr oxenite layers ,
I- podiform ch romitites, a nd pyroxenite dike swarms
LJ.J c: dccur sporad i call y throughout unit. Contact with
z I-
0
LJ.J
co harzburgite interdigitating, complexly folded (?)
0... a
_J ~
<( LJ.J Harzburgite unit: partially serpentinzed, uniform,
c: massive harzburg itc possessing weak foliation and
LJ.J ~
0... comp ositional l ayering , a nd contai ning scatte r ed
irregul ar to tabular bodies of dunite which r arely
contain concentra tions of c hromian spine!.
Al
Figure 9. Compositions of cumulus chromian spinels
(X's) in peridotites of plutonic member with re spec t
to trivalent cations (ferric iron cal culated from
microprobe analyses assuming stoichiometry) . Fields
of s pinels from the harzburgite (vertical rule) and
dunite-wehrlite (stipple) units also shown. Heavy
arrow indicates general compositional trend of
chromian spinels from the Stillwater Complex (Jack-
son, 1969). Dashed line is compositional variation
shown by spinels in metamorphosed ultramaf ic rocks
(Bliss and MacLean, 1975; Evans and Frost, 1975).
-
The appearance of plagioclase as a liquidus phase
gives rise to plagioclase-two pyroxene cumulates
(gabbronorites) having adcumulus textures (fig. 11).
Rocks containing both olivine and plagioclase as
cumulus minerals have not been encountered. Strong Figure 11. Photomicrograph of typical gabbro
preferred orientations of tabular orthopyroxene and cumulate showing adcumulus texture and an igneous
plagioclase impart a distinct igneous lamination lamination formed by tabular plagioclase and
(Wager, 1968) to all of the gabbroic cumulates, but orthopyroxene grains. Crossed polars. Bar 1 mm.
130 NORTH AM~RICAN OPHIOLITES
Volcanic Member
-
(fig. 21) . Quartz joins plagioclase as a phenocryst
in many of the highly s ilicic quartz keratophyres,
exhibiting S-quartz morphology and resorption textures
common in normal calc-alka line dac ites and rhyolites
Figure 16. Photomicrograph of hornblende tonalite (fig. 22). As is true of the plutonic rocks, there
(plagiogranite) . Blocky plagioclase and subhedral is no evidence for the prior exis t en ce of primary
hornblende grains, anhedral quartz, and minor chlorite . potassium-bearing phases, s uch as biotite or sanadine,
Crossed polars. Bar= 1 mm. in a ny of the volcanic rocks. Hornblende is exceed-
ingly r ar e , b eing observed as partly altered micro-
pheno crysts in only t wo porphyritic quartz keratqihy!B3.
DISCUSSION
Figure 24. Photomicrograph of hornblende-clino- After the pluton had completely sQllidified and
pyroxene andesite clast from volcaniclastic sandstone cooled, mafic to intermediate magmas, some of them
bed interlayered with tuffaceous cherts. Plagioclase hydrous, were injected into it, and crystallized as
phenocrysts (white), partly altered to heulandite, diabases and microdiorites. These were f ollowed by
are much more abundant than in typical ophiolite the extremely leucocratic plagiogranites, which are
volcanic rock (compare with Fig. 20). Crossed chemically equivalent to the highly silicic quartz
polars. Bar 1 mm. keratophyres that represent the last manifestation of
DEL PUERTO OPHIOLITE - EVARTS 135
Table 1. Chemical analyses of selected rocks from the Del Puerto ophiolite, California
lx 2 3 4x Sx 6 7 8 9x 10 llx 12x
Si0 2 41.0 40 .5 47.6 44.4 50.9 51.0 53.4 61. 7 62.1 72.4 50.9 77.5
Al 20 3 1.0 4.4 17.8 18.3 16.9 17.8 14.2 15.7 15.8 13.8 16.1 11.2
Fe 2o 3 8.4 6.2 2.9 12.4 13 .1 2.2 3.7 2.9 7.3 1.0 10.4 2.0
FeO 7.6 6.3 5.5 6.9 4.5 2.5
MgO 33.4 29.4 9.0 8.0 4.8 6.6 8.4 3.5 3.1 1.1 5.8 .26
Cao 5.8 5.2 14 .6 11.3 8.4 12.1 9.2 6.8 6.2 2.4 8.0 1.1
Na20 .oo .08 .52 1.0 2.0 1.5 2.2 3.1 2.6 5.2 5.0 4.8
KzO .oo .08 .07 .09 .37 .07 .20 .40 .21 .13 .10 1.3
Ti02 .04 .10 .37 .49 .63 .32 .45 .44 .42 .40 .42 .17
MnO .13 .17 .15 .20 .18 .12 .18 .13 .13 .11 .11 .04
P205 .02 .05 .OS .08 .08 .08 .08 .13 .09 .10 .07 .03
HzO+ 10.D 5.5 .70 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.3 3.5 1.34
HzO- .22 .06 .11 .25 .18 .19
C02 .04 .oz .08 .01 .01 .01
Total 99.8 99.5 100.1 98.1 99.0 99.0 100.5 101.0 99.6 100.6 100.4 99.7
M-value* 88.6 79.7 63.9 56.1 41.8 60.8 59 .o 46.3 45.8 35.8 52.4 30.6
S.G.** 2.85 3.10 3.04 2.97 2.91 2.87 2.87 2.80 2 .80 2 .69 2.87 2.65
Note: Samples bearing the "x" suffix are X-ray fluorescence analyses performed at the University of
California at Santa Cruz using the methods of Norrish and Hutton (1969). For these data,Fez03=total
iron as Fe 2o 3 and H20+=loss on ignition. All others are rapid rock analyses performed by the U.S.
Geological Survey using the methods of Shapiro and others (1975); Lowell Artis, analyst.
*M-value is atomic ratio lOOMg/Mg+Fe*.
**S.G. is specific gravity of bulk rock.
ophiolite volcanism. These younger intrusive and with the silica-enrichment trend considered more
extrusive rocks have no obvious source in the parts characteristic of calc-alkaline suites (Ringwood,
of the ophiolite that are now exposed; there is abso- 1974; Cawthorn and O'Hara, 1976). This in turn im-
lutely no indication that these melts ever passed plies that the magma was hydrous, although the water
through the underlying harzburgite. A second differ- need not be "juvenile" mantle-derived water--it could
entiated pluton may be imagined to have been emplaced just as well have been introducec (ocean?) water. If
below the original one, in order to account for the so, the kind of continuous compositional variation
later leucocratic magmas, but if such a body ever shown by the cumulus spinels and the extremely calcic
existed, it has been completely removed by more recent compositions of the cumulus plagioclase (for example,
fault movements. Clearly, development of a compre- Yoder, 1969) suggest that the magma acquired its high
hensive model for the ophiolite is not possible pH 20 and high fo 2 relatively early in its crystalli-
because several pieces of the puzzle are missing. zation history.
The evidence from the cumulus pluton suggests The tectonic setting within which the Del Puerto
that late-stage differentiates rich in silica and ophiolite developed, and consequently its precise role
poor in iron can be produced by normal fractional in the late Jurassic paleogeographic and tectonic
crystallization of a subalkaline magma. The role of environment of central California, remains enigmatic.
hornblende (and lesser magnetite) appears to be Both mid-ocean ridge (Page, 1972; Hopson and others,
crucial in this process. Fractionation of amphibole 1975) and interarc or marginal basin (Blake and Jones,
and magnetite along with plagioclase is believed to 1974; Schweikert and Cowan, 1975) origins have been
be responsible for terminating the trend of iron- suggested for all or parts of the Great Valley ophi-
enrichment typical of tholeiitic suites during the olite, and as emphasized earlier, the ophiolite belt
middle stages of crystallization, and replacing it probably contains a number of segments having somewhat
136 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
different origins. The most definitive evidence on clarify my thinking and occasionally redirect my
the setting of the Del Puerto occurrence is provided efforts toward more fundamental problems. R. G.
by the sedimentary petrology of the overlying sedi- Coleman, E. H. Bailey, and M. C. Blake, Jr., generous-
ments, which clearly place the site of origin near an ly provided preprints and unpublished data. Rapid
active calc-alkaline volcanic arc., Such a situation rock analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey were
is more likely to exist in a marginal basin than in obtained through the efforts of M. C. Blake, Jr.,
the open ocean (Dickinson, 1974; Karig and Moore, and E. Brabb, and X-ray fluorescence analyses at the
1975). Thick volcanic arc sequences of appropriate University of California at Santa Cruz were performed
age (that is, equivalent in age to that of the ophi- by M. Hill and especially by B. Hill. Field and
olite: c. 155-160 m.y., Lanphere, 1971) in the west- laboratory work was supported by grants from the
ern foothill belt of the Sierra Nevada (Schweikert Geological Society of America Penrose Fund, a Sigma
and Cowan, 1975) would form a logical source area Xi grant-in-aid of research, and the Shell Companies
for the volcaniclastic debris. Foundation Fund at Stanford. Reviews by R. R. Compton
and R. G. Coleman considerably improved the presenta-
The petrology of the Del Puerto rocks does not tion and content of this paper.
provide definitive evidence concerning the tectonic
setting in which the ophiolite originated. Low-K None of this work could have been performed
tholeiites such as those in the Del Puerto locality without the cooperation of the many landowners in the
occur in island arcs as well as in oceanic and mar- Del Puerto area who graciously permitted access to
ginal basin crust (Jakes and White, 1972; Miyashiro, their property, and particular thanks are due Mr. R.
1974; Hawkins, 1976; Bryan and others, 1976). The L. King for making his residence available for use
chemical differences among them are minor and readily as a field office.
blurred by secondary alteration. The plagioclase+
clinopyroxene-phyric ophiolite lavas, however, are REFERENCES CITED
petrographically analogous to neither the typical
olivine+plagioclase-phyric oceanic tholeiites nor to Ave Lallemant, H. G., 1975, Mechanisms of preferred
the phenocryst-rich lavas characteristic of volcanic orientations of olivine in tectonite peridotite:
arcs (Miyashiro and others, 1970; Bryan and others, Geology, v. 3, p. 653-656.
1976; Ewart, 1976). Ave Lallemant, H. G., and Carter, N. L., 1970, Syn-
tectonic recrystallization of olivine and modes of
The relative abundance of intermediate to silicic flow in the upper mantle: Geol. Soc. America Bull.,
compositions among the ophiolite volcanic rocks is a v. 81, p. 2203-2220.
problem that the Del Puerto occurrence shares with Bailey, E. H., and Blake, M. C., Jr., 1969, Late Meso-
many other ophiolites (Moores, 1969; Moores and Vine, zoic tectonic development of western California:
1971; Coleman and Peterman, 1975; Coombs and others, Geotectonics, no. 3, p. 148-154, 225-230.
1976). Such rocks are extremely rare among all the Bailey, E. H., Blake, M. C., Jr., and Jones, D. L.,
samples of oceanic crust thus far obtained. Plagio- 1970, Onland Mesozoic oceanic crust in the
granite and equivalent low-K volcanic rocks are known, California Coast Ranges, in Geological Survey
however, from several island arcs, including Japan research 1970: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
(Ishiyaka and Yanagi, 1975; 1977), the Caribbean (for 700-C, p. C70-C81.
example, Longshore, 1965; Bowin, 1966; Mattinson and Bailey, E. H., Irwin, W. P., and Jones, D. L., 1964,
others, 1973; Gunn and Roobol, 1976), and Fiji (Gill, Franciscan and related rocks and their significance
1970), and Tonga (Ewart and Bryan, 1972), suggesting in the geology of western California: California
affinities of ophiolites with an arc environment, as Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 183, 177 p.
argued by Miyashiro (1973, 1975). It seems, never- Barnes, I., and O'Neil, J. R., 1969, The relationship
theless, that low-K tholeiite, given the opportunity between fluids in some fresh alpine-type ultra-
to fractionate under appropriate conditions, would maf ics and possible modern serpentinization,
produce low-K differentiates regardless of tectonic western United States: Geol. Soc. America Bull.,
environment. The apparent abundance of such differ- v. 80, p. 1947-1960.
entiates in island arcs compared to oceanic crust Bauder, J.M., and Liou, J. G., 1976, Discovery of
may be largely a result of more complete sampling of the Great Valley sequence within the Franciscan
eroded and subaerially-exposed arc rocks compared to terrain near Cedar Mountain, northern Diablo
submerged oceanic crust. Alternatively, the condi- Range, California [abs.]: Geol. Soc. America Abs.
tions required to produce significant quantities of with Programs, v. 8, no. 6, p. 770.
leucocratic rocks may be more likely to prevail in Berkland, J. 0., Raymond, L. A., Kramer, J. C.,
arc environments. The absence of a sheeted dike Moores, E. M., and O'Day, M., 1972, What is Fran-
complex at Del Puerto, and the uniform nature of the ciscan?: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull.,
cumulates, imply a relatively stable, nontensional v. 56, p. 2295-2302.
regime very different from that obtaining under nor- Bishop, c. C., 1970, Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of
mal spreading centers, but such a regime might be the west side of the northern San Joaquin Valley,
expected within an arc or in a marginal basin where Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties, California:
spreading is more diffusely distributed. Thus, all California Div. Mines and Geology Spec. Rept.
things considered, a marginal basin origin is pre- 104, 29 p.
ferred for the ophiolite, although a primitive island Blake, M. C., Jr., and Jones, D. L., 1974, Origin of
arc environment is also plausible. There are,however, Franciscan melanges in northern California, in
strong arguments against the Del Puerto suite being Dott, R. H., and Shaver, R. H., eds., Modern and
directly analogous to oceanic crust as now perceived ancient geosynclinal sedimentation: Soc. Econ.
(Bottinga and Allegre, 1976) Paleontologists and Mineralogists Spec. Pub. 19,
p. 345-357.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Bliss, N. W., and MacLean, W. H., 1975, The paragen-
esis of zoned chromite from central Manitoba:
The work described here is part of my Ph. D. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, v. 39, p. 973-990.
research at Stanford University. I am indebted to Bodenlos, A. J., 1950, Geology of the Red Mountain
R. R. Compton, B. M. Page, J. G. Liou, R. G. Coleman, magnesite district, Santa Clara and Stanislaus
and R. P. George for numerous discussions that helped Counties, California: California Jour. Mines and
DEL PUERTO OPHIOLITE - EVARTS 137
\
141
Jason Saleeby
The Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt constitutes a Plate v is a general geologic map of the Kings-
significant segment of the foothill metamorphic Kaweah ophiol ite belt. The gross structure of the
belt. Within it exist the only remnants of a com- belt is that of a huge tectonic megabreccia with a
plete ophiolite succession to be found throughout schistose serpentinite matrix. At the north end of
the entire Sierran terrane. In addition, since it the belt clasts range up to 20 km in length, and are
represents the deepest exposure of foothill metamor- referred to as tectonic slabs (after Hsu, 1968) since
phic rocks, it affords the best opportunity to study they contain internal mappable stratigraphic units.
the tectonic and petrogenetic history of the oceanic The slabs are collectively named the Kings River
basement terrane upon which Mesozoic continental ophiolite after the Kings River which transects the
margin rocks were deposited. The purpose of this s.ab cluster. The slabs are separated by narrow ser-
paper is to: l) give a general description of the pentinite melange zones and by cross-cutting plutons
ophiolite belt; 2) expand upon critical relation- of the Sierra Nevada batholith. Southward from the
ships within the ophiolite belt which bear on the Kings River area the slabs decrease in size to mono-
tectonics of ophiolite genesis, deformation and 1 i tho 1og i c blocks. In doing so the oph i o 1 i te belt
emplacement, and 3) discuss briefly the tectonics grades into serpentinite matrix melange. The greater
of the ophiolite belt with respect to the regional part of the melange is named the Kaweah serpentinite
tectonics of the southwest United States. Detailed melange after the Kaweah River which transects it.
structural and petrologic data are presented in
142 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
The entire ophiolite belt has been metamorphosed where metamorphic recrystallization is complete,
in the albite-epidote to mainly hornblende hornfels earlier textures and structures are commonly well-
facies (after Turner, 1968) by the Cretaceous Sierra preserved. Thus protoliths of the metamorphosed
Nevada bathol ith. Metamorphic recrysta llizati on of ophiol ite belt have been readil y deduced from field,
the ophiol ite belt is in many places incomplete. petrographic, mineralogical and chemical data.
Thus some insight into original minera logy of the Detailed treatment of this data is not the intent of
oph i o 1 i te proto 1 i ths is ava i 1ab1 e. In addition, even this paper. For sake of brevity the ophiolite will
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PERIOOTITE. OUHITE, HARZBURG!TE.
GABBRO WEHRLITE, CLINOPYROXE
PERIOOTITE N1TC, GABBRO. OLORITE
MIXTURE 6 ANOPLAGIOGRANIH;
Figure 2. Reconstructed ocean floor s ections from
NEARLY PENETRATIVELY
OEfORMEO
Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt. For comparison left
mo ho
column shows normal oceanic basement after Ludwig
HARZBURGI TE ZONE
MANTLE 7 HARZ8URGITE ANO OUNITE and others (1970), Sutton and others (1971), Christ-
WITH LOCAL INCLUSIONS Or
CHROMIT0LIVIN(CU11U
ensen and Salisbury (1975), Clague and Straley (1977) .
LATE, WEHRLITEANOAl'IPHl-
80L1TE ; PENETRATIVELY
PERIQOT!TE !lEFORMEO
be discussed in terms of pre-batholith protoliths. The schistosity of the melange matrix and si mi-
For further information on bathol ith related meta- lar schistositics of the Hog Mountain and Tivy Moun-
morphism see Saleeby (1975, 1977, in press a and b, tain slabs are referred to collectivel y as S2 . Along
in prep.a). both margins of the Hog Mountain slab, and along the
western margin of the Tivy Mountain slab Si grades
The Kings River ophiol itic slabs are named after into S2 . This is manifested by a progressive increase
the highest encompassed peak . The slabs are bounded of schistose serpentine relative to flattened and
by serpentinite melange zones in most instances. streaked out olivine and pyroxene. Along the eastern
Where not present, the melange zones can be inferred margin of the Tivy Mountain slab S2 cuts sharply
to have existed prior to batholith emplacement. The across SJ. Local zones of both S2 cutting Si and Si
Hog and Tivy Mountain slabs are predominantly peri- grading into s 2 occur within the ultramafic slabs.
dotite . . These slabs grade into the neighboring Si in northwest orientations grades into s 2 , whereas
melange matrix. Peridotite foliations grade into or SJ in other orientations is cut by S2 .
are cut by domains of schistose serpentinite.
Towards the melange zones the schistose serpentinite Mafic slabs of Bald Mountain and Hughe s Mountain
domains become dominant until the original perido- contain a relict shear fabric which is only locally
tite fabric and mineralogy is obliterated producing developed in each of them except for the northwest
the melange matrix. Within short distances exotic part of the Hughes Mountain slab where it is penetra-
blocks of gabbro, basalt and chert occur within the tive. The shear fabric is also steeply dipping and
serpentinite matrix. The strike of the matrix schis- parallel to the regional trend of the ophiolite belt.
tosity is parallel to the long axes of the slabs and It is thought to be equivalent primarily to Si of the
to the regional trend of the ophiolite belt. Hog Mountain and Tivy Mountain slabs . Similar shear
fabrics in mafic melange blocks appear to be surfaces
Within the slabs structures which pre-date along which the blocks were rifted apart during
melange mixing also occur. Peridotite and gabbro melange m1x1ng. Thus the shear fabric may in part
within the Hog Mountain and Tivy Mountain slabs con- also be equivalent to S2 of the ultramafic slabs and
tain a mylonitic foliation. The trend of this foli- melange zones. As will be discussed later, develop-
ation is mainly parallel to the trend of the ophio- ment of s 1 and s 2 are thought to have partly over-
lite belt. However, domains in which foliations have lapped in time.
been folded and rotated are common. The folded and
rotated domains are truncated by mylonite foliation The slabs contain various segments of the orig-
surfaces which are identical to the folded surfaces. inal ophiolite stratigraphy. A reconstructed strati-
Structural analysis of the mylonites shows that my- graphic section is shown in Figure 2. Next to the
lonitization proceeded in repeated pulses with early- graphic section the intervals spanned by the Kings
stage foliation surfaces being truncated, rotated, River slabs are shown. The reconstructed strata!
folded and refolded during succeeding stages of my- thicknesses are taken from the Tivy Mountain and the
lonitization. This complex family of foliation sur- Bald Mountain slabs which fit immediately adjacent to
faces is referred to as S\ Within Si there is a one another when the ophiolite is palinspastically
steep plunging lineation (L1) defined by elongated restored to its pre-bathol ith configuration (Fig. 3).
dimensional markers such as pyroxene porphyroclasts The reconstructued ophiolite section consists from
and deformed mafic inclusions. Folding of S1 and L1 the base up of: 1) greater than 4 km harzburg i te-
was predominately about steep plunging axes. Folds dun i te with traces of chromitite, wehrlite, clino-
in s 1 and Li are referred to as FJ. Fi geometry is pyroxenite and gabbro; 2) 2.5 km mafic-ultramafic
variable and complex. Asymmetries suggestive of a transition zone composed of the same rocks except
dextral sense of motion are not uncommon . wehrlite, clinopyroxenite and gabbro are more
144 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
significant; 3) 2 km gabbro and lesser clinpyroxen- exotic to North America (Saleeby and others, in
ite cumulates; 4) 0.7 km basalt-diabase dike complex prep). The chert-argil lite complex grades into a
which is locally sheeted; 5) 1.8 km basaltic pillow volcanic arc-epiclastic sequence. Chert deposition
lava and pi! low breccia; and 6) greater than 20 m apparently subsided or was overwhelmed as quartzose
metal! iferous radiolarian chert. The reconstructed to sub-arkosic flysch deposition and basalt-andesite
ophiolite section is interpreted as a sample of volcanism commenced. The continental margin rocks
oceanic crust and upper mantle. A more detailed were faulted, folded and flattened along with late-
discussion of the ophiol ite section is presented in stage deformation of its ophiol itic basement. Depo-
Saleeby (in press a). sition of this assemblage appears to have been syn-
tectonic with abundant intraformational reworking.
Southward from the Kings River area the ophio- In addition, local uplifts and exposures of ophio-
1 i te fragments decrease in size to form tectonic lite basement shed ophiolite assemblage olistostromes
blocks in serpentinite melange. The large gabbro into the continental margin rocks. Age constraints
block at the north end of Smith Mountain is inter- on the deposition of continental margin rocks place
mediate in size between the Kings River slabs and it between the latest Permian and late Jurassic
common melange blocks which range between l km and (Saleeby and others, in prep.).
several meters in diameter. Geophysical data
(Saleeby, 1975) indicates that the Smith Mountain Middle and late Jurassic gabbroic to quartz
block continues in the subsurface for at least 7 km dioritic plutonic rocks which cut the ophiolite belt
north of Smith Mountain. A significant feature of appear to be the roots of the volcanic arc rocks
the serpentinite melange is that it consists only of (Saleeby, 1975; Saleeby and Sharp, 1977). An impor-
ophiol ite assemblage blocks. Blocks of dunite, harz- tant feature of the plutonic rocks is that they were
burgite, wehrl ite, clinopyroxenite, gabbro, mafic emplaced late in the deformation history of the
dike rock, pi !low basalt,ophicalcite and radiolarian ophiolite belt following significant tectonic mixing.
chert are suspended in schistose serpentinite. Thus the plutons cut melange structures and are
Ultramafic blocks usually grade outward into the structurally in tact, but have high temperature defor-
matrix in a fashion similar to that described for the mation features on trend with the structure of the
ultramafic slabs of the Kings River area. In con- ophiolite belt. The structural relation between the
trast, contacts between matrix and mafic and chert ophiolite belt and the Jurassic plutons is analogous
melange blocks are usually sharp. to the structural relation between the depositional
remnants of continental margin rocks and the ophio-
Melange blocks are invariably elongate parallel 1 ite belt. The petrogenesis of each was late-stage
to th~ matrix schistosity and the regional trend of syntectonic along the pre-existing structural trends
the ophiolite belt. Internal structures of the of the ophiol ite basement. Foliation surfaces of the
blocks such as mylonite or metamorphic foliation and Jurassic plutons and the continental margin rocks are
shear surfaces are usually oriented parallel to the designated s on Plate V.
blocks long axes. Chert blocks are usually tabular 3
in shape with bedding also oriented parallel to long The ophiol ite belt is in tectonic contact along
axes. Many melange blocks have transverse extension its eastern margin with an additional assemblage of
fractures which are occasionally injected with schis- continental margin rocks. This assemblage consists
tose serpentinite. In many instances blocks have of quartzite-argi !lite olistostromes, quartzose to
been pulled apart along the tension fractures like sub-arkosic massive sandstone and flysch, carbonate
large boudins. Local kinks in blocks and small- turbidites and slide blocks and an upper section of
scale folds in the matrix schistosity occur; these shallow marine and silicic volcanic rocks. It is
are invariably about near vertical axes with many thought to be equivalent to the upper intervals of
of them having asymmetries indicating a dextral sense the Calaveras Complex exposed further north along
of motion. the foothill metamorphic belt (Saleeby and Goodin,
1977; Schweickert and others, 1977). Late Triassic
Outcrop mapping of the melange revealed a clus- to early Jurassic fossils have been recovered from
tering of blocks of similar lithology or lithologies. the upper part of this assemblage (Christensen,
The clusters are shown as melange units on Plate I. 1963; Jones and Moore, 1973; Saleeby and others, in
The melange units appear to be the vestiges of once prep.). Recent mapping and petrographic work sug-
larger blocks or slabs that have been distended into gests that part of this assemblage is a proximal
a myriad of smaller blocks by faulting and injection facies of the epiclastic rocks deposited on top of
of the more mobile matrix. Within the melange units the ophiolite (Saleeby and others, in prep.).
there are vestiges of primary igneous and sedimentary
contacts between different members of the ophiolite Geochronology
assemblage. As discussed below, some primary con-
tacts formed during melange development. The melange Geochronological work in conjunction with struc-
units are interpreted as the mixed remnants of ocean tural and petrologic work has revealed a prolonged
floor stratigraph'c successions. Stratigraphic history of igneous and metamorphic events along the
successions reconstructed from the units are also ophiol ite belt. Gabbro of the Kings River ophiolite
shown in Figure 2. The implications of the recon- transition zone contains rare pods and dikelets of
structions will be discussed below. diorite and plagiogranite which appear to be autoc-
thonous magmatic differentiates. Zircon separates
Continental Margin Rocks from these rocks and similar rocks from three widely
spaced gabbro-peridotite blocks from the Kaweah ser-
Depositional remnants of continental margin pentinite melange yield a suite of discordant U/Pb
rocks occur above the Kaweah serpentinite melange. ages whose minimum ages range between 205 m.y. and
The oldest of these rocks is a chert-argillite olis- 270 m.y., and whose upper intercept ages cluster around
tostrome complex containing olistoliths of shallow 300 m.y. Zircon discordance is attributed to Creta-
water limestone and interbeds of chert and quartzose ceous thermal metamorphism related to emplacement of
to subarkosic sandstone, The shallow water limestone the batholith. Intercept ages on young zircon popu-
blocks contain late Permian fauna be! ieved to be, lations are difficult to interpret. The tentative
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 145
!
'" facies. A significant exception is where local zones
~~~.:, of albite-epidote hornfels facies rocks occur at
significant distances from contacts with bathol ithic
rocks. From these zones mafic metamorphic tectonites
of the ophiolite ha ve been dated by K/Ar techniques.
The minimum age of these tectonite s is 190 m.y.
TIVY "} Where similar tectonites ha ve been collected from
MTN zones of hornblende hornfels facies rock s the K/Ar
system has been completely reset to bathol ith ages .
. SLAB As di sc ussed below, mesoscopic field relation s sug-
gest that the true metamorphic age o f these tecton-
ites is the same as the ophiolite genesis age.
EXPLANATION
DEPOSITIONAL REMNANTS OF Figure 3. Pal inspastic restoration of the
CHERT Kings-Kaweah ophiol ite belt to its configura
tion prior to emplacement of Jurassic and
PILLOW LAVA MOUND ~retaceous plutons of the Sierra Ne va da
batholith , overlap by continental ma rgin
rocks, and tectonic juxtapositioning
CHERT BLOCKS against the Calaveras Complex.
SCHISTOSE SERPENTINITE
146 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Figure 4. Photographs of some i'mportant features along the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt. A: Protoclastic defor-
mation in diorite and basalt dikes cutting cl inopyroxene gabbro. B: Deformed hydrothermal veins in harzburgite
tectonite; veins are flattened into s 1 which is tightly folded around vertical axis with homoaxial open refold.
C: Blocky fracturing in serpentinized harzburgite. D: Large clast of ophicalcite composed of smaller ophical-
cite clasts (areas rich in dark ultramafic detritus) in micritic matrix; the large clast occurs with other
clasts of peridotite and ophicalcite within a micritic matrix. E: Crude bedding in sedimentary serpentinite;
upper bed contains up to boulder size clasts, lower bed contains up to cobble size clasts. F: Steep-plunging
~longation lineation ln harzburgite; L is accentuated by transposed hydrothermal veins . G: Soft sediment
1 radiolarian chert; dark bands are nearly pure oxide minerals; note
folding and brecciation in metalliferous
how disrupted interval is bounded by intact intervals.
center. Intrusive and extrusive pu 1ses over 1apped An important feature of these alteration zones is
in time with pulses of mylonitization. Some intru- that they also show developmental pulses which over-
sive masses cut S1 sharply along part of their length lapped in time with mylonitization pulses in that
but are in turn cut or transposed into S1 further the zones cut and are cut or transposed by s to var-
1
along their length . Some merely show chaotic proto- ious degrees.
clastic-type structures which in most cases converge
into s 1 of the surrounding rocks (Fig. 4a) . Structural analysis of the s 1 tectonites re-
veals high amounts of flattening and constrictional
The position and amount of highly differentiated strain. In addition, persistent pulses of transla-
igneous rocks raises an important point. Pillow tional movements with folding and rotation about
lavas of the ophiolite belt are basaltic . Kerato- steep axes accompanied the flattening and constric-
phyre and quartz keratophyre are apparently absent. tional strain. It is difficult to envision such com-
The mafic dike and cumulate gabbro zones of the Kings plex tectonites forming at a normal oceanic spread-
River ophiolite and equivalent melange blocks lack ing center. However, tectonites similar to those
diorite and plagiogranite. This paucity of highly of the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt have been recov-
differentiated rocks contrasts with many other ophio- ered from transverse fracture zones (Aumento and
lites which contain significant amounts of intermed- others, 1971; Bonatti and others, 1971; Melson and
iate to silicic intrusive and extrusive rocks others, 1972; Thompson and Melson, 1972; Bonatti and
(Moores, 1969; Dewey and Bi rd, 1971; Bai 1ey and Honnorez, 1976; Fox and others, 1976). It is pro-
Blake, 1974; Coleman and Peterman, 1975). Diori te posed that the s 1 tectonites of the Kings-Kaweah
and plagiogranite do occur in trace amounts in the ophiolite belt developed along a transverse fracture
Kings River transition zone and in equivalent melange zone. The s deformation began at the intersection
1
blocks. It thus appears that the only environment of the fracture zone with the ridge axis and contin-
suitable for stagnation and extreme differentiation ued for some unknown distance off the ridge axis.
of magma bodies was in the deeper levels of the ophi- Thus, plutonic masses and their contact metamorphic
ol ite beneath the main plutonic part of the section. derivatives were protoclastically deformed by s 1 and
The pockets and dikes of magma which stagnated in subsequently folded, rotated and redeformed with
the transition zone also concentrated magmatic water development of later-stage s . It is important to
1
during differentiation. This is shown by the pre- emphasize that the penetrative tectonite fabric that
sence of primary brown hornblende and by hy.drothe rmal is present throughout the harzburgite is also pre-
aureoles and veins that formed in the ultramafic host sent in dunite, wehrlite, pyroxenite, gabbro, dia-
rock. In the h)(drothe rma 1 zones dun i te, harzburg i te base, diorite and plagiogranite. A distinctive tec-
and wehrlite have been altered to various combina- toJlite-cumulate contact or contact zone, as would be
tions of serpentine, Cr-chlorite and talc (Fig. 4b) . expected with a normal ridge derived ophiolite, does
148 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
not exist in the Kings-Kaweah ophiol ite belt. heat are considered the same.
Development of s 1 varies with stratigraphic Within the deeper stratal levels of the Tivy
depth in the reconstructed Kings River op~iolite Mountain slab gabbroic masses were syntectonically
section (Fig. 2). This variation reflects a change recrystallized to amphibolites during development of
in material behavior with depth during SI develop- s 1 . Unfortunately, contact metamorphism by the
ment. The harzburgite and lower transition zones bathol ith makes it impossible to resolve the origi-
behaved by penetrative ductile and cataclastic flow. nal metamorphic grade of the Tivy Mountain slab's
Notable exceptions to this are small isolated mafic upper levels. The same problem exists with the
bodies in the harzburgite zone which syntectonically Bald Mountain and Hughes Mountain slabs which con-
recrysta 11 i zed in the a mph i bo Ii te fac i es and, int ru- tain the ophiolite's uppermost stratal levels.
s i ve masses in the transition and lower gabbro zones What can be said is that metamorphic recrystalliza-
which were protoclastically deformed. The upper tion was nowhere near as pervasive in the upper
transition and lowermost gabbro zones behaved simi- levels of the Tivy Mountain slab as in its lower
lar to rocks lower in the section except in a less levels, and that ductile, cataclastic and proto-
penetrative fashion. Thus local domains in which clastic flow greatly predominated as deformation
igneous textures and structures are fairly-well pre- modes in its upper levels. Where the protoliths of
served occur within these s tectonites. The tecto- amphibolite tectonite blocks in serpentinite melange
1
nites extend through the main part of the gabbro zone can be deduced, they are usually gabbro. In con-
as ductile fault zones. In the mafic dike and pi I low trast, low grade amphibol ite and greenschist tecto-
basalt zones localized shear and brittle fracture nite blocks are most commonly derivatives of mafic
zones ace u r. hypabyssal and volcanic rock.
The general deformation pattern displayed in The relationships out I ined above are interpre-
the reconstructed Kings River ophiolite section is ted as a result of a steep ocean ridge thermal gra-
increasing ductility and pervasiveness with strata! dient which controlled metamorphic mineral assem-
depth. This pattern is believed to be primarily a blages developed along the fracture zone where meta-
result of a steep ocean ridge thermal gradient with morphic recrystallization was the preferred mode of
higher temperatures favoring greater ductility and deformation. Pervasive amphibolite facies metamor-
pervasiveness of deformation. This deformation pat- phism is present between strata) depths of 7 and II
tern is believed to have been masked by intense pro- km in the reconstructed Kings River section. With
toclasis at the intersection of the fracture zone a temperature range of about 450C to 650C for the
axis with the spreading axis. Mafic melange units amphibol ite facies (Turner, 1968), this depth-
commonly contain blocks with extremely complex inter- temperature relation corresponds with calculated
nal structures in which chaotic mixtures of pillow ocean ridge geotherms (Oxburgh and Turcotte, 1968;
lava, mafic dike rock, gabbro and mafic metamorphic Sclater and Franchetean, 1970). The lower grade
tecto~ites have contradictory relationships with s . conditions which existed higher in the section are
1
The chaotic mafic melange blocks are interpreted as manifested by localized zones of syntectonic meta-
remnants of the intersection zone. The spatial morphic recrystallization now preserved only within
relationships envisioned between the melange units mafic melange blocks. This localization of meta-
which contain the chaotic mafic blocks and the large morphic tectonites at higher strata! levels is
slabs which fit into a more conventional ophiolite thought to be a result of three variables which
stratigraphy wi 11 be discussed below. worked together to produce them: I) zones of con-
centrated deformation; 2) a rapidly declining high
Metamorphic Tectonites thermal gradient; and 3) migration of water. As
discussed below, the zones of concentrated deforma-
Recent studies of oceanic ridges and fracture tion are thought to have widened with time, and as
zones have shown that these zones are characterized a result the influx of water into the deforming
by a distinctive steep vertical metamorphic gradient ocean floor increased with time. However, the
which passes through zeolite, greenschist and amphi- rapidly declining thermal gradient put tight time-
bol ite facies (Miyashiro and others, 1971; Miyashiro, space constraints on the interval over which meta-
1972; Spooner and Fyfe, 1973; Fox and others, 1976). morphic recrystallization could operate as a signi-
This vertically compressed facies series apparently ficant deformation mode at upper crustal levels.
results from a steep ocean ridge thermal gradient
which is related to heat liberated during ocean Progressive serpentinization of the ophiolite
floor genesis. The effects of a steep ocean ridge belt's ultramafic rocks is thought to have been an
thermal gradient are evident in the metamorphic important fracture zone process. Serpentinization
grade of mafic tectonites present along the ophio- is known to be an important process along modern
1 lte belt (Fig. 2). Data which pertain to this oceanic fracture zones (Bonatti and others, 1971;
subject comes from within the Tivy Mountain slab and Melson and Thompson, 1971; Bonatti, 1976; Bonatti
from zones along the serpentinite melange where con- and Honnarez, 1976). Serpentinization of the Kings-
tact metamorphism by the batholith is at its lowest Kaweah belt began with transition zone hydrothermal
grade. As stated earlier K/Ar data on the mafic metamorphism during ophiolite genesis and initial
metamorphic tectonites reveals a minimum metamorphic deformation. As stated earlier the hydrothermal
age of 190 m.y. Contact metamorphism by the batho- zones cut and are cut by or transposed into SJ to
1 ith has severely altered both U/Pb and K/Ar systems various degrees. The hydrothermal serpentinites
of the ophiolite belt, so the true metamorphic age do not appear to be directly related to s2 -bearing
of the tectonites is probably significantly' greater. schistose serpentinites. However, s serpentiniza-
2
Since protoclastic deformation of diorite-plagio- tion is also thought to have overlapped in time with
granite dikes and metamorphic recrystallization of development of s . This is suggested by the gradi-
1
the mafic tectonites are both s features, the true tional relations between s 1 and s s represents
1 2 1
metamorphic age of the tectonites is probably close the initial deformation and disruption of the newly
to the igneous age of the diorite-plagiogranite created ocean floor. As stated earlier s develop-
1
dikes. Thus metamorphic heat and ophiolite genesis ment was progressive. As s 1 developed migration of
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 149
ocean water into the deforming ocean floors deeper Ultramafic detrital rocks also occur along the
stratal levels was facilitated. As water migrated ophiol ite belt. These consist of detrital serpenti-
into the ultramafic rocks syntectonic serpentine nites and ophicalcites. Nearly identical rocks have
growth progressively replaced ductile and cataclas- been recovered from modern fracture zones (Bonatti
tic flow of olivine and pyroxene. Slabs and blocks and others, 1973, 1974). Rarely fine detrital ser-
of s 1-bearing peridotites are the incompletely diges- pentinite will occur as sedimentary matrix for mafic
ted remnants of the young ocean floor's ultramafic clast breccias, and occasionally basalt and gabbro
zones. It is important to note that steep plunging clasts occur in ophicalcite. The ultrmafic breccias
folds which are so common in the Si-bearing slabs have complex developmental histories which are dir-
also occur locally in S2 of the ultramafic slabs and ectly related to deeper level tectonics and also in-
the melange matrix. volve abundant surficial reworking.
around the Burro Mountain ultramafic body of the have stratigraphic thicknesses of about 20 m. Thick-
California Coast Ranges where expansion has been nesses between 100 and 200 m occur in the deposi-
documented (Coleman and Keith, 1971). In addition, tional remnants, but these are gross thicknesses due
serpentinite under high temperature conditions to intense deformation. Since chert deposition was
exists in a thermally weakened state (Raleigh and syntectonic a coherent chert section probably never
Patterson, 1965). Thus, the upward ductile and cata- existed. The thicknesses of both the melange blocks
clastic flow of peridotite is envisioned as having and depositional remnants suggest that at least 200
accelerated due to the expansion and weakening of m of chert was deposited on the ophiol ite belt prior
serpentinization. As vertical flow and serpentiniza- to deposition of the continental margin assemblage.
tion progressed, the protrusive rock continued to However, the earlier-formed chert intervals were
weaken, increasing its mobility. The importance of tectonically mixed into melange prior to and during
strain history with respect to progressive weakening deposition of the later-formed intervals. Contact
in these type of bodies has been demonstrated by metamorphic recrystallization of radiolaria tests
Cowan and Mansfield (1970). Surfacing of the frac- prohibits paleontological dating of the cherts.
ture zone protrusions resulted in monolithologic
sedimentary breccias of ultramafic rock. A significant relationship exists between the
composition of the cherts and their structural set-
Talus piles of protruded ultramafic rock are ting. Cherts occurring as tectonic blocks through-
believed to be the main environment of ophicalcite out the melange commonly contain black to dark purple
formation. Interaction with percolating ocean water interbeds and disseminations of oxide minerals.
and/or hydrothermal fluids is believed to have been These impurities are primarily iron oxide with trace
the main cause of ophicalcite formation. A biogenic manganese oxide. The metalliferous cherts are not-
origin is not considered important here since bio- ably lacking in argillaceous or volcanic impurities.
genic I imestones are rare along the entire ophiolite Cherts occuring as highly deformed depositional rem-
belt. A subaerial pedogenic origin (Folk and nants above serpentinite melange locally contain
McBride, 1976) is not considered since radiolarion thin interbeds and disseminations of argillaceous
chert is locally interbedded with and overlies material. The argillaceous cherts lack significant
ophicalcite. amounts of oxide minerals, and lack volcanic impuri-
ties. Volcanic impurities occur only rarely in
The detrital ultramafic rocks show a complex cherts that occur with pillow lava. Cherts lacking
sedimentation history with abundant reworking. any significant impurities occur both as dispersed
Clasts of ophicalcite containing abundant ultramafic melange blocks, with or without metalliferous
detritus occur in later generation ophicalcites and chert, and as bedded intervals in depositional rem-
in detrital serpentinites. In addition, interbeds nants which contain the argillaceous cherts.
of ophicalcite occur within detrital serpentinite
and interbeds of both ophicalcite and detrital ser- The relationships presented above are interpre-
pentinite occur within radiolarian chert. The ophi- ted to be a result of: l) deposition of radiolarian
calcite interbeds appear to have been accumulations ooze commencing during ophiolite genesis and contin-
of carbonate mud with pebble to sand size ultra- uing throughout ophiolite disruption along the frac-
mafic fragments. In several instances these "diamic- ture zone; 2) early to middle-stage deposition of
tites" compose the matrix of chert-clast breccia. basal metalliferous sediments from hydrothermal solu-
As will be discussed in the section on biogenic sed- tions {Bostrom and Peterson, 1969; Bostrom and
imentation, soft sediment deformation and reworking others, 1976) emanating from depth at the spreading
was an important process along the fracture zone. axis and possibly along the fracture zone for some
The protruded accumulations of ultramafic detritus distance off the spreading axis; 3) later-stage
and related ophicalcites were probably disrupted and sporadic influx of fine terrigenous material shed
reworked by further protrusion and wrench tectonics. from a distant source that was being approached by
Local disruption may have also occurred when small sea floor spreading transport of the fracture zone
mounds of pillow lava were built on the detrital complex. Following deposition of the argillaceous
ultramafic rocks. cherts the next rocks that appear in the sedimen-
tary record are chert-argill ite olistostromes which
The detrital ultramafic rocks were readily contain shallow water limestone olistoliths, and
incorporated into serpentinite melange as both blocks interbeds of both continent derived sandstone and
and matrix. In numerous instances the friable detri- argillaceous chert. Thus the ophiolite was approach-
tal serpentinites can be observed in intermediate to ing a landmass that was not contributing volcanic
advanced stages of disintegration into melange matrix detritus to the sedimentary record. This important
by development of S2. The fact that the ultramafic relationship will be discussed further in conjunc-
elastic sedimentary rocks occur as depositional tion with continental margin tectonics.
remnants above melange, as melange blocks and as a
local protolith of the melange matrix indicates Stratigraphic settings of the various cherts
their syntectonic genesis. indicate progressive disruption of the oceanic base-
ment during biogenic sedimentation. The early to
Biogenic Sedimentation middle-stage cherts occur in association with pillow
lavas or as dispersed blocks in serpentinite melange.
Deposition, soft sediment deformation, lithi- These cherts appear to have had two depositional
fication and hard rock deformation of radiolarian settings: 1) mafic oceanic basement as shown by
chert proceeded throughout the disruption history of their presence in both pillow lava slabs and in pi!-
the ophiolite belt. The earliest formed cherts are low lava-bearing melange units; and 2) protruded
mixed as tectonic blocks throughout serpentinite ultramafic basement as shown by their presence in
melange, and occur locally within pillow lava slabs peridotite melange units where they are associated
and melange blocks. Later-stage cherts rest as with ophicalcite and detrital serpentinite. The
highly deformed depositional remnants above detrital later-stage cherts were deposited on basement con-
ultramafic rocks, late-stage pillow lava mounds and sisting of serpentinite melange. detrital ultramafic
serpentinite melange. Chert melange blocks commonly rocks and mounds of late-stage pillow lava.
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 151
Structural features of the chert assemblage cannot be drawn between early, middle and late-
reflect continuous deformational activity along the stage cherts. Early and late-stage cherts can be
fracture zone. Structures that are best interpreted distinguished by the structure-composition relations
as soft sediment in origin occur both in tectonic outlined above. Middle-stage cherts appear to repre-
blocks and in the depositional remnants. These con- sent a gradition both in structure and composition
sist of stratigraphic intervals of chert-cemented between early and late-stage cherts. The fact that
chert -clast breccias and associated chaotic folds soft sediment and progressive hard rock deformation
(Fig. 4h). The chaotic intervals are bounded by occur throughout the chert assemblage coupled with
bedded intervals both of which are commonly cut by the compositional variation outlined above indicates
hard rock tectonic structures. In several instances that the ocean floor was progressively disrupted in
chert clast debris flow deposits occur with an ophi- an oceanic environment en-route to the continental
calcite matrix. The common occurence of soft sedi- environment. A survey of present day marine tectonic
ment breccias and folds is taken as an indicator of environments reveals that a large fracture zone will
an unstable depositional environment. Since the serve as the only suitable analogue.
younger cherts overlie serpentinite melange, which
contains blocks of older cherts, the instability of Fracture Zone Tectonics and the Structure of Oceanic
the pelagic depositional environment is shown to Crust
have been persistent and tectonic in origin.
The syntectonic history of igneous, metamorphic
Early to middle-stage cherts, which occur pri- and sedimentary petrogenesis displayed in the Kings-
marily as melange blocks, were lithified in most Kaweah ophiolite belt is diagramatically summarized
cases prior to melange mixing. This is shown by the using a fracture zone model in Figure 5. Mafic
presence of brittle shear and tension fractures which magma and harzburgite residue are shown ascending
are the surfaces along which the melange blocks ini- beneath the ridge axis in accord with sea floor
tially broke apart. Ductile deformation features spreading theory (Green and Ringwood, 1967; Kay and
such as pinching and swelling or streaking-out of others, 1970; Green, 1970, 1971; Dewey and Bird,
bedding in many cases cannot be distinguished from 1971). The model shows anomalous oceanic crust
soft sediment features. In some instances chert being created at the intersection of the spreading
blocks can be shown to have been ductily deformed center and the axis of the fracture zone. The anom-
along with s2 deformation of the matrix. Thus early alous crust is shown as having two main components.
to middle stage cherts underwent localized chaotic 1) Mafic pillow lava, hypabyssal and deeper plutonic
folding and brecciation prior to 1 ithification, and rock characterized by chaotic protoclastic deforma-
following lithification they underwent brittle frag- tion and mixing. These rocks now exist as complex
mentation to form melange blocks some of which under- melange blocks and melange units. 2) Ultramafic
went subsequent ductile deformation along with the protrusions which ascended into the fracture zone
melange matrix. from the mantle while hot, and which upon reaching
crustal levels underwent serpentinization and sub-
Late-stage cherts which occur as depositional sequently surfaced, shedding ultramafic detritus.
remnants above melange are in some ways structurally The large proportion of ultramafic rock along the
more complex than the earlier-stage cherts. This ophiol ite belt, the common occurence of peridotite-
relationship is interpreted as a result of deposition chert melange units, and the monolithologic nature
and lithification of the earlier cherts occuring on of most detrital ultramafic rocks indicate that a
semi-intact basement slabs undergoing localized de- significant amount of anomalous oceanic crust was
formation with deposition of the later cherts occur- created by ultramafic protrusion. It follows that
ing on serpentini te melange basement undergoing pene- a significant amount of spreading probably occurred
trative deofrmation. Thus, once 1 ithified the earl- along the axis of the fracture zone due to protru-
ier cherts were able to escape much of the deforma- sion tectonics. This has been suggested for large
tion that the later cherts experienced in a soft modern fracture zones (Van Andel and others, 1969;
sediment to semi-lithified state while sitting on Thompson and Melson, 1972; Bonatti and Honnorez,
active melange. Chaotic folds and breccias of prob- 1976). In addition, protrusion tectonics probably
able soft sediment origin are locally important in played a significant role in serpentinite melange
the late-stage cherts. Another important feature of formation. The anomalous oceanic crust was genera-
these cherts, which appears to have been inherited ted in a semi-tectonically mixed state with chaoti-
from the soft sediment to semi-lithified state, is cally deformed mafic crustal blocks interwoven with
the presence of large masive domains with local ultramafic protrusions and their sedimentary deriva-
clasts and rootless folds. The massive domains grade tives. This configuration was subjected to prolonged
into or sharply abut against bedded domains. The wrench tectonics which resulted in serpentinite
massive domains are interpreted as ponds of reworked melange. The oceanic sedimentation record above the
radiolaria ooze which slid across and ripped up beds serpentinite melange indicates that the melange too
of compacted ooze. In addition some chert beds are represents anomalous oceanic crust. It is sugges-
graded with respect to radiolaria test size which ted that serpentinite melange is a significant anom-
suggests reworking of radiolaria ooze by turbidity alous crustal component in present-day fracture
current mechanisms. Both bedded and chaotic domains zones with large ridge offsets.
of the depositional remnants are commonly cut by a
spaced cleavage which locally grades into a penetra- The model also shows a more conventional-type
tive cleavage. Where bedding is preserved the clea- of oceanic crust exposed by faulting along the mar-
vage is occasionally axial planar to steep-plunging gin of the fracture zone. This is presently repre-
folds. In several instances the cleavage cuts across sented by the Kings River ophiolite which has the
limbs of chaotic soft sediment folds. The cleavage remnants of normal ocean floor stratigraphy (Fig. 2).
is coplanar to s2 of the underlying melange matrix. The relationship portrayed above is best displayed
The outcrop pattern of the depositional remnants is today along the Verna Fracture Zone of the equatorial
highly suggestive of an infold relationship with the Atlantic where normal oceanic crust is apparently
underlying melange (Plate V). exposed along the fracture zone's northern wall while
disrupted and protruded crust is exposed along its
It must be emphasized that a distinct line axes and southern wall (Bonatti and Honnnorez, 1976).
152 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
The effects of fracture zone tectonics (protrusive THE ANCIENT CONTINENTAL MARGIN
and wrench) are evident in the Kings River ophio-
1 ite; however, its stratal succession indicates that The fracture zone model for the origin, defor-
normal ridge crustal generation processes were per- mation and sea-floor spreading transport of the
mitted to operate. This pattern is intuitively Kings - Kaweah ophio lite belt has been developed above
pleasing since anomalous fracture zone crust must at using data solely from the ophio l ite belt itself.
some interval grade laterally into normal r idge The frac tu re zone history of the ophiolite belt
created crust. The Kings River ophiolite is inter- apparently began in the latest Paleozoic and prob-
preted as having originated in such a gradation ably extended into the Triassic. Recent workers
i nterva 1. have cited regional structural and st rat igraphic
evidence for early Mesozoic tectonic truncation and
The complexity of the ophiol ite belts S1 tec- transcurrent fa ul ting of the ancient southwest con-
tonites can be conceived of as a result of both tinental margin (Hamilton a nd Myers, 1966; Jones
wrench and protrusion tectonics. As the hot upper and others, 1972; Jones and Moore, 1973; Burchfiel
mantle and lower crust ascended into the fracture and Davis, 1972; Silver and Anderson, 1974;
zone it was polydeformed. The deformations consist Schweickert, 1976) . This tectonic regime is believed
of: 1) vertical extension by upward flow; 2) flat- to have been directly related to fracture zone tec-
tening in the plane of the fracture zone by forcing tonics as discussed above . Thus the fracture zone
its crustal levels apart during protrusion; 3) shear is believed to have extended from we ll within the
and translation in the plane of the fracture zone oceanic realm into the ancient continental margin .
by wrench faulting; 4) rotation and folding about Outstanding modern examples of complex wrench systems
steep axes in the plane of the fracture zone due to which invo l ve both oceanic and continental domains
wrench movements ; and 5) a probable complex system include the Macquarie Ridge-Alpine Fault system of
of dip-slip faults, antithetic strike-slip faults the southwest Pacific (Griffiths, 1971 ; Grif f iths
and shallow plunging folds that are ubiquitous in and Varne, 1972), the San Andreas -Queen Charlotte
continental wrench zones (Moody and Hill, 1956; system which rims western North America (Wilson,
Li 11 i e, 1964; Reed, 1964; Di ck in son, 1966; Ha rd i ng, 1965) and the Spitsbergen Fracture zone of the
1973, 1974; Wilcox and others, 1973; Sylvester and Arctic Ocean (Lowell, 1972) . Considering the complex
Smith, 1976). histories of these sytems one is forced to conclude
that significant complexi ties that could have i nvol-
The fact that fracture zone deformation of the ved triple junctions and microplates are pro bably
ophiolite belt wa s progressive is well-displayed by irresolvable in the ancient system. With this in
the contradictory cross-cutting relations between mind, a simplisti c tectonic model is outlined below
steep to sha ll ow plunging folds, different stage s 1 for the continental margin deformation and emplace-
surfaces, and different stage igneous pulses . The ment of the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt. A fuller
inclusion of chert blocks in serpentinite melange treatment of this model is given in Saleeby and
and the deposition of later-stage cherts across the others (in prep.) and Saleeby (in prep. b).
me lange with their subsequent deformation demon-
strates the longevity of progressive deformation . Foothill Suture
As outlined in the next section, this deformation
continuum is believed to have extended from the The Sierra Nevada foothil l metamorphic belt
oceanic realm into the ancient continental margin as coincides with a tectonic sut ure in the earth's
the ophiolite belt was transported and emplaced into crust (Fig . 1) . Suture is used he re to mean a zone
its present pos ition . of joining . As di s cussed below the foothill suture
joins fossil late Paleozoic to early Mesozo ic oceanic
1 ithosphere to older continental 1 ithosphere. In the
south the suture is defined by the Kings-Kaweah
ophiolite belt. In the north it is defined by the
foothill fault system (Clark, 1960 ; Schweickert and
others, 1977) . The significance of the foothill
s uture is shown by sever a 1 points: 1) a 11 Sie r ra
Nevada ophiolite remnants occur along it; 2) high ly
deformed and tectonically mixed rocks whi ch occur
along it (Clark, 1960, 1964; Morgan, 1973; Du ff ield
an d Sharp, 1975 ; Ehrenberg, 1975 ; Behrman, 1978;
Saleeby, in press a, b) indicate that it was a zone
of major translation; 3) the distinct changes in the
gross s tructure of the crust and upper mantle which
coincide with the suture (Fig. 1, inset) can be best
explained as a result of a fossil contact between
oceanic and continental lithosphere; 4) Jurassic and
Cretaceous batholithic rocks emplaced into and to the
east of the s uture have systemat i c petrochemical
variations (Fig. 1, inset) which can be best explained
as a result of the batholith having been emplaced
across a contact between oceanic and continental li th-
~sphere; and 5) as discussed below highly contrasting
lithologic and structural terranes are juxtaposed
along it (Fig. 1).
Figure 5. Schematic block diagram showing how criti-
ca l features of the Kings-Kaweah ophiollte belt fit The suture in the south is exposed as a penetra-
into an oceanic fracture zone tectonic model. Region- tively deformed ophiolite terrane, whereas in the
al relationships suggest a north-south trend for the north it's exposed as a fault system in primarily
fracture zone making this view of the block diagram younger epic lasti c and arc volcanic rocks . This is
t;owards the northwest. believed to be a res ult of deeper levels of exposure
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 153
occurring towards the southern end of the metamorphic 1972; Kelley and Stevens, 1975; Sylvester and Bab-
belt as discussed earlier. Many of the penetrative cock, 1975; Dunne and Gulliver, 1976; J.N. Moore,
deformational features present in the metamorphic personal communication, 1977; Saleeby, unpub. data).
belts ophiol itic basement rocks pre-date overlap by A similar pattern of superposed structures exists
the younger epiclastic and arc volcanic rocks. De- in Paleozoic rocks present in roof pendants of the
formational features in the younger rocks and the eastern Sierra Nevada (Kistler, 1966; Brook, 1977;
foothill fault system are the last expressions of Russel and Nokelberg, 1977). It must be emphasized
deformation along the suture. It is significant that the northwest trending structures of the Sierra
that these late-stage deformations followed the Nevada do not represent a single deformational event.
older trends established in the ophiol itic basement Instead, deformation along northwest trends occurred
rocks. continuously, or in numerous pulses, throughout the
Mesozoic (Nokelberg and Kistler, 1977; Saleeby, in
The foothill suture represents the locus of sig- prep. b).
nificant tectonic juxtapositioning. Late Paleozoic
ophiolite remnants and overlying early Mesozoic epi- Roof pendants east of the Kings-Kaweah ophiolite
clastic and arc volcanic rocks are juxtaposed against belt record the history of early Mesozoic sedimenta-
a complex of Paleozoic to early Mesozoic continental tion and tectonics along the fragmented edge. These
margin rocks which lie east of the suture. These rocks are treated in-depth in Saleeby and others (in
rocks appear to be remnants of the fragmented conti- prep.). As discussed earlier they consist of conti-
nental margin. This fragmentation is believed to be nent derived massive sandstone, flysch, olistostromes
linked to fracture zone tectonics of the Kings-Kaweah and an upper section of shallow marine and silicic
ophiolite belt, and to emplacement of the ophiolite volcanic rocks. This assemblage was probably depos-
belt against the continent's edge. ited on continental crust as shown by isotopic
studies on their enclosing batholithic rocks (Kistler
Continental Margin Fragmentation and Peterman, 1973, 1975; Doe and Delevaux, 1973;
Chen, 1977). However, this assemblage may not be
Paleozoic rocks east of the Sierra Nevada con- in its original position relative to similar age
stitute the southern end of a system of paleogeo- rocks resting above Paleozoic strata immediately
graphic belts that can be traced as far north as east of the Sierra Nevada (Jones and Moore, 1973;
central Alaska (Churkin, 1974). The paleogeographic Saleeby and others, in prep). The elastic rocks
belts consist of volcanic arc, marginal basin and were reworked from the truncated Paleozoic shelf
shelf terranes (Fig. l). Through eastern California belt. They were apparently shed as submarine aprons
and Nevada the paleogeographic belts have northeast and fans across fragmented continental basement.
trends which are exemplified by facies patterns and The basement was probably undergoing longitudinal
Paleozoic thrust belts (Fig. 1). The shelf rocks wrench movements along the new Mesozoic trends
appear to overlie pre-Phanerozoic crystal I ine base- during elastic sedimentation. This tectonically
ment, whereas marginal basin and volcanic arc rocks active depositional environment is believed to have
were apparently deposited on transitional or oceanic given rise to the chaotic deposits of this assem-
basement. blage.
Remnants of the Paleozoic belts are present in Structural data on Paleozoic and Mesozoic conti-
roof pendants of the eastern Sierra Nevada and pos- nental margin rocks east of the Kings-Kaweah ophio-
sibly in the Shoo Fly complex of the northern Sierra 1 ite belt suggest that a longitudinal dextral wrench
Nevada (Speed and Kistler, 1977; J.N. Moore, person- system worked in conjunction with transverse short-
al communication, 1977). These exposures mark the ening during the early Mesozoic (Saleeby, in prep.
western limit of the Paleozoic belts, and thus a b). This pattern is also evident along the Kings-
zone of pre-batholith tectonic truncation must have Kaweah ophiolite belt. These structural patterns
passed longitudinally through the Sierra Nevada. suggest that the fracture zone complex was trans-
Tectonic truncation of the Paleozoic belts is ported from the south, and that the continental
believed to have been a direct result of wrench margin fragments were displaced northward.
movements along the foothill suture. The foothill
suture is envisaged as a segment of a transform Plate tectonic transport of the ophiolite belt
plate juncture which extended from the fracture zone and the displaced continental fragments to the
and cut obliquely across the ancient continental north is also implied by regional considerations.
margin. Fragments of the Paleozoic belts were dis- l) Lower Paleozoic rocks of southeastern Alaska
placed by oceanic lithosphere during truncation. constitute part of an anomalous continental frag-
ment which may have been transported by right-slip
Truncation of the Paleozoic belts resulted in faulting from the California region (Mongar and
a major change in the structural grain of the south- Ross, 1971; Jones and others, 1972). 2) Another
west continental margin. Northeast structural and anomalous terrane of Triassic age, which extends
stratigraphic trends, which prevailed throughout the from south-central Alaska through British Columbia,
Paleozoic, were terminated and replaced by Mesozoic has yielded equatorial paleolatitudes (Jones and
northwest trends (Fig. 1). The northwest trends others, in press). 3) Plate tectonic reconstruc-
have persisted through the Cenozoic and are now tions of the Mesozoic western Pacific yield mainly
manifested by the San Andreas fault system. east-west trending spreading axes with large north-
south trending fracture zones (Larson and Chase,
This change in structural grain is evident 1972; Hilde and others, 1977). In addition, there
within Paleozoic strata adjacent to the truncation is known to have been 4,500 km of northward drift
zone. In Paleozoic strata exposed immediately east of the Pacific ocean floor since the middle Mesozoic
of the Sierra Nevada northwest trending fold axes, (Larson and Chase, 1972). The time intervals for
cleavages, thrust faults and strike-slip faults of which these plate tectonic relations are applicable
Mesozoic age are superposed over earlier northeast post-date the fracture zone history of the ophio-
trending structures (Stewart and others, 1966; 1 ite belt. However, the consistency between these
Burchfiel and others, 1970; Stevens and Olson, relations, and the structural configuration of the
154 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
ophiolite belt and the ancient continental margin serpentinite is significantly less dense than
suggest that all of these tectonic processes are continental crust, the consuming break is believed
related to the same kinematic regime. to have formed on the oceanic side of the fracture
zone complex. Thus the change in plate motions
Continental margin rocks lying above the ophio- accreted the fracture zone complex to the "raw edge"
1 ite belt record its transport history into proximity of the continental margin. As the transform junc-
of North America. The chert-argillite olistostrome ture evolved into an oblique subducting juncture the
complex was acquired at some unknown distance from fracture zone complex was stranded as the subduction
the continental margin during transport from the zone's hanging wall. Evolution of large fracture
South Pacific (Saleeby and others, in prep.). Large zones into subduction zones during changes in plate
submarine sliding covering thousands of square kilo- motions has been postulated for several present day
meters of ocean floor is a significant modern process Pacific subduction zones (Uyeda and Miyashiro, 1974;
adjacent to both stable and mobile continental mar- Falvey, 1975; Hilde and others, 1977). At least one
gins (T.C. Moore and others, 1970; Embley, 1976; of these instances (Tonga-Kermedac) has yielded
D.G. Moore and others, 1976). The source for the ophiolite assemblage dredge hauls from its inner-
ancient olistostrome complex is unknown. The exotic trench walls (Fisher and Engel, 1969).
nature of the fauna within limestone ol istoliths
indicates that the source was not the North American Following the change in plate motions the accre-
continent. The ol istostrome complex and its exotic ted fracture zone complex served as frontal arc base-
fauna may have been derived from outboard borderland ment. However, the arc rocks and their ophiolitic
and/or orogenic terranes which rimmed the western and basement are not considered to have been in their
southern margins of North America in the latest Pale- final position along the foothill suture until the
ozoic (Saleeby and others, in prep.). end of the Jurassic when tectonic deformation along
the ophiolite belt ceased.
It is significant that the chert-argillite
olistostrome complex grades into distal quartoze to As stated earlier, the arc plutonic and volcanic
subarkosic flysch. Furthermore, this flysch sequence rocks of the Kings-Kaweah region were syntectonically
appears to be the distal equivalent of elastic rocks generated. Studies in the foothill metamorphic belt
shed directly off the fragmented North American Pale- further north and in roof pendants to the east reveal
ozoic shelf. The extremities of a large submarine similar relations (Parkison, 1976; Nokelberg and
fan system derived from the fragmented shelf are Kistler, 1977; Behrman, 1978; Saleeby, in prep. b;
envisaged as lapping across the cite of final chert- Saleeby and others, in prep.). In the Kings-Kaweah
argi 11 ite deposition. The possible spatial and tem- region the arc plutons were protoclastical ly deformed
poral complexities of this relationship are discussed while the volcanic sequence was faulted and in some
in Saleeby and others (in prep.). instances penetratively deformed. There were also
uplifts and exposures of ophiolite basement which
Shortly after elastic sedimentation began sub- shed olistostromes into the arc sequence. The struc-
duction tectonics commenced along the Mesozoic tural trends of the arc deformation followed pre-
trends. This is shown by the remnants of the arc existing trends in the ophiolitic basement. It must
rocks along the ophiolite belt and the early Meso- be emphasized that Triassic and Jurassic arc rocks
zoic silicic volcanic rocks east of the ophiol ite throughout California represent only small fragments
belt. Regional age data on volcanic and plutonic of the original arc terrane. The original position
rocks suggest that this transition occurred during of these fragments relative to one another may not
the Triassic (Evernden and Kistler, 1970; Crowder be easily resolved.
and others, 1973; Schweickert, 1976b; Morgan and
Stern, 1977; Saleeby and others, in prep.; P.C. Longitudinal wrench disruption and dispersion of
Bateman and O.T. Tobisch, oral communication, 1977). active arc and inner trench wall terranes is known
to be an important process along the modern circum-
Subduction and Ophiolite Emplacement Pacific in zones of oblique convergence (Allen,
1962, 1965~ Allen and others, 1970; Wi Ison, 1965;
Transcurrent (wrench) faulting has recently been Fitch, 1972; Karig, 1974; Karig and others, 1975,
cited as an important mechanism for ophiolite 1977; Brookfield, 1977; Curray and others, in press).
emplacement along continental margins (Dewey and A significant northward component in Mesozoic
Karson, 1976; Brookfield, 1977). In this view ini- oblique subduction is believed to have been dissi-
tial juxtaposition of oceanic lithosphere against pated by intra-arc wrench movements along the foot-
continental lithosphere occurs by wrench faulting, hi 11 suture and within the fragmented edge of the
and actual ophiolite emplacement occurs during a continent. Transverse shortening worked in conjunc-
change in plate motions which results in a conver- tion with longitudinal wrench movements. This
gent component between the juxtaposed plates. A transpressive (after Harland, 1971) tectonic regime
similar mechanism is envisaged for the Kings-Kaweah is believed to have been facilitated by the pre-
ophiolite belt (Fig. 6). It is not unreasonable to weakened state of the arc basement which consisted
assume that the ancient fracture zone complex was of the fragmented continental edge and the tectoni-
tens of kilometers wide during the later stages of cally accreted fracture zone complex.
its evolution - considering the width of modern
fracture zones with large offsets (Thompson and CONCLUSIONS
Melson, 1972; Sclater and Fisher, 1974; Bonatti and
Honnorez, 1976). A widely accepted corollary to The Kings-Kaweah ophiolite belt was generated
plate tectonic theory is that continental litho- during the latest Paleozoic at a distant east-west
sphere cannot be subducted beneath oceanic litho- trending oceanic spreading center where cut by a
sphere due to their relative densities (McKenzie, major north-northwest trending transverse fracture
1969). Similar logic is used in deciphering the zone. The fracture zone extended from the oceanic
fate of the fracture zone complex during the onset realm into the ancient southwest continental margin
of subduction. Taking into account that much of the where it truncated earlier northeast trending struc-
fracture zone complex was serpentinite, and that tures and facies patterns.
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 155
OLISTOSTROM E REWORKING
OF QUA RTZOSE FL YSCH
OPHIOLITE
HIGH SIL/CIC
VOL CA NIC
TERRA NE
CONTINUED
INFLUX OF
QUARTZOSE
DETRITUS
//
Along the axis of the fracture zone anomalous processes. As the ophiol ite belt moved into closer
oceanic crust was created. This consisted of proto- proximity of the truncated margin terrigenous sedi-
clastical ly deformed mafic igneous rock and protruded mentation overwhelmed hemi-pelagic sedimentation.
ultramafic rock. Away from the axial region of the
fracture zone normal oceanic crust was created . Rem- During the Triassic a significant convergent
nants of the normal crust also show the effects of component had developed along the fracture zone .
fracture . zone deformation however. Metamorphic- Dis~upted ocean floor of the fracture zone was
tectonites of greenschist and amphibolite facies were accreted to the truncated edge of the continent as
created during fracture zone tectonics. The heat the hanging wall of an oblique subduction zone. A
which drove the metamorphic reactions was the ambient magmatic arc developed along the fragmented edge of
heat of ophiolite genesis. Protrusion and wrench the continent in response to subduction. The arc
tectonics worked together to progressively disrupt lapped across the suture between the accreted frac-
the newly created ocean floor. Progressive disrup- ture zone complex and the truncated edge of the con-
tion and serpentinization led to the development of tinent. As the arc evolved it was deformed and dis-
serpentinite-matrix melange. rupted by both transverse shortening and continued
wrench movements. Arc deformation was facilitated
Oceanic sedimentation proceeded throughout the by basement mobility. The basement consisted of a
genesis and disruption history of the ophiolite belt. wide zone of fragmented ocean floor and continental
Mafic and ultramafic detrital rocks were shed off of margin rocks.
upfaulted and protrusive highs. Radiolarian chert
was also deposited during genesis and disruption. The tectonic regime outlined above led directly
The earlier formed oceanic sedimentary rocks were to the Franciscan regime and the related emplacement
thoroughly mixed into serpentinite melange. Later of the major part of the Sierra Nevada batholith.
deposits were mixed to a lesser extent . Several of The Cretaceous batholith further disrupted and meta-
the latest deposits remain as highly deformed depo- morphosed the Kings - Kaweah ophiolite be lt leaving it
sitional remnants above melange. The latest formed as a healed tectonic suture in the earth's crust.
cherts have local interbeds of argillaceous material
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western United States: in, Stewart, J.H., the tectonic setting of the Ninetyeast Ridge:
Stevens, C.H. and Fritsche, A.E., ed., Paleozoic Geo]. Soc. America Bull., v. 85, p. 683-702.
Paleogeography of the Western United States; Sclater, J.G. and Francheteau, J., 1970, The impl ica-
KINGS-KAWEAH OPHIOLITE BELT - SALEEBY 159
tions of terrestrial heat flow observations on U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 550-D, p. 023-34.
current tectonic and geochemical models of the Sutton, G.H., Maynard, G.L. and Hussong, D.M., 1971,
crust and upper mantle of the earth: Geophys. Widespread occurrence of a high-velocity basal
Jour. Roy. Astro. Soc., v. 20, p. 509-542. layer in the Pacific crust with repetitive sources
Silver, L.T. and Anderson, T.H., 1974, Possible left- and sonobuoys: Monogr. American Geophys. Union,
lateral early to middle Mesozoic disruption of the v. 14, p. 193-209.
southwestern North American craton margin: Geol. Sylvester, A.G. and Babcock, J., 1975, Regional
Soc. America Abst. with Prgms., v. 6, p. 955-956. significance of multiphase folding in the
Speed, R.C., 1977, Island-arc and other paleogeogra- White-Inyo Range, eastern California: Geol. Soc.
phic terranes of late Paleozoic age in the western America Abst. with Prgms., v. 7, n. 7, p. 1289.
great basin: in, Stewart, J.H., Stevens, C.H. and Sylvester, A.G. and Smith, R.R., 1976, Tectonic
Fritsche, A.E., ed., Paleozoic Paleogeography of transpression and basement-controlled deformation
the western United States: Pacific Section, Soc. in San Andreas fault zone, Salton Trough, Cali-
Econ. Paleon. and Mineral., p. 349-362. fornia: American Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull., v. 60,
Speed, R.C. and Kistler, R.W., 1977, Correlations p. 2081-2102.
between pre-Tertiary rocks of the Great Basin Thompson, G. and Melson, W.G., 1972, The petrology
and the Sierra Nevada: Geol. Soc. America Abst. of the oceanic crust across fracture zones in the
with Prgms., v. 9, n. 4, p. 505-506. Atlantic ocean: evidence of a new kind of sea-
Spooner, E.T.C. and Fyfe, W.S., 1973, Sub-sea-floor floor spreading: Jour. Geol., v. 80, p. 526-538.
metamorphism, heat and mass transfer: Contrib. Turner, F.J., 1968, Metamorphic petrology, mineralog-
Min. and Pet., v. 42, p. 287-304. ical and field aspects: McGraw and Hill, 403 p.
Stevens, C.H., 1977, Permian depositional provinces Uyeda, S. and Miyashiro, A., 1974, Plate tectonics
and tectonics, western United States: in, and the Japanese Islands: a synthesis: Geo].
Stewart, J.H., Stevens, C.H. and Fritsche, A.E., Soc. America Bul 1., v. 85, p. 1159-1170.
ed., Paleozoic Paleogeography of the western Van Andel, T.H., Phil 1 ips, J.D. and Von Herzen, R.P.,
United States: Pacific Section, Soc. Econ. 1969, Rifting origin for the Verna fracture zone
Pal eon. and Mineral., p. l 13-135. in the north Atlantic: Earth and Planet. Sci.
Stevens, C.H. and Olson, R.C., 1972, Nature and Let., v. 5, p. 296-300.
significance of the Inyo thrust fault, eastern Wilcox, R.E., Harding, T.P. and Seely, "D.R., 1973,
California: Geol. Soc. America Bul 1 ., v. 83, Basic wrench tectonics: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.,
p. 3761-3768. v . 57 , p . 7 4-96 .
Stewart, J.H., Ross, D.C., Nelson, C.A. and Burchfiel, Wilson, J.T., 1965, A new class of faults and their
B.C., 1966, Last Chance thrust - a major fault in bearing on continental drift: Nature, v. 207,
the eastern part of Inyo County, California: p. 343-347.
161
Clifford A. Hopson
and
Christopher J. Frano
oceanic crust at the base of the Great Valley se- Stratigraphy and Structure
quence in the California Coast Ranges was first
documented by Bailey, Blake, and Jones (1970). They A composite stratigraphic section through the
concluded that the western (distal) edge of the ter- ophiolite at Point Sal, combining the three partial
rigenous Great Valley sequence was deposited upon sections in Figure 2, consists of the following
oceanic crust now represented by the ophiolitic units (designated hereafter as zones): (1) submarine
igneous sequence and its capping of cherts and marine volcanic rocks, consisting of (a) an upper group of
tuffaceous sediments, and that subsequently the com- mainly olivine basalt with pervasive low-grade
bined oceanic and terrigenous sequences were under- alteration, and (b) a lower group of spilitic pyro-
thrust from the west by the Franciscan eugeosynclinal xene basalt and keratophyre, with low to high-grade
assemblage. Lanphere (1971), Page (1972), Pessagno greenschist-facies alteration; (2) dioritic and
(1973, 1977), and Bailey and Blake (1974) have gabbroic rocks, grading progressively downward from
further elucidated the age, structural relations, (a) hornblende quartz diorite and diorite to (b)
and petrochemistry of these oceanic igneous rocks hornblende gabbro and uralitic clinopyroxene gabbro,
and their pelagic cover, and have generally strength- (c) olivine-clinopyroxene gabbro, and (d) olivine
ened the 1970 conclusions. Conflicting interpreta- clinopyroxene gabbro with troctolite and minor anor-
tions have arisen regarding the tectonic setting in thosite; (3) ultramafic rocks, grading downward from
which the ophiolite developed, its mode of tectonic (a) chiefly olivine clinopyroxenite to (b) serpen-
emplacement, and its structural relations with the tinized dunite with subordinate ol-clinopyroxenite
Franciscan Complex (Maxwell, 1974; Blake and Jones, and wehrlite, and (c) serpentinized dunite. Swarms
1974; Hopson and others, 1975b; Jones and others, of basaltic, diabasic, microdioritic, and epidositic
1976), but no one yet has seriously challenged an sills and dikes form a sheeted sill complex (zone le)
oceanic crustal origin for the ophiolite itself. between the volcanic and upper plutonic rocks; also,
Detailed reconstruction of the California Coast swarms of similar dikes cut the overlying volcanics
Range ophiolite (i.e., the collective ophiolitic (zone lb) and the underlying diorite and gabbro
remnants at the base of the Great Valley sequence) (zone 2a-b). A different swarm of low-angle dikes,
is hampered by the tectonic dismembering of the mainly noritic microgabbros and feldspathic ol-
sequence and by generally poor exposures. These clinopyroxenite, cut plutonic zones 2c-3d.
difficulties are perhaps least severe at Point Sal - Above the ophiolite a thin sequence of tuffa-
one of the ophiolite localities recognized by ceous radiolarian chert with rare limestone nodules
Bailey, Blake, and Jones in 1970. Here the ophioli- lies in depositional contact on the upper basalt
tic sequence comes nearest to being complete, and it (ophiolite zone la). Overlying the chert is a
is also relatively well exposed in seacliffs and mudstone-sandstone flysch, representing the base of
wave-cut platforms along the coast. the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous Great Valley
The present report describes the field relations sequence. These strata represent pelagic and then
and petrology of the ophiolite at Point Sal, and its distal terrigenous sedimentation on top of the
tectonic setting at the time of formation. Its igneous sequence4
subsequent tectonic history will be described else- The ophiolite is exposed mainly along the coast-
where. The 1975 guidebook description (Hopson and line, in a strip extending six miles southeast from
others, 1975a) is updated and substantially revised, Point Sal (Fig. 1). The upper part of the ophiolite
and special attention is given to unique features of and overlying Upper Jurassic sedimentary strata dip
this ophiolite: its sheeted sill complex, its 35-600 north at Point Sal and Point Sal Ridge, and
strongly disturbed cumulates, and the complex age are offset by northeast-trending vertical faults
relationships between the volcanic, plutonic, and with left-lateral displacements that total at least
dike sequences. It is concluded that the Point Sal 1 kilometer (Figs. 1, 3). The lower part of the
ophiolite is a remnant of composite oceanic crust ophiolite, two to five miles southeast of Point Sal
that developed in two separate stages in ocean-ridge (Figs. 1, 6), dips more steeply to the north and
settings, perhaps by jumping of spreading centers. northeast and is locally overturned. The Lions
Head fault with 4,000 feet of minimum vertical
Other Studies separation truncates the base of the ophiolite,
throwing serpentinized dunite (zone 3c-d) against
Igneous rocks of the Point Sal area were first Miocene Monterey Formation. A steep ENE-trending
recognized and described by Fairbanks (1896), and fault with up to 2,500 feet of apparent left-lateral
the general geology of the district is mapped and displacement separates gabbro zones 2b and 2c
described by Woodring and Bramlette (1950). Bailey (Figs. 1, 3), and the upper part of zone 2c is
and others (1970) first recognized the ophiolitic hidden by Cenozoic formations (Figs. 1, 2, 6).
sequence at Point Sal. Special studies of this The faults described above are post-middle
ophiolite have dealt with its field relations and Miocene. Pre-Oligocene deformation is recorded by
petrology (Hopson and Frano, 1973; Hopson and others, the unconformity at the base of the Lospe Formation.
1973, 1975a; Hopson, 1975, 1976), tectonics (Hopson This unconformity cuts across progressively higher
and others, 1975b), radiometric age (Mattinson, in parts of the Jurassic sequence from south to north
~opson and others, 1975a), major element chemistry (and northwest), i.e., it truncates ultramafic rocks
(Bailey and Blake, 1974), trace element and rare (ophiolite zone 3b) at Lions Head, gabbro (zone 2c)
earth element geochemistry (Menzies and others, at Point Lospe, and Tithonian flysch (Great Valley
1977a,b), Sr-isotope geochemistry (Davis and Lass, sequence) near Point Sal and at Corralitos Canyon
1976), paleomagnetism and magnetic stratigraphy (Figs. 1, 6). Thus, the early Tertiary (pre-Lospe)
(Kempner, 1976, 1977; Kempner, Luyendyk, and erosion surface cut across Jurassic rocks that
Cockerham, 1976), seismic structure (Nichols, 1977). dipped gently northward. Plio-Pleistocene folding
Paleontological studies of Jurassic strata that rest has brought these rocks to their present steep atti-
on the ophiolite include the mollusca (Woodring and tudes (Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, p. 12).
Bramlette, 1950; D. L. Jones, in Hopson and others, Tertiary strata and Quaternary deposits blanket
1975a), the radiolaria (Pessagno, 1973, 1977), and the surrounding area for many miles to the north,
the dinoflagellates (W. R. Evitt, pers. collllllun., east, and south, and the ocean is on the west. The
1975). ophiolite is thus isolated from other remnants of
120 38' 120 36' EXPLANATION
Tmm I
I{ ~
Q
i Jips
Q
~o. / ,... I G
~ T mps
Q)
Monterey For mation
~
: ...... . .. . Q c:
Q)
T~tf/: I 0 "0
"
q_"? ~f}J/,. Point Sal Fault ~
~
D
"O Oia base sill
"O
~
: EJ
Point Sal Formation
-0
0
z
H
-4
Poi nt Sal
Par k B eac h
Tmm
L ospe
0 Formation
Vl
}>
,....
-----L ____ 0
/ti , - /!:,, -0
Mt . Lospe
bE-Jd :c
0
,....
t ~
Tmm
Ophiolite complex
-4
m
:c
0
-0
Jo 1 , Volcanic zone Vl
--._ Jo 1c, Oike a sill complex 0
Jo2. Diorite-gabbro zone
z
}>
Jo 3 , Ultramafic zone z0
0 MILE "T1
l .-0
""
}>
0I ~ 2 KM
-y>
Tol
Geologic contact; dashed where
approximately located
z
C' 0
/
,.<-. _ -- High angle fault; dashed where
/ i nferred; dotted where bur ied
C' I
- - - -,- - - Syncline
34 52'
0
C>
<:'"'
"?
Tmm
Point Sol Area
2-
>50m
Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) mudstone and sandstone
{ =base of Great Volley sequence).
Ju -Jue contact is covered by beach sand.
Upper Jurassic (lower Tithonian) tuffaceous chert.
c
>25m
TOP OF OPHIOLITE (depos it ional contoct) . Tmps Mi oc ene Pornt Sa l Format ion
Upper Volcanic zone . Pillowe d an d massive submarine
>0.25km iOvo,chiefly ol- c px - phyric and aphyric basalt. Strong Ti
smectite alteratio n. lnterpillow l i mestone. Diaba se sill
Point Sol Fault, offset by cross fault.
(zone la faulted aga inst lower part of zone lb).
Lower Volcanic zone (lower port) . Pillowed and
>0.32km massive submarine lava, chiefly pl-cpx-phyric and
aphyric basalt altered to spilite, some kerotophyre . 0 .6 km Toi Oligocene Lospe Format ion
l nterpillow rodiolarion chert . Dikes decrease upward.
~J
<O.lkm:,..,, Sill Com~ (upper di ke series). Only upper port exposed. z
0
A HIDDEN INTERVAL "'
-I
:i::
Unconformity
8 ~
m
Ol iv ine gabbro zone . Ma in ly o l - cpx gabbro
Jo 1b in colum n A
corresponds to the
(o l -cpx-pl cumu lates ) . Oli vin e decreases and
post - cumulus hornblend e increases upward .
"'
()
lower port of Jo1b )>
in column B .
Lower volcanic zone . Massive and pi llowed
z
subma rine lava, chiefly basa lts (aphyr ic, cpx-pl Troc tolite zone . 0 1- cpx gobbro, cpx troctolite, and loca l th in 0
>I.I km and pl - microphyric) altered to spi lite ; some
keratophyre . I nterpillow red rod iolorian chert.
la yers of anorth os ite (chi efl y ol - cpx -pl cumu lates ) .
Loco I cross- cutting bod ies of f eldsp. al- clinopyroxenit e. ":i::
Alteration decreases upwa rd from greenschist - facies 'l o l - Cl inopyroxen ite zone. Oli vi ne clinopyroxenite , c linopyroxe nit e 0
to olb1te + o r een phyllos1 l1 cates . Basi c dike / { mainly ol-cpx cumu lates ) wi th m inor wehr li te and dunite !::
decrea se upward -I
( al - cumulates) . Interna l structu ra l disruption . Diapir ic m
f eld sp. ol - cl i nopyroxe nite masses cut across upper contact. Vl
!
chiefly of si l ls. Dikes extend into zone l b ; other to zone 3b-c, but also includes se r pentinized picotite-
d ikes cut zon es 2a and 2b. bear ing dunite tha t may underlie zon e 3 c. Ha r zbu rg it e
I
Diorite zone. Hb quartz diorite, cpx- hb dior ite, sl ivers along L ions Head fau lt. Zone 3d is poorly
and microd iorite. Al b i te meted iabase roof fac ies . exposed and st rong ly weathered t hroughout.
Tmm
> 0 .35km I Lions Head f ault ( base of ophiolite )
!d.P..12.!!...IJO bbro zone . Uralitic cpx gabbra Miocene Monterey For mation .
and Hb gabbro.
HIDDEN INTERVAL ~ Lowe r dike series. 01 - and opx-beori ng microgabbros; m i nor hb microgabbro, micro tona l i t e .
Dike rocks altered to rod i ngite whe r e they cut serpentini zed ultromafics.
DGC 1977
Figure 2 . Columnar sections : A, coastal strip extending north from Point Sal (Fig . 3 inset) ; B, Point Sal Ridge, north and northwest of Point
Sal State Park Beach (Fig. 3) ; C, Lions Hea d- Point Lospe area (Fig . 6) .
INSET MAP 120 38'
Beach
~
~~
c
~
t,.'
(;
~
~
-u
0
. : z
-I
Vl
)>
r
0
~
0 500 100 0 fee t 0
I II II
I
I
I
I r
-I
0 100 200 300 meters P4c1F c m
Contour Interval 40 feet
1
I
Ocr-
EXPLANATION c 411! 0
Po in t Sa l Sta t e -u
Vl
Q Quaternar y deposits; Qls, landsl ide Po rk Bea ch
0
Ti Miocene diabase si ll z
)>
Tmps Middle Miocene Point Sol Formation N z0
Toi Oligocene Lospe Formation
"Tl
Upper Jurassic ( Tithonion) mudstone ond sondstone
Ju
""
)>
(Great Volley sequence z
Jue Upper Jurassic (low. Tithonion- upp . Kimme ridg ion ) t uffaceous chert .JJb, 0
JURASS IC OPHIOLITE I upper port)
T
Jo 10 Of basalt and minor aphyric basalt; smectite alteration .
Jo1b Cpx-pl bosalt altered to spilite; some kera tophy r e
Joie sill complex . Di kes extend up into Jo1b and down into Jo2a- b
Jo2a Hb quartz diorit e, Cpx- Hb dior ite , diabase} Upper gabbro
Contour lnterva I 200 f eet
Jo2b Uralitic Cpx gabbro and hnbd . gabbro Zone
Figure 3. Geologic map of t he Point Sal Ridge- State Park Beach area , showing ophiol i te zones la- 2b .
'
(Ji
166 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
with plagioclase (now albitized) or clinopyroxene + metamorphism, induced by heat and fluids rising from
plagioclase (albite) as the microphenocrystic phases the magma body (plutonic sequence) that crystallized
(Fig. 4; Table 1). Pseudomorphs after olivine are just be1Ceath. Higher in volcanic zone lb it is
very rare; olivine was evidently not a liquidus phase difficult to separate the superimposed effects of:
in most of the zone lb lavas. The groundmass of (1) metamorphism which decreases upward, (2) halmy-
these lavas is altered almost entirely to secondary rolysis which dies out downward, and (3) pervasive
minerals although original groundmass textures, es- alteration which may have resulted fron the circula-
pecially lath-like feldspar microlites (now albite) tion of heated sea water shortly after the lavas
are well preserved. Albite in the zone lb lavas is accumulated.
evidently secondary, since relics of unreplaced
plagioclase are still found within a few micropheno- Chenistry. Chemical analyses of representative
crysts. Point Sal volcanic rocks are given in Table 2.
Nearly all the Point Sal lavas are so highly altered
Alteration. Pervasive alteration has strongly that it seems fruitless to attempt close comparisons
modified the mineralogy and chemical composition of of their chemistry with fresh lavas and glasses from
lavas throughout the volcanic pile. The grade of mid-ocean ridges or with moderately fresh DSDP lavas.
alteration increases with stratigraphic depth, Such comparisons show that the Point Sal lavas are
although precise details must await a fuller miner- significantly higher in Na20, K20, Si02, FeO*/MgO,
alogical study. Fe 2o3 /FeO+Fe 2o 3 , H20, and C0 2 , slightly lower in
Smectite alteration characterizes the upper lava Ti0 2 , and strongly depleted in CaO and MgO. Some of
zone. All groundmass glass is replaced by green these differences are readily correlated with mineral
smectite; additional minor phases include calcite, alterations. For example, the complete alteration of
celadonite, and brownish clay. Phenocrystic olivine glass and olivine to smectite caused gains in alkalis
is pseudomorphed by smectite or calcite, but clino- (especially K20), H 2 0, and losses in CaO and MgO,
pyroxene remains fresh. Groundmass plagioclase is
clouded by clay alteration but is generally not Table 2. Chemical Analyses and CIPW Norms of Point
albitized, except near the base of the zone. Zeo- Sal Volcanic Rocks.
lites appear to be lacking or quite rare, and it is
probably misleading (Menzies and others, 1977a) to 4
apply the term "zeolite facies" here. The strong
1 2 3
smectite alteration in volcanic zone la, extending Si0 2 50.80 52.65 55.5 57. 5
to the upper contact, appears to be comparable to Ti0 2 .57 .64 .55 .61
seafloor weathering (halmyrolysis) described by Al 2 0 3 15.54 15.45 15.1 14.5
various authors (Matthews, 1971; Miyashiro and Fe 2 0 3 4. 28 5.92 1.2 1. 7
others, 1971; Hart, 1973; Bass and others, 1973; FeO 5.89 3.98 6.1 5.3
Bass, 1975). In this connection it has been noted MnO .41 .13 .11 .OB
(Hopson and others, 1975a) that the top of the vol- MgO 7.06 4.96 6.4 3.3
canic sequence experienced prolonged exposure to sea- cao 3.94 5.66 6.4 5.5
water prior to burial by sediments. The evidence is Na 20 4.99 5.10 4.0 5.2
the large age gap (>10 m.y.) between the time the K 20 .98 .7B .34 .20
ophiolite formed at 160 m.y. B.P. (concordant zircon H o+ 3.38 2.53 2.4 2.6
2
ages by J. M. Mattinson) and first burial of the H20- 1.42 1.42 .51 .2B
upper lavas in the late Kimmeridgian-early Tithonian P 205 .08 .09 .05 .06
(Pessagno, 1977). Thus, there was ample opportunity C0 2 .70 .69 .OB 3.5
for seafloor weathering to occur. Menzies and others
Total 100.04 100.00 9B.7 100.3
(1977a,b) also reach this conclusion, based on nega-
tive Ce anomalies in the upper lavas. FeO*/MgO 1.38 l.BB 1.12 2.07
The lower lavas (zone lb) are pervasively albi-
tized, but with good preservation of original tex- Q 0.0 3.oB 5 .34 15 .OB
tures. Typical secondary minerals in the upper parts Or 5 .97 4.76 2.07 1.19
of zone lb include abundant albite and light-green Ab 46.19 47.27 37.09 47.20
An 15.05 17.51 22.9B 4.82
phyllosilicate (chiefly iron-rich chlorite), plus
sphene, calcite, quartz, small traces of epidote, rare Cor 1.04 .0 .o 4 .39
pumpellyite (but no prehnite), and minor brown clay. Di .0 5.09 7 .17 .0
Hy 19 .59 12.99 22.95 15.5B
The common amygduloidal minerals here are quartz,
calcite, smectite, chlorite(?), and pumpellyite. The 01 5 .84 .0 .o .o
Mt 4.61 6.39 1.30 l.BO
effects of more than one stage of alteration may be
superimposed here, as described elsewhere by Bass Ilm .82 .92 .79 .B6
(1975). We recommend discontinuing use of the Ap .17 .19 .11 .13
term "prehnite-pumpellyite facies" to describe this Ne .0 .o .0 .o
low-pressure alteration assemblage (Hopson and others, cc 1.83 l.BO .21 B.95
1975a; Menzies and others, 1977a,b), for the two key
phases do not coexist here. 1. Olivine basalt (PS69-2; smectite alteration);
Still deeper, in the lower 200-300 m of the vol- ophiolite zone la. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer,
canic sequence, the common groundmass alteration USGS.
products and amygdule-filling phases are albite, 2. Aphyric cpx basalt (PS6B-l; smectite alteration);
epidote, chlorite, rare actinolite, magnetite, sphene, ophiolite zone la. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer,
quartz, and calcite - clearly a greenschist-facies USGS.
assemblage. Also, strong epidote metasomatism is
evident in the lower 100 meters of.the volcanic 3. Spilite (70-B-302; albitized cpx basalt); ophio-
sequence, where epidote pervasively replaces the lite zone lb. (Bailey and Blake, 1974, p. 643.)
matrix of basaltic breccias and pillow lavas. The 4. Keratophyre (71-EB-105); ophiolite zone lb.
alteration and metasomatism of the lower part of the (Bailey and Blake, 1974, p. 644.)
volcanic sequence is doubtless a form of low-grade
168 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
especially in the smectite-rich upper lavas. Nearly morphed by smectite and calcite) and microphenocrystic
complete albitization of plagioclase in the lower clinopyroxene (mostly fresh) in a groundmass with
lavas (zone lb) caused large gains in Na20, Si0 2 , and skeletal quench plagioclase (replaced by albite in
depletion in Cao. Also significantly affecting the PS75-65B), smectite, and Fe-oxides. Both rocks con-
whole-rock analyses of Point Sal lavas are ubiquitous tain micro-amygdules, one filled with smectite and
tiny micro--amygdules, filled with quartz, smectite, the other with smectite + celadonite + calcite.
celadonite, albite, and other secondary minerals. These two rocks are indeed somewhat richer in pheno-
Thus, because of the high degree of alteration (20- crystic olivine and microphenocrystic pyroxene than
60% for the upper lavas; 70-100% for the lower lavas) other zone la lavas (Table 1), but this is due to
and the difficulty of avoiding micro-amygdu1es, an crystal accumulation. Thus, they are not ultramafic
accurate characterization of the Point Sal volcanic nor similar to komatiites petrologically. The mis-
rocks in terms of major-element chemistry is probably naming of these rocks, however, does not necessarily
not possible. Relict petrographic features therefore invalidate the conclusion of Menzies and others
probably provide a more reliable, though limited, (1977a,b) that they represent the most primitive lava
guide to the original character of these lavas than exposed at Point Sal; this seems supported by the
many aspects of their bulk chemistry. high Cr, Ni, and Sc values and very low REE abun-
The so-called keratophyres at Point Sal (Bailey dances.
and Blake, 1974; Hopson and others, 1975a) illustrate
this point. These lavas (Table 2, nos. 3, 4) are Conclusions. The following conclusions are
classed as keratophyres following the usual criteria: reached concerning the original character of the
high Si0 2 , high Na 2o, low CaO, and albite as the Point Sal lavas prior to their alteration.
principal feldspar (Gilluly, 1935; Hamilton, 1963, (1) The upper and lower lavas were chiefly
Fig. 67). But, petrographic evidence indicates that subalkaline (tholeiitic) basalts, including some
rocks with this chemistry at Point Sal are chiefly rocks now altered to "keratophyre."
derived from the metasomatic alteration (particularly (2) These basalts correspond most closely to the
albitization) of aphyric and pl-microphyric basalts. Group I oceanic basalts of Bryan and others (1976),
The high Na 20:Ca0 ratio of analyzed samples results which is the kind typically erupted at spreading
from 13.lbitization of the original calcic plagioclase, ocean ridges. Criteria that link them more closely
and the high Si0 2 values result from the albitization with Group I than Group II basalts (which include
and also partly from micro-amygdules filled with the basalts from aseismic ridges, oceanic islands
secondary quartz. If these lavas had originally been and other off-ridge centers) are their low Ti0 2 and
significantly quartz normative then quartz should be low P 2o 5 contents (Fig. 5), non-titaniferous pyro-
conspicuous in the groundmass alteration assemblage, xenes, and their LREE-depleted character reported by
but that is not commonly the case. Thus, lavas Menzies and others (1977R,b).
originally of intermediate ("andesitic") composition
are now deemed to be only minor components of the 1.0
Point Sal volcanic sequence. Basalt, Zone IA, Pt Sol ophiolite
Mobility of the major elements suggests that o Spilite, kerotophyr!l, Zone IB
caution must also be exercised in the application of
trace element and rare earth element data to the
Point Sal lavas (Blake and Bailey, 1975; Menzies and 0.8
others, 1977a,b). Certain trace elements (e.g., Ti,
Y, Zr, Nb) are known to be resistant to moderate
degrees of alteration and metamorphism (Bryan and
others, 1976), but it should be borne in mind that
most Point Sal lavas show 40-95 percent alteration to Alkali
Basalts
secondary minerals and that the major element bulk
composition has changed significantly. Menzies and
others (1977a) discuss these effects at Point Sal,
particularly for the rare earth elements. They show
that: (1) greenschist facies alteration of the lower
lavas has not significantly effected the REE profiles, Ocean Ridge ,/
and (2) that low-temperature alteration of the upper Basalts,,.~-;')
lavas has induced some mobility of the light rare
earths, resulting in negative Ce (or positive La) 02 /
/ .
'\
,,,,.
. - Ocean Island
anomalies. It is important to note that both the { / Tholeiites
upper and lower lavas still retain light REE-depleted
patterns (Menzies and others, 1977a,b), which tend to
be eliminated by reactions that involve sea water
t. ......, _ _ ,_/
I
suppo r ted also by the trace element and REE data and correspond to differentiated quartz diorites
(Men zies and other s , 19 77a ,b) . The scar city of f ound in the plutonic sequence . Thi s conclus i on i s
phenocryst i c plagioclase i s a unique featur e i n some also supported by t he REE data (Menzies and other s ,
of t hese lavas , which might be explained by the 1977a) .
floating of f of pl agioclase in the underlyi ng magma (6) Lava reported to be ultramafic i s actually
chamber (Bryan and Moore, 1977) . altered b asalt somewhat richer than aver age i n pheno -
(4) The h i ghly altered lower lavas , compr ising crystic ol i vine and mic r ophenocrystic clinopyr oxene .
most of the volcanic sequence (zone lb) , were chiefly Final ly it is noted that the lower lavas were
derived from aphyric , pl- microphyric , and pl - cpx erupted in a deep ocean environment where r ed radio-
microphyric lavas (Fig . 4) . A few examples of lar ian ooze was the only sediment accumulat i ng , where-
pl- cpx- ol phyric basalt are found but olivine-b ear- as the upper lavas were erupted under conditions in
ing lavas are rare in zone lb. Thus , it appears that which light- gray calcareous pelagic ooze was accumu-
the lower lavas r epresent rather strongly fraction- lating . It is suggested in a later section that the
ated basalts , probably correspondi ng to some of the t wo lava gr oups are the product of two diffe r ent
highly f r actionated (ol - free) MOR tholeiites found magmas , erupted at geogr aphical ly diffe r ent sites .
locally on t he Mid- Atlantic Ridge (Hekin i an and
other s , 1977) , the western Atlantic (DSDP sites 100 , The Plutonic Sequence
386 ; see esp . Ayuso and Bence , 1976) , the south
Atlantic (DSDP site 15 ; Frey and othe r s , 1974) , the A differentiated sequence of plut oni c r ocks mor e
Caribbean (DSDP sites 146 , 150 , 152 , 153; Bence and than 1 km t hick lies beneath the volcani c rocks and
others , 1975) , the western Pacific (DSDP s i tes 58 , the sheeted sill complex at Po i nt Sal (Fi gs. 1, 2) .
61 , 63 , 66 , 285 , 303 , 304, 307), the central Pacifi c It consists of an upper section of non- layered ural i-
(DSDP site 317A), the northwestern Pacific (DSDP site tic gabbro , diorite , and quartz diorite (zone 2a-b ;
191 ) , the northeastern Pacific (DSDP site 179) , and Fig . 2 , section B) separated by a fault and a
the southeastern Pacific (Nazca pl ate , DSDP site 321 , covered inter val from the lower section of laye r ed
see esp . Mazzullo and Bence , 1976). olivine gabbro and ultramafic rocks (zones 2c - d , 3 ;
(5) Keratophyres that were truly over satur ated Fig. 2 , section C). The plutonic sequence is cut off
(i.e ., have groundmass quartz) are scarce at Point below zone 3c by the Lions Head f ault ( Figs. 1 , 6) .
Sal. They were the product of extreme fractionation
3453' /II
Point
Lospe
EXPLANATION Point
Morr Ito
Qt Quaternary terrace deposits
Tmm Miocene Monterey Formation
Serpentinized dunite
Figure 6. Geologic aa.p of the Lions Head-Point Lospe area, showing ophiolite zones 2c- 3d.
170 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Lower Plutonic Sequence. Proceeding upward from from a progressively more fractionated magma. The
the base, the sequence consists of more than 100 m of local reversals and fluctuations in this trend, es-
serpentinized dunite (zone 3c), 80 m of serpentinized pecially within zone 2d, may reflect pulses of new
dunite with some wehrlite and olivine clinopyroxenite magma; however, a more detailed study will doubtless
(zone 3b), more than 120 m of olivine clinopyroxenite modify and perhaps change some of the details shown
with subordinate clinopyroxenite, wehrlite, and here.
dunite (zone 3a), 120 m of ol-cpx gabbro with minor Numerous features within the lower plutonic sec-
troctolite, anorthosite, and cross-cutting intrusive tion suggest that layers accumulating on the floor of
masses of feldspathic ol-clinopyroxenite (zone 2d), the magma chamber were extensively deformed and dis-
and more than 500 m of cpx-ol gabbro with minor horn- rupted before some of them were fully solidified.
blende-bearing cpx gabbro (zone 2c). These are Most conspicuous is the pinching and swelling, bou-
minimum thickness estimates for zones 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, dinaging, and chaotic disruption of cumulus layering.
due to the unconformity at the top of 3c and faults The disruption is so extensive that individual prima:ty
between 3a-3b and at the base of 3c. layers can rarely be traced for more than a few
These rocks are all igneous cumulates, much dis- meters. The resemblance to soft-sediment deformation
turbed and disrupted by penecontemporaneous deforma- and disruption of bedding is striking. Yet, igneous
tion. Features indicative of cumulus origin are cum- textures are well preserved, even within the most
ulus textures, planar orientation of elongate crystals highly disrupted layers, and evidence of subsolidus
(igneous lamination), cm- tom-scale ratio layering recrystallization or low-temperature cataclasis is
and size layering, and a regular progression of km- rare. Thus, deformation occurred at temperatures
scale phase (mineral-graded) layering and cryptic above solidus, while some layers are still mushes
(chemical-graded) layering going upward through the with interstitial melt. Another distinctive feature
section (Fig. 7). is intrusive dikes of ultramaf'ic cumulate material
Zonal subdivisions within the lower plutonic that resemble sandstone dikes in disturbed sedimen-
section are based on the cumulus phase layering and tary sequences. These intrusive ultramafics are
related features. Zone 3c consists of olivine- common as dikes within pyroxenite zone 3a and they
chromite adcumulates and mesocumulates, with clino- penetrate as dikes and diapiric masses up into the
pyroxene and calcic plagioclase (altered) as minor lower 250 m of the overlying gabbro (zones 2c-d).
post-cumulus phases. The dunite is more than 90 The textures and internal structure of these ultra-
percent serpentinized but preserves its original mafic intrusives suggest that they are emplaced as
texture. The dunite is massive except for local crystal mushes.
thin zones (layers?) with higher chromite content. These deformations and auto-intrusions within
Zone 3b continues as mainly olivine cumulates but the cumulus sequence can be explained as resulting
clinopyroxene first appears here as a local cumulus from the strong tectonic disturbance of interlayered
phase (ol-cpx adcumulates) and also as post-cumulus solids (adcumulates) and mushes (mesocumulates) at
oikacrysts (ol-heteroadcumulates). Zone 3a marks temperatures still above the solidus (Hopson, 1975).
the incoming of clinopyroxene as a major cumulus Other features within the lower plutonic sequenoe
phase. The main layers, much disrupted, are cpx-ol point to repeated tectonic disturbance at the upper
adcumulates and mesocumulates (with post-cumulus surface of the growing pile of cumulates, while crys-
plagioclase and hornblende), ol-heteroadcumulates tal sedimentation was still actively in progress.
(wehrlite with cpx oikacrysts), and local thin ol- These features include highly contorted small-scale
adcumulates (dunite). Zone 2d marks the first folds along local horizons, due to slumping, and un-
appearance of cumulus plagioclase. These rocks are conformities (mainly of buttress-type) between
mainly pl-cpx-ol adcumulates and some mesocumulates, packets of cumulus layers. Both these features could
with pale brown post-cumulus hornblende. The zone have resulted from tilting of the magma chamber floor,
2d gabbros are rich in olivine and grade locally into if the upper layers had acquired some rigidity due to
troctolite. Cm-scale anorthosite layers with reverse adcumulus crystallization. Slump folds were produced
grading (pl-rich at the base) are a unique minor fea- where thin cohesive layers (adcumulates) resting on
ture. Zone 2c continues as pl-cpx-ol adcumulates and mush layers (mesocumulates) were tilted and slid
mesocumulates but cumulus olivine decreases and dis- downhill. Continued crystal accumulation then built
appears entirely near the top of the section. Post- new horizontal layers above the deformed layers,
cumulus hornblende increases in abundance upward. creating unconformities. Still another feature per-
These mineralogical trends continue without major haps related to large-scale sliding and mixing of
interruption into the upper plutonic section, which crystal mushes (mesocumulates) are massive gabbros
sugg.ests that the covered interval between zones 2c that have only local vestiges of contorted layering
and 2b consists mainly of cpx gabbro with an increas- but are permeated by diffuse patches and dikelets of
ing proportion of late magmatic hornblende. "pegmati tic" gabbro. These small gabbroic neosomes
Orthopyroxene is not a cumulus phase in the perhaps represent intercumulus melts that were filter
Point Sal plutonic sequence. A very few remnants of pressed from mesocumulate crystal mush during slid-
post-cumulus opx (bronzite), mostly replaced by horn- ing. This type of "veined" gabbro is abundant within
blende, appear within zone 3a. It appears that the central part of zone 2c.
orthopyroxene may have locally crystallized following A final feature stemming from ocean-crust defor-
plagioclase in the paragenetic sequence, but that mation before the close of plutonic activity are
hornblende generally substituted instead. Crystalli- microgabbroic dikes with gneissic textures and
zation from a wet magma is thus indicated. This schlieren banding, which cross-cut the deformed
accords with the Sr-isotopic evidence of Davis and cumulates of zones 2c-3c. The internal gneissic
Lass (1975) that sea water mixed with the Point Sal texture and structure generally parallels the dike
magma. walls and cuts across the igneous structures outside
The results of a preliminary microprobe study of the dikes. This results from protoclastic flowage
cumulus phases in the lower plutonic section, are and smearing of crystal mush within partly solidified
shown in Figure 7B. The progressive trends of the dikes, when the cumulate host rocks are already solid
cumulus olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase and rigid. This records occasional pulses of defor-
toward their lower temperature end members going up mation when the lower dike sequence was being em-
section indicates crystallization and settling from placed into cumulates that were cooling below the
POINT SAL OPHIOLITE - HOPSON AND FRANO 171
~
"t llJ
~ ~ ~
~ ~ 0::
~ "-.I ~
01-cpx gabbro ~ "t ..._
420 _)..; -~ -~
01-cpx gabbro, troctolite,
~ ~
-~ -~---
and minor anorthcsite
300
01-cll nopyroxenite, ....... I ~I
l.i..: 3a ~ ~ I Q:il
180 ~ clinopyroxenite, wehrllte
~ - - '5 - - I - - - 1 - - - -
~ 3b Dunite, wenrlite, ol-clinopyroxenlte r~
100 i...;: --~--l------
:;S 3c Serpent! nized dunite -....
0
B
1000 90 80 50 45 100 .5 0 90 80 70
I I rTTTTI m
900
800
~ 700 ~ 2c
i lI f
//
~ 600 ~
~ 500 ~~
~ 1 i' / ~ ~ ~ ~
i400
..... 2d
s -,-.------\
;; '
\----l------n
.:>-
: ;":
l
~ 300 -+--+---i - - / 0 0
,.. --/ / "
q; ~ \ I I
~ 3a \ 1 I
200 ~ ! ' ~ I
I(
~ 3b
-~.
,. ,. I
100 -0:: __ / 1 J-------------- A
~:::::! 3c {
\OLIVINE
~CLINOPYROXENE
/
P~ AGIOC LASE
I
I
I
0 ,.... I I I L.U..ll.J ..L...J.._J I .1 .1
90 80 50 45 1.00 .5 0 90 80 70 CUMULUS
FO% Mg% Cr203/o(wt.) An% RANGE
Figure 7. A. Phase layering, ophiolite zones 2a-3c. Heavy lines show the stratigraphic
distribution of cumulus phases in zones 2c-3c and early crystallizing phases in the non-
cumulate rocks of zones 2a-b. Thin lines signify post-cumulus phases in zones 2c-3c and late-
crystallizing phases in zones 2a-b. Broken lines signify sporadic occurrence of phases.
B. Cryptic variation (chemically graded layering) in cumulate rocks of ophiolite zones
2c-3c (lower plutonic section). Stratigraphic range of cumulus phases shown on the right.
172 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Table 3. Chemical Analyses and CIPW Norms for Ultramafic and Gabbro Cumulates, Lower Plutonic Section.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Si Oz 33.07 39,9 40.45 43.99 44.6 50.63 48.65 43.32 46.9 47.74 48.45
Ti Oz .04 .0 .07 .10 .o4 .19 .17 .06 .06 .19 .26
Al203 .65 .70 .68 1.44 2.0 4.01 3,75 21.55 20.6 18.15 18.19
Fe 2 o 3 5 .34 6.5 6.23 2.29 3,7 .51 .92 1.13 .40 .56 .73
FeO 3.58 2.0 2.88 4 .28 3.6 2.95 4.18 3.98 4.1 3.06 2.84
11'110 .16 .08 .12 .13 .09 .10 .11 .07 .04 .07 .07
MgO 38.18 34.6 32.44 28 .54 27 ,5 11.50 20.12 11.40 9.0 11.11 9.76
CaO . 30 2.3 4.02 10.01 11.5 20.66 17.57 11. 79 14.2 16.98 15.09
Na20 .34 .0 .29 .28 .12 .48 .60 1.64 1.4 ,99 . l.H
KzO .02 .10 .02 .02 .08 .03 .02 .02 .14 .06 .47
HzO+ 15.18 11.5 10.98 7 ,51 5,6 1.26 2.15 3 .32 1.6 1.27 2.20
H20- .64 1.1 .81 .18 ,36 .08 .23 .22 .13 .13 .16
Pz05 .61 .03 .04 .06 .05 .05 .05 .05
COz .30 .23 .24 <.05 .04 <.05 <.05 <.05 .04 <.05 <.05
Cr203 .n .22 .44 .73 .44
NiO .22 .15 .15 .05 .08
Total 99 .36 99.0 99.63 99 .40 99.23 99 .24 99.04 98.55 98.6 100.36 100.04
FeO*/MeO 0.23 .25 .28 .23 . 27 .20 .25 .49 ,50 ,33 ,37
Q
Or .13 .63 .12 .12 .48 .18 .12 .12 .84 ,35 2.78
Ab 3,30 .o 2. 75 2.58 1.09 3.29 4.46 13.50 12.74 8.80 14.99
An -4.75 1. 71 .52 2.69 4.74 8.72 7.51 52.41 50.20 44 .44 40.35
Ne .62 ,57 .91 .55
Cor 1.98
Di 7 .08 15.01 38.48 42.25 63.76 5.53 16.98 30.89 27.42
Hy 15.68 40.58 33.27 12.H 12.62 6.43 1.13
01 75 ,37 42.88 40.62 40.67 34.73 11.33 22.27 26.13 12.30 13.45 12.68
Mt 6.04 5.13 6.89 2.46 3,92 .53 .97 1.20 .42 .58 .76
Ilm .06 .10 .14 .06 .27 .24 .09 .08 .26 . 36
AP 1. 38 .07 .09 .13 .10 .11 .10 .10
cc .82 .62 .64 .10
Ht. 1.39
1. Serpentinized dunite (PSF-151); ophiolite zone 3c near Lions Head. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
2. Serpentinized wehrlite (71-EB-101); ophiolite zone 3b. (Bailey and Blake, 1974, p. 639.)
3, Wehrlite (PS20-l); ophiolite zone 3b at Lions Head. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
4. Olivine clinopyroxenite (PS20-2); ophiolite zone 3a at Lions Head. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
5. Olivine clinopyroxenite (71-EB-103); ophiolite zone 3a. (Bailey and Blake, 1974, p. 641.)
6. Clinopyroxenite (PSF-511); ophiolite zone 3a near Point Morrito. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
7. Feldspathic olivine clinopyroxenite (PS12-2). Intrusive mass cutting gabbro, base of ophiolite zone 2d near
Point Morrito. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
8. Clinopyroxene troctolite (PM-31); ophiolite zone 2d near Point Morrito. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
9. 01-cpx eabbro (71-EB-104); ophiolite zone 2d. (Bailey and Blake, 1974, p. 642.)
10. 01-cpx gabbro (PS15-l); base of oph'.olite zone 2c near Point Morrito. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
11. Hornblende-bearing cpx gabbro (PS16-l); highest exposure in ophiolite zone 2c near Point Lospe. Analysis
by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
solidus. Strain at this stage was transmitted by rocks more than 350 m thick crop out along the beach
movement through the incompetent mushy dikes. and south side of Point Sal Ridge, 0.4 to 2.0 km east
To summarize: deformation and sliding occurred of the tip of Point Sal. These rocks are overlain by
repeatedly while igneous cumulates were building up the dike and sill complex and the volcanic sequence
within the magma chamber. Further deformation then on the north, and are faulted against those two units
continued to internally disrupt the layered cumulate on the east. Slices of the dike and sill complex
sequence as it cooled to solidus temperatures. Fin- have locally been faulted down into the plutonic se-
ally, still later deformations were transmitted quence (Fig. 3).
through crystallizing cross-cutting dikes after the There is a gradation from uralitic cpx gabbro
cumulates had fully solidified. The most likely set- (zone 2b) through diorite to hornblende quartz dio-
ting where repeated strong tectonism would accompany rite (zone la) going up the mountainside from the
the formation and cooling of plutonic oceanic crust beach and also from east to west along the shoreline
is a spreading ocean ridge (Hopson, 1975). (Fig. 3). The mountainside is poorly exposed and the
shoreline section is broken by faults and locally
Upper Plutonic Section. Gabbroic and dioritic covered by a landslide; nevertheless, a reasonably
POINT SAL OPHIOLITE - HOPSON AND FRANO 173
complete stratigraphic section throueh the upper 350 gabbros. Mineralogically, however, not much appears
m of the plutonic section can be studied here. to be missing (Fig. 7A).
The zone 2b gabbros are structurally and textur- There is no place within the plutonic sequence
ally isotropic. There is no sign of layering or where rock having the composition of the primitive
igneous lamination, nor do the rocks have cumulus magma may be sampled. Zones 2c-3c are crystal
texturesa Rather, random mineral oiientation, sub- cumulates from magma that had liquidus olivine, and
ophitic to hypidiomorphic textures, and small-scale zone 2a-2b crystallized from magma fractionated
variation in grain size from diabasic to pegmatitic sufficiently that olivine was no longer a liquidus
are typical. Plagioclase (zoned An70-30) and augite phase. Diabase at the top of the roof facies may
were the early liquidus phases. Green hornblende has have solidified from primitive magma but it is now
partly replaced cpx and also grown as a primary phase, badly altered as well as difficult to recognize with-
during the later stages of magmatic crystallization. in the plexus of sills at the base zone le.
Magnetite abruptly appears as an abundant (4-8 per- The mineral paragenesis tells something about
cent) late magmatic phase in the upper part of zone
2b. Interstitial spaces in the gabbro are filled by
masses of very fine fibrous green amphibole, probably Table 4. Chemical Analyses and CIPW Norms for the
the product of vapor-phase mineralization. Upper Plutonic Rocks and Dike Series.
Large, locally abundant miarolytic cavities are
a distinctive feature of the zone 2b gabbro. Retro- 4 6
grade boiling is thought to be responsible. Locally
1 2 3
these cavities are crudely aligned into "trains" that Si02 47.86 55.02 58.L7 54.14 55.69 48.96
plunge SW; these linear strings of cavities would be Ti02 .19 1.25 1.07 .n .81 .25
subvertical if the ophiolite were restored to a hori- Al203 18.22 16.62 15.55 15 .06 13.86 11.18
zontal position. Gas streaming is a probable explana- Fe 2o3 1. 27 4.07 4.02 4.09 4.88 .93
tion. The cavities are filled with finely fibrous FeO 3.20 6 .35 5.89 6.12 5.96 6.18
vapor-phase amphibole. MnO .09 .14 .19 . LS .18 .15
Continuing up-section into zone 2a the plagio- MgO 9.49 2.66 2.51 5.53 4.28 13.00
clase becomes more sodic, clinopyroxene becomes more Cao 15 .45 5.35 5.37 6.33 10.03 16.22
extensively uralitized and then green hornblende Na20 1.13 5.56 4.09 3.82 .30 1.00
takes its place as the early mafic phase, and finally K20 .64 .n . 53 1.18 .04 .03
interstitial quartz appears. Quartz diorite, consist- H20+ 2.20 1.69 1.45 2.26 3.60 1.53
ing of zoned plagioclase (An45-15), green hornblende, H20- .20 .44 .38 .42 .22 .18
magnetite, and 5-15 percent of interstitial quartz or P205 .06 .14 .12 .11 .12 .05
quartz-albite intergrowths forms a discontinuous zone COz < .05 <.05 <.05 <.05 <.05 <.05
0-100 feet thick just below the top of the plutonic Crz 3 .14
sequence. Small, diffuse segregations of aplitic 100.00 100.00
Total 99.64 99.95 99.97 99.80
albite granite occur locally within the quartz dio-
rite. Continuing up section the quartz diorite FeO*/MgO .47 3.92 3.95 1.85 2. 53 .55
appears to grade back into quartz-bearing augite-
hornblende diorite and then into a thin roof facies Q 3.37 15 .11 4.69 25.20
Or 3.82 4.29 3.25 7.18 2.56 .18
of clinopyroxene diabase, which has been extensively
recrystallized and metasomatically altered (albitized).
Ab 10.24 51.07 38.16 35.34 2.92 9.05
An 43.17 18.72 23 .39 21.08 38.20 26 .14
Poor exposures and resemblance in the field of this
Ne
roof-facies meta-diabase to rocks of the overlying
Cor
sill complex make the uppermost part of zone la very
Di 27.06 6.oo 2. 79 8.43 11.85 43.73
difficult to study (see Hopson and others, 1975a, p. Hy 5.16 10.12 11.14 17.62 12.26 8.22
31 for a fuller description).
01 8.81 11.24
The upper plutonic section (zones 2a-b) is cut
Mt 1.34 4.35 4.37 4.40 5.52 .98
by abundant dikes of meta-basalt, diabase, microdio-
Ilm .27 1. 78 1.55 1.02 1.22 .35
rite, epidosite, and albitite. These are discussed Ap .13 .30 .26 .24 .11
.27
in the section on Dike Sequences.
1. Subophitic uralitic cpx gabbro (PS56-l). Lowest
Discussion. The plutonic sequence (zones 2a-3c)
exposure of ophiolite zone 2b, northwest of Point
crystallized and differentiated from a single magma
Sal State Park beach. Analysis by H.N. Elsheimer,
body, within a chamber beneath the volcanic sequence.
USGS.
Crystal fractionation by gravity settling resulted in
a lower section of igneous cumulates and a complemen- 2. Hornblende diorite (PS59-l). Ophiolite zone 2a,
tary upper section of non-cumulates that crystallized 800 m east of tip of Point Sal. Analysis by
from progressively more fractionated residual magma. H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
Solidification proceeded upward from the base and
3. Hornblende quartz diorite (PS61-6). Ophiolite
downward from the top to a sandwich horizon of quartz-
zone 2a, 400 m east of tip of Point Sal.
bearing differentiates which lie just beneath the top
Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
of the sequence (zone 2a). Chief evidence that this
sequence is the product of a single magma is the 4. Augite diabase (PS17-l). Upper Dike Series stage
nearly continuous progression of phase layering and 3, from sill complex (zone le) at north end of
cryptic variation throughout the composite plutonic Point Sal State Park beach. Analysis by H. N.
section (Fig. 7). This does not rule out the possi- Elsheimer, USGS.
bility that this magma was periodically replenished
5. Epidosite (PS62-2). Upper Dike Series stage 3,
by small draughts of new magma as it differentiated,
from sill complex (zone le) near tip of Point
but such replenishment will only be detected by a
Sal. Analysis by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
more detailed study of the cryptic variation of the
cumulus phases. The hidden interval between zones 2b 6. Hb-opx-cpx microgabbro (PS20-4). Lower Dike
and 2c represents a loss of part of the section, in- Series in zone 3b, Lions Head Quarry. Analysis
cluding the transition from cumulate to non-cumulate by H. N. Elsheimer, USGS.
174 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
composition of the original magma in terms bf its differences, however, as described below.
position within the basalt tetrahedron (Irvine, Description of the complex is facilitated by
1970). The apparent paragenesis, based on the cumu- reference to Figure 8, which shows the distribution
late sequence in zones 2c-3c and the crystallization and orientation of these intrusives. Points plotted
sequence in zones 2a-b, is: ol+chr, cpx+olchr, on the stereograms represent the poles of individual
pl+cpx+ol, hb(opx)+pl+cpxol, mt+hb+pl+cpx, dikes and sills, and the points in each plot have
Qz+mt+hb+pl, Qz+ab. Mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORE) been rotated by amounts necessary to bring the upper
magmas normally have a paragenesis in which cpx surface of the ophiolite back approximately to its
appears fourth, after ol, chr, pl. At Point Sal, original horizontal position. The following descrip-
however, cpx apparently precedes pl, which would tion begins with the dikes cutting the lavas and pro-
indicate a slight but significant difference in com- ceeds down-section to those cutting the upper plutonic
position from modern primitive MORB magmas. An rocks.
alternative explanation that we favor, however, is Dikes cutting the lower volcanics (locations A,
that plagioclase preceded clinopyroxene in the B, C, Fig. 3; stereograms A, B, C, Fig. 8) were
crystallization SeQUence but followed it in the mainly pyroxene basalt and diabase, now extensively
cumulate seQuence, due to the similar densities of altered to greenschist-facies mineralogy. One group
calcic plagioclase and basaltic melt (Bottinga and of these dikes are subvertical and trend mainly NNE;
Weill, 1970). For example, Bryan and Moore (1977) others branch off at lower angles. These dikes are
demonstrate that plagioclase floated for a time in crosscut by northeast-dipping basic dikes, represent-
primitive MORB in the FAMOUS area. If this occurred ing a second group described below. The steep, NNE-
at Point Sal then the settling (cumulate) seQuence trending dike set is older than the underlying sill
would accord with the crystal settling SeQuence pre- complex (zone le), which cuts it off. The relative
dicted for the primitive MORB magma (Bryan and Moore, age of the NNE-trending dikes and their compositional
1977, Fig. 16). similarity to the lavas they cut (aphyric and cpx-pl
It has been suggested (Hodges, 1976) that the microphyric basalts) suggests that they are feeders
Point Sal magma had alkaline affinities, based on for the lower volcanic seQuence (zone lb).
the absence of hypersthene from the paragenetic se- Separating the volcanic and plutonic rocks is a
QUence. We disagree. The subalkaline character of remarkable concentration of sills and low-angle dikes
this magma is indicated by its fractionation to (zone le, Fig. 3, 8). The best exposures are at the
Quartz-rich derivatives, and by the low Ti02 content north end of Point Sal State Park beach (locations
and hypersthene-normative character of its differen- F, G, Fig. 3). Here the repeated intrusion of sills
tiation producos (Tables 3, 4. Note: four rocks have and low-angle dikes alongside and across one another
<l percent normative Ne due to late hornblende). It has so densely clustered hundreds of these bodies
fractionated along a tholeiitic trend (Hopson and within a zone up to 100 meters wide that no septa of
others, 1975a, Fig. 9), and its LREE-depleted pattern volcanic or gabbroic host rock remain between them.
(Menzies and others, 1977b) places it with the Group 1 Similar concentrations of these sheeted sills are
mid-ocean ridge tholeiites (Bryan and others, 1976). poorly exposed along the south side of Point Sal
In fact, orthopyroxene locally does appear as the Ridge, where they angle downslope to meet the shore-
fifth phase in the paragenetic sequence, but its line again near the tip of Point Sal (locations D,
place is generally taken instead by pale brown horn- E, Fig. 3). These sheeted intrusives resemble the
blende. This simply indicates that the magma had vertical sheeted dikes of other ophiolites, but the
become quite hydrous by this stage of crystallization, sheeting is parallel to the volcanic-plutonic contact
probably from the entry and mixing in of sea water. instead of perpendicular to it. Moreover, when the
This inference is supported by the Sr-isotopic results stereoplots of dike attitudes are rotated to bring
of Davis and Lass (1975). the upper surface of the ophiolite (i.e., the
In summary, the Point Sal plutonic seQuence Jurassic sediment-basalt contact) back to a horizon-
crystallized and differentiated in place from olivine- tal position, the dikes are subhorizontal (Fig. 8,
tholeiite magma, probably quite similar to modern TYJ:>e plots D, E, F, G). Thus, these sheeted intrusives
1 MORB magma. Repeated deformation accompanied the (zone le) are a sill complex.
accumulation, post-cumulus crystallization, and sub- The steep NNE-trending volcanic feeder dikes
solidus cooling of the cumulate seQuence, indicating within zone lb do not cut across the sill complex;
a tectonically active environment. An ocean-ridge rather, they terminate at its upper surface and form
setting is inferred. isolated, truncated remnants within it (best seen
near location D, Figs. 3, 8). This demonstrates the
The Dike Sequences younger age of the sill complex.
Rocks comprising the sill complex (zone le) are
Dikes and sills within the Point Sal ophiolite of three general types: (1) metabasaltic and diabasic
are readily assigned to two groups that differ from rocks, extensively altered to greenschist-facies
one another in stratigraphic position, petrography, mineral assemblages; phenocrystic phases were plagio-
and relative age. They are .designated the upper and clase (now albitized or saussuritized), clinopyroxene
lower dike series. The upper dike series, found (fresh to uralitic), and some olivine (pseudomorphed
within zones lb-2b, is a composite set of intrusives by chlorite); (2) hornblende microdiorite and micro-
that spans a long time range. The lower dike series, tonalite, variously altered; and (3) light green
cutting zones 2c-3c, are the youngest igneous rocks dikes of epidosite (chiefly chlorite-epidote-Quartz),
exposed. commonly grading to dark gray microdiorite at the
margins. Where relative ages within the sill complex
Upper Dike Series. These rocks form an intru- can be determined by local cross-cutting relations
sive complex of sills and dikes that cluster between the type 1 basic dikes tend to be earlier than the
the volcanic and plutonic seQuences (zone le, Figs. 2, type 2 and 3 dikes of intermediate composition.
3) . Dikes also penetrate up into the volcanic pile Youngest of all, however, are a few very thin meta-
(zone lb), and others cut the underlying quartz dio- basaltic dikes with olivine pseudomorphed by chlorite
rite and uralitic gabbro (zones 2a-b). Thus, the (type 4).
upper dike series occupies a stratigraphic position The diorites and gabbros beneath the sill com-
similar to the sheeted dike complexes of the Tro~dos, plex are also cut by dikes, which are locally abun-
Semail, and other ophiolites. There are critical dant. Those cutting the diorites (zone 2a, location
POI N T SAL OPHIOLITE - HOP SON AND FRANO 175
POLE AREA
Jo 1- Jue
CONTACT
700
...0
600 .. .'
B
500 .....
0, ...
~ D
400 ~
.
. .
300 F
..~
-~"'
I
200
........... . '0..
p_:
..
H
..
100
I
STAGE I
0 -- ----------
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4
Figure 8 . Columnar diagram and stereographic plots, showing dike and sill attitudes and age rela-
tions for the Upper Dike Series. Letters relate each stereoplot to the part of the column and to the
geographi c location (Fig. 3, lettered areas) where the measurements were made. Plotted points are the
poles to dikes and sills. The stereoplots have been rotated to bring the upper surface of the ophio-
lite (Joi - Jue contact) back to a horizontal position. The small ci rcl e within each plot denotes a
20 uncertainty in the J o i - Jue pole position. Stages of dike intrusion (1 , oldest; 4, youngest)
determined from field relati ons .
176 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Table 5. Intrusion Stages, Upper Dike Series. the stage 3 dikes correspond to the highly differen-
tiated upper parts of the plutonic sequence (zones
2a-b). Therefore, they are thought to have intruded
Stage Rock Types Occurrence from the side, from an adjacent part of the upper
1 Cpx-pl basalt and Zone lb magma chamber while it was still crystallizing and
diabase differentiating through the pyroxene gabbro, diorite,
Keratophyre Zone lb and tonalite stages. The strong deuteric and meta-
somatic alteration within these dikes reflects the
high water content of this residual magma.
2 (01)-cpx-pl basalt Zone le, lb Stage 4: Intrusion of a few very thin basaltic
and diabase dikes that cut everything else. These dikes con-
tained olivine (pseudomorphed now by chlorite).
3 Cpx-pl diabase Zone 2a, 2b, le Perhaps they represent the extreme distal ends of
Hb microdiorite Zone 2a, 2b, le dikes carrying relatively unfractionated magma from
Hb microtonalite Zone 2a, 2b, le a distant source.
Epidosite Zone 2a, 2b, le
Albitite Zone 2b Lower Dike Series. Swarms of basic dikes cut
the lower plutonic section (Fig. 2). These dikes
are large and abundant within the dunite (zone 3c),
4 (01)-cpx-pl basalt Zone 2b, le smaller and fewer within the pyroxenites (zone 3a),
and rare in the lower gabbro (zone 2c-d), The dikes
Tabulation of dikes and sills within the Upper Dike cut across the cumulus layering at low angles and
Series, relating rock tYJJes to stage of intrusion and follow it as sills; also, the basic dike rock forms
to spatial occurrence within the ophiolite. Most of net veins in brecciated dunite. The dike rocks are
the rock types listed show partial to complete alter- altered to rodingite where the host rocks are
ation to deuteric or hydrothermal mineral assemblages, strongly serpentinized.
COillI'.lonly of greens chi st facies. The dike rocks are chiefly microgabbros that
exhibit a considerable range of composition, from
olivine-rich varieties to those lacking olivine but
including two pyroxenes plus abundant brown horn-
H, Fig. 3; plot H, Fig. 8) dip mainly to the east and blende. Dark melanorite is a local mafic variant.
northeast. Those cutting the upper gabbros (zone 2b, Hornblende micro-tonalite and one dike of albite
location I, Fig. 3; plot I, Fig. 8) dip mainly to the granite are minor siliceous varieties in zone 2c.
southwest and west. The dikes cutting both these Isotropic fabrics are most common, but some dike
zones are similar to types 2, 3, and 4 in the overly- rocks have protoclastic textures and gneissic band-
ing sill complex; in addition, there are a few thin ing that parallels the dike walls, evidencing mush
al bi tite dikes. flowage.
Table 5 summarizes all the dike types within the The presence of abundant orthopyroxene (bronzi te)
upper dike series, their age relations, and the zones distinguishes basic rocks of the lower dike series
in which they are found. The following events and from rocks of the upper dike series and the main
correlations are inferred. plutonic sequence, where diopside or augite is gen-
Stage I: Intrusion of subvertical NNE-trending erally the only pyroxene. Thus, the lower dike
dikes (with low-angle branches) that fed the lower series evidently represents a different batch of
lava sequence (zone lb). These dikes of relatively magma that was injected into the cumulate sequence,
fractionated (i.e., non-olivinic) basalt and diabase either from the side or from below, after the cumu-
predate the sill complex and the underlying plutonic lates had solidified. This magma differed b~ having
sequence. Their source is not exposed. a more hypersthene-normative composition, or by
Stage 2: Repeated injection of thin sheets of having a lower activity of water so that amphibole
basaltic magma along a horizontal zone of weakness did not displace orthopyroxene from the paragenetic
between the lower volcanics (zone lb) and its original sequence.
substratum, which is not now exposed. These basaltic Another, genetically different type of dike
and diabasic sheets built up the main part of the occurs within lower plutonic zones 2c-3a. These are
sill complex (zone le) and also form low-angle dikes feldspathic ol-clinopyroxenite and picrite dikes that
cutting up into volcanic zone lb. At least some of originate within the ultramafic cumulates and cut up
these basic intrusives had liquidus olivine (now into the gabbros, where they locally form spectacular
chlorite pseudomorphs), i.e., they represent rela- intrusion breccias. Petrographically these feldspa-
tively unfractionated magma. They are correlated thic ultramafic dikes are difficult to distinguish
with the olivine gabbro magma that subsequently from mesocumulus ol-clinopyroxenites of the layered
differentiated to form the underlying plutonic sequence itself. They appear to have been emplaced
sequence (zones 2-3). Thus, emplacement of the sill as hot crystal mushes, derived from the mobilization
complex represents an early stage in the emplacement of cpx-ol cumulates that contained feldspathic inter-
of the underlying pluton. This is discussed in a cumulus liquid. Local deformation of the stratiform
later section. sequence, at a stage when the adcumulus layers had
Stage 3: Dike intrusion of pyroxene diabase, completely solidified but the mesocumulus layers
hornblende microdiorite, microtonalite, and aplitic still retained interstitial melt, evidently resulted
plagiogranite. Some of these dike rocks were altered in the mobilization and intrusion of the mesocumulate
metasomatically (e.g., microdiorite to epidosite; liquid-crystal mushes.
aplite to albitite) by gas streaming through the
interiors of dikes as they solidified inward from CORRELATION AND TIMING OF IGNEOUS EVENTS
their walls. Stage 3 dike emplacement occurred late,
after the underlying plutonic sequence had solidifie~ The Point Sal igneous sequence apparently record>
for these dikes cut across its differentiated upper two periods of volcanism, one prolonged period of
zones. Some of these dikes also rose up into zone le plutonic C:t;YStallization and differentiation, and
and spread out within it as sills, adding to the several periods of dike emplacement which overlap the
thickness of the sill complex. The compositions of volcanic and plutonic stages (Fig. 9). Here we
POINT SAL OPHIOLITE - HOPSON AND FRANO 177
AGE SEQUENCE
Figure 9. Diagram showing age relationships within the Point Sal ophiolite. Magmatic stages are those listed
in Table 6. Upper Dike Series (UDS) stages are those listed in Table 5.
:r
I . Lower basalts
:T
!IA. UDS stage 2 sills
ol+cpxpl
I. Not exposed
cpx+pl+hb t
IIB . UDS stage 3 dikes IIB. Uralite gabbro xtlzn. stage
~l+cpxhb
Rl+hb
pl+hb+mt t
pl +hb+qz Diorite xtlzn. stage
ab+qz
Quartz diorite xtlzn. stage
pl+hb+mt+qz ~
Albite granite xtlzn. stage
I I ab+qz
atlempt to correlate these events and to develop an extension of the upper magma chamber, where solidifi-
integrated igneous history. This will prove critical cation was a step behind that of the exposed sequence.
to understanding the sheeted sill complex and also This assumes a spreading ocean ridge-type magma cham-
the tectonic development of the ophiolite, taken up ber that is fed from the middle and solidifies con-
in the next two sections. tinuously at the sides.
Discussion is facilitated by reference to Table Stage IIC. Intrusion of a few very thin olivine
6, which arranges the volcanic, hypabyssal, and plu- basalt dikes which cut across all other rocks within
tonic sequences each in order of decreasing age, and zones le, 2a, 2b. This event may correspond to Stage
places them opposite one another to show inferred III.
time equivalence. Two volcanic stages are distin- Stage III. The lower dike series, chiefly oli-
guished on the basis of stratigraphic relations, vine- and orthopyroxene-bearing microgabbros, are
distinctive lava compositions (Fig. 4), and the con- later than Stage IIA, for they cut sharply across
trasting interpillow sediments. The upper dike the olivine cumulates (zones 2c-3c). Furthermore,
series (labeled UDS in Table 6) is divided into they probably are not contemporaneous with the upper
stages and substages that correspond to successive plutonic sequence, Stage IIB, because their composi-
periods of dike and sill emplacement described in the tion is distinctly more basic (compare analyses 4,
previous section (Table 5). Only one plutonic stage 5, 6, Table 4). Thus, the lower dike series repre-
is recognized but it forms a continuous sequence of sents a still younger intrusive event, possibly
differentiation that can be subdivided into succes- correlative with Stage IIC (Table 6). Yet, these
sive steps. Each step has a different set of liqui- dikes are probably not much younger than Stages IIA-B,
dus phases that were crystallizing, as the melt for the development of protoclastic structure within
became progressively more fractionated (see Fig. 7, some of them is associated with the high temperature
and discussion of the plutonic paragenetic sequence). internal disruption of the cumulate sequence.
For comparison, the early liquidus (chiefly phenocrys- In swmnary, three main igneous events are dis-
tic) phases are also shown for the volcanic and dike cerned within the Point Sal ophiolite (Fig. 9).
sequences. Thus, correlations between successive Stage I is the extrusion of strongly fractionated
volcanic and diking events, and differentiation tholeiitic magma onto the sea floor in an environment
steps within the magma chamber (plutonic sequence), where red radiolarian ooze (chert) accumulated be-
are based partly on cross-cutting relations in the tween eruptions. Stage II marks the extrusion of
field and partly from matching the early liquidus relatively unfractionated olivine tholeiite magma
phase assemblages, which provide a rough index of onto the sea floor in an environment where gray cal-
fractionation. careous ooze (coccolithic limestone) is the main
Stage I. The oldest rocks exposed are the lower interpillow sediment. The sharp contrast both in
lavas (zone lb) and their NNE-trending feeder dikes sediment type and magma composition suggests that
(UDS stage 1). Both these groups are cut off by the events I and II were separated in time or in geo-
underlying sill complex, which therefore is younger graphic location or both. Stage II also marks the
(Figs. 8, 9). The lower lavas also predate the main intrusion of olivine tholeiite magma, forming sheeted
plutonic sequence, for they formed the solid roof be- sills beneath the Stage I volcanic crust and emplac-
neath which the latter crystallized. The stage I ing a magma body more than 1.4 km thick beneath the
lavas and dikes crystallized from basic magma that sills. Substage IIA includes growth of the main sill
had already reached an advanced stage of fractiona- complex, and early differentiation within the magma
tion: olivine was not a liquidus phase in these melts, chamber and the buildup of cumulates at its lower and
and some keratophyric flows were moderately quartz- middle levels. Substage IIB includes the late stages
normative. Thus, the lower lavas and their feeder of differentiation, non-cumulus crystallization and
dikes cannot be correlated with the exposed plutonic retrograde boiling within the upper magma chamber.
sequence, where olivine was a liquidus phase for the Sills of highly fractionated, water-rich melt were
first two-thirds of its crystallization history injected up into the sill complex during this period,
(Fig. 7). The fractionated stage I lavas and dikes and similar fractionated dikes were then intruded
have no plutonic equivalents exposed. into the top of the newly solidified plutonic se-
Stage IIA. Next within the dike sequences are quence from the side. Substage IIC marks the final
the UDS stage 2 metabasaltic and diabasic rocks of intrusion of thin basaltic dikes through the top of
the sill complex (Table 5; Figs. 8, 9). Phenocrystic the plutonic sequence. Stage III (~ IIC?) marks
olivine (chlorite pseudomorphs), clinopyroxene, and the intrusion of swarms of chiefly basic low-angle
plagioclase indicate that these minerals were liqui- dikes and sills across the cumulus sequence, probably
dus phases in the magma at the time when early stages while the latter was still cooling. These evidently
of sill emplacement occurred. This permits correla- came from a separate batch of orthopyroxene-rich
tion of these sills with early stages in the differ- magma, which fractionated from olivine-normative to
entiation of the plutonic complex (liquidus ol, quartz-normative compositions during the span of dike
cpx+ol, pl+cpx+ol) and also with the upper basalts intrusion.
of zone la (phenocrystic ol; microphenocrystic cpx, Igneous Stages I and II may be widely separated
pl). No feeder dikes directly connecting with the in time, for there is a striking break here both in
upper olivine basalts have been observed, however. the fractionation sequence and in the type of sedi-
Stage IIB. Dikes belonging to UDS stage 3 mentation that accompanied the volcanic eruptions.
(Table 5; Figs. 8, 9) cut across the differentiated Igneous Stages II and III, however, were apparently
upper levels of the plutonic sequence (zones 2a-b) close together and may be genetically related.
and spread out within the sill complex (zone le).
Although these dikes and sills post-date solidifica- EMPLACEMENT OF THE SILL COMPLEX
tion of the upper part of the exposed plutonic se-
quence they crystallized from highly fractionated Vertical sheeted dike complexes separate the
melts that correspond to the zone 2a-b residual magma. volcanic and plutonic zones of ophiolites in Cyprus,
Liquidus phases in these dikes and in successive late Oman, Newfoundland and elsewhere, but horizontal
plutonic magma batches were cpx+pl+green hb, pl+green sheeted sill complexes are less well known. The
hb+mt, pl+hb+mt+qz, and ab+qz (Table 6). Thus, these Point Sal s~ll complex is not unique, however; simi-
dikes were probably intruded sideways from a lateral lar sill complexes occur locally within other
POINT SAL OPHIOLITE - HOPSON AND FRANO 179
sections of the Jurassic Coast Range ophiolite in weakness, especially stratification, analogous to
California; for example, near San Luis Obispo (Page, intrusions on land. Experiments by Ramberg (1963)
1972; Pike, 1975), Del Puerto Canyon (Evarts, 1976), show that intrusions with low viscosity, rising to
Mount St. Helena, and the South Fork of Elder Creek shallow levels, tend to spread out in horizontal
near Paskenta (personal observation). Sill complexes sheets beneath a light cover. The initiation of a
are also reported from ophiolites at Cedros Island, new spreading center within pre-existing oceanic
Baja California (Jones, Blake, and Rangin, 1976) and crust, described in the next section, may thus be
the Ergani district, Turkey (Bamba, 1974). Nor are favorable for the development of sill complexes.
they restricted only to oceanic rocks: sill complexes
several hundred feet thick cap Tertiary epizonal plu- TECTONIC SETTING
tons in the Cascade Mountains, particularly the
Tatoosh pluton near Mount Rainier, Washington (Fiske Jurassic oceanic crust represented by the Point
and others, 1963). Sal ophiolite formed in a spreading ocean ridge set-
Emplacement of the Tatoosh sill complex is in- ting, far from land and well removed from any active
structive with respect to Point Sal. An early phase volcanic arc. Evidence supporting these conclusions
of the Tatoosh magma rose and spread out in repeated is summarized below.
pulses along a stratigraphic zone of weakness between (1) Pelagic interpillow sediments within the
two volcanic formations, forming a plexus of sills ophiolite are radiolarian chert (lower lava) and
and cross-cutting dikes concentrated along a zone coccolithic limestone with traces of chert (upper
hundreds of feet thick and extending laterally for lava). These were relatively pure biogenic oozes,
several miles. Subsequently the main body of Tatoosh uncontaminated by land-derived terrigenous elastic
magma rose and spread out along the base of the sill sediment or arc-derived tephra. They accumulated
complex, lifting the roof and swelling into a magma between submarine eruptions at water depths ranging
chamber several thousand feet thick (Hopson and from below to slightly above the calcium carbonate
others, 1970; Mattinson, 1977). The uplifted compensation depth (CCD), estimated to be near 2.7
sill complex, reinjected and altered by the pluton, km during much of the Jurassic (Bosellini and
forms the immediate roof of the pluton in many places. Winterer, 1975).
The Point Sal sill complex is comparable in many (2) Vesicles in the lava pillows become very
respects. Stage II basic magma invaded the base of sparse and tiny within the chilled outer pillow rims,
an earlier (Stage I) volcanic crust (zone lb), send- characteristic of lava erupted into very deep water
ing out sills along a horizontal zone of weakness. (Moore, 1965, 1970; Bryan, 1975).
Subsequently a large body of Stage II basic magma (3) The lavas were mainly tholeiitic basalts
crystallized and differentiated beneath the sills. with petrographic features comparable to mid-ocean
The horizontal zone of weakness initially exploited ridge lavas. They range from ol-phyric to strongly
by the sills must have had a floor as well as a roof fractionated cpx-pl microphyric and aphyric lavas
at the time of emplacement; however, where the older like those recovered from many DSDP sites.
floor should be we now find younger rocks (i.e., the (4) The low Ti0 2 and P 20 5 contents are indica-
differentiated plutonic rocks of Stage IIB). Thus, tive of ocean ridge-type rather than oceanic island-
following initial emplacement of the sill complex type lavas (Fig. 5).
more magma intruded between the sills and their floor, (5) The LREE-depleted character of the Point Sal
forming the large magma chamber filled by the present lavas and plutonic rocks (Menzies and others, 1977a,b)
plutonic sequence (zones 2-3). The original floor to identify them as Group I oceanic tholeiites of Bryan
the sill complex should now be found beneath plutonic and others (1976). Group I tholeiites are character-
zone 3c; unfortunately, this level is not exposed. istic of mid-ocean ridge basalts but are not known
Events associated with emplacement of the sill from aseismic ridges or oceanic islands.
complex are reconstructed as follows. Oceanic crust (6) The plutonic rocks crystallized from excep-
formed during magmatic Stage I (Table 6; Figs. 9, tionally hydrous magma. This is manifested by the
lOa) consisted of a volcanic sequence (zone lb) and a post-cumulus crystallization of hornblende in place
plutonic substratum (not now exposed). This crust of orthopyroxene in the cumulus sequence, by the
subsequently hosted intrusions of magmatic Stage II. extensive uralitization of clinopyroxene and primary
Tholeiitic olivine basalt magma rose from the mantle crystallization of hornblende in the upper (non-
into the earlier oceanic crust, initially sending out cumulus) sequence, and by the retrograde boiling and
a vanguard of sills between the volcanic and plutonic subsequent filling of miarolytic cavities by vapor-
zones (Fig. lOb) but then continued to intrude at this phase amphibole near the top of the plutonic sequence.
level, splitting the volcanic layer and sills (zones Strontium isotopic evidence by Davis and Lass (1976)
lb-c) from the floor and inflating the space between indicates that sea water mixed with the magma, down
them into a floored magma chamber nearly 1.5 km thick even to the level of the cumulates. A rifting mid-
(Fig. lOc). It seems likely that some of this magma ocean ridge is the most likely setting where large
also reached the surface, erupting onto the ocean quantities of sea water might penetrate through the
floor (Fig. lOb, c). The Stage II lavas (volcanic volcanic upper crust and pervade the magma chamber.
zone la) have the right composition and stratigraphic (7) The strong internal deformation, disruption,
position to correspond to such flows. Subsequently and mobilization of the layered cumulates, during
the magma chamber crystallized and differentiated post-cumulus crystallization at temperatures still
(stages IIA-B), sending out later dikes and sills above the solidus, point to magma chamber solidifica-
into the roof and sides of the chamber. A final, tion in an environment of very active tectonism.
rather minor magmatic episode (Stage III) followed Such effects might be expected during the buildup
closely in time. of magmatic cumulates beneath an actively rifting
The formation of a sill complex in place of a ridge at a diverging plate boundary (Hopson, 1975).
vertical sheeted dike complex is not incompatible They would not be expected in an aseismic oceanic
with development atan oceanic spreading center, but setting, just as they are minor or lacking from most
it seems to require a situation in which tensional stratiform plutons on land.
fissuring of the upper crust cannot keep pace with Origin of the Point Sal ophiolite at a spreading
the rapid upwelling of magma. Ascending magma r1s1ng ridge setting in the open ocean is thus indicated by
into a relatively static roof will tend to form evidence from the sedimentary, volcanic, and plutonic
shallow intrusions that follow existing planes of rocks. However, this ophiolite also appears to
180 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
record the formation of oceanic crust in two separate Sclater, 1972). Evidence of jumping ridge crests is
stages, probably at different geographic locations. also found in the South Pacific (Molnar and others,
This is reasoned from the following evidence: (1) the 1975).
igneous sequence records more than one cycle of mag- In each example, a new spreading center devel-
matic differentiation; (2) the sheeted sill complex, oped within oceanic crust that had formed several
which opened a new magmatic cycle, formed by the million years earlier. In these cases the older ig-
lateral spreading of rising magma beneath a cover of neous crust was invaded by younger magmatic rocks
pre-existing oceanic crust; and (3) pelagic inter- where these jumps took place. Two-stage igneous
pillow sediments within the volcanic sequence record histories, perhaps similar to Point Sal, doubtless
two different environments of deposition. The lower mark these crustal segments. Moreover, the pelagic
(zone lb) lavas, belonging to the first magmatic sedimentation which accompanied the pre-jump volcan-
cycle, erupted below the calcium carbonate compensa- ism probably differs also, since several million
tion depth (CCD) where only siliceous ooze was accu- years of time and hundreds of kilometers in space
mulating. Later, these early lavas formed the cover separated the two volcanic stages in each case.
beneath which the sill complex developed at the start Anderson and Sclater (1972) deduce that spread-
of the second magmatic cycle. During the second cycle ing center jumps in the eastern Pacific (20N-20S)
the upper (zone la) lavas were erupted onto sea floor were due to changes in spreading directions caused by
above the CCD, where calcareous ooze was accumulating. realignment of the Nazca (Farallon) and Pacific
~~-Formation of the volcanic layer at a spreading plates about a new pole of rotation. They suggest
ridge occurs within a brief span of time. Even at a that such realignment of active spreading centers may
slow spreading center such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge have been caused by the breakup of the Farallon plate
the volcanic layer is chiefly formed within a few into smaller plates and/or the interaction of the
hundred thousand years (MacDonald, 1977). Thus, if East Pacific Rise with the North American continent.
the Point Sal lavas were erupted at a single spreading Similar conditions doubtless prevailed locally in the
site it is difficult to understand how this volcanism Mesozoic also, and the record of such events may be
could have occurred first below the CCD and then above contained within ophiolites.
it. It would seem necessary to postulate a rapid up- We conclude that the two-stage igneous history
lift of the ridge crest from below the CCD to above of the Point Sal ophiolite, and the contrasting pela-
it while volcanism was still in progress. Such an gic depositional environments of sediments within the
event seems unlikely, for the crestal elevation of upper and lower lavas mark this as a remnant of com-
spreading ocean ridges is fairly constant, averaging posite oceanic crust formed at two geographically
near 2.7 km (Sclater, Anderson, and Bell, 1971). different ocean-ridge sites (Fig. 10). Jumping
The more plausible explanation is that the Point spreading centers may provide a logical explanation.
Sal volcanics were erupted first at one site, which
lay below the CCD, and then at some other distant CONCLUSIONS
site which lay above it. It is well known that the
CCD varies laterally. In the modern oceans the cal- (1) The Point Sal ophiolite is a remnant of
cium carbonate compensation surface (CCS) has about Jurassic oceanic crust, nearly complete down to 3 km
2 km of relief (Berger and Winterer, 1974). The CCS but truncated above the mantle boundary by faulting.
depth range is from about 3.5 to 5.5 km in the modern (2) The volcanic rocks are chiefly tholeiitic
oceans but it was much shallower in the Jurassic basalts of mid-ocean ridge type (MORE), whose chemis-
(Bosellini and Winterer, 1975), when the Point Sal try and mineralogy are strongly modified by high-
ophiolite formed. Thus, the Jurassic CCS could have temperature alteration and by seafloor weathering.
bracketed the crestal depth (2.7 km) of spreading (3) Two stages of volcanism are represented: an
ocean ridges, rising above this depth at some loca- early stage of strongly fractionated cpx-pl basalts,
tions and dropping beneath it at others. We conclude erupted where radiolarian ooze was accumulating, and
that the Point Sal ophiolite records an initial growth a later stage of olivine basalt, erupted where cal-
stage (Igneous Stage I) where volcanism occurred at careous pelagic ooze was accumulating.
water depths below the CCD, and a later growth stage (4) The stratiform plutonic sequence records a
(Igneous Stage II) at a different geographic location, single cycle of magmatic crystallization and differ-
where the CCS dipped beneath the level of the vents. entiation of olivine tholeiite magma. This magma
Both sites, however, were at spreading ocean ridges, fed the olivine basalt of volcanic stage II before
from the evidence previously cited. differentiation was far advanced.
Composite oceanic crust formed at two widely (5) The ultramafic and gabbro cumulates show ex-
separated spreading-ridge sites might develop where tensive internal disruption, and also remobilization
an oceanic spreading center jumps from one location as dikes. This records repeated tectonic disturbance
to another. This phenomenon is well known, especially within the magma chamber during the period of accumu-
in the eastern Pacific during the Cenozoic. For lation and post-cumulus crystallization.
example, the Mathematician and Clipperton seamount (6) Extensive uralitization, retrograde boiling,
chains between o0 -20N are the old crest of the East and deposition of vapor-phase amphibole record excep-
Pacific Rise (EPR). This segment of the rise crest tionally hydrous conditions in the upper part of the
terminated at 5 mybp when the spreading center jumped magma chamber during the final stages of crystalliza-
4 to the east, the present location of the EPR spread- tion. Leakage of seawater into the chamber is
ing axis (Sclater and others, 1971). Another example inferred.
occurs in the disturbed magnetic zone between the (7) The upper dike series was emplaced in four
~urray and Molokai fracture zones, where the spread- widely spaced stages, overlapping the volcanic and
ing axis abruptly jumped 530 km eastwards at 51 mybp plutonic events. The lower dike series was intruded
(Menard and Atwater, 1969) or at 40 mybp (Harrison and only at a late stage, after the cumulates had solidi-
Sclater, 1972). Still another example is found be- fied.
tween 50s and 15S, where spreading along the East (8) The sheeted sill complex, between the volca-
Pacific Rise began only about 6.5 mybp. Here the nic and plutonic zones, formed where a rising body of
ridge crest jumped from the Galapagos Rise (former new magma was first emplaced into older oceanic crust.
EPR) approximately 900 km to the west to begin spread- Continued influx of new magma and its lateral spread-
ing in crust that was 13 m.y. old (Anderson and ing along this horizon split the sills and overlying
POINT SAL OPHIOLITE - HOPSON AND FRANO 181
volcanic layer from their substratum, forming the (10) The two stages of ocean crust formation
magma chamber now occupied by the differentiated plu- both occurred i n open ocean environments, beyond the
tonic sequence . reach of terrigenous sedimentation or arc- derived
(9) The ophiolite represents composite oceanic tephra . Two different geographic locations are in-
crust that formed in two stages from separate magmas. ferred from the contrasting character of the inter-
Stage I was the initial f ormation of oceanic crust , pillow pelagic sediments within the two lava groups.
represented by the fractionated lower lava sequence Spreading ocean ridge settings are inferred from the
and its NNE- trending feeder dikes . Stage II began petrology and geochemistry of the lavas , and from
with the intrusion of unfractionated olivine tholeiite evidence that t he plutonic rocks crystallized in an
magma into the older oceanic crust , forming the sill environment of strong tectonic disturbance.
complex and then the pluton beneath . Extrusion of (11) The two- stage development of this composite
some of this magma formed the upper olivine basalts. oceanic crust may have resulted from the jumping of.a
Differentiation of this magma and the later stages of spreading center from its initial location to a new
dike and sill intrusion closed out stage II . site within older oceanic crust .
(d}
.. . . . .-. Ip
Figure 10. Diagram illustrating two stages of ocean crust formation and emplacement of the sheeted sill complex
at Point Sal .
a . Stage I oceanic crust, formed at an i nitial spreading center . Iv, Ip: stage I volcanic and plutonic zone s .
PS signifies position of Point Sal section . Magma chamb er s hape adopted from Greenbaum, 1972 .
b . Stage II (early): incipient development of new spreading center amid older (stage I) oceanic crus t , by
ridge-crest jumping. New , r elatively unfractionated magma rises through fissures in rifting oceanic mantle and
c rust . Some magma intrudes laterally to form sheeted sill s a t base of volcanic layer Iv, and some is extruded
at the surface . IIv, IIs : stage II volcanic rocks and sheeted sills .
c. Stage II (later): new magma continues to rise and to spread laterally along weak horizon beneath the sill
complex, lifting the roof to form a floored magma chamber b etween zones Iv + IIs and zone Ip. Gravitative
differentiation begins within the chamber . Magma conti nues to be extruded along the new rift zone , thickening
the upper lava (IIv) as spreading proceeds .
d . Continued spreading and growth of oceanic crust at the new spreading center (II ). Point Sal section (PS)
occurs within the interval of overlapping old (I) and new (II) oceanic crust .
182 NORTH AMERICAN OPHIOLITES
Washington: Geol. Soc. America Abstracts with Pro- Miyashiro, A., Shido, F., and Ewing, M., 1971, Meta-
grams, v. 2, p. 1D4. morphism in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 24 and
Hopson, C. A., and Frano, C. J., 1973, Jurassic ocea- 30N: Roy. Soc. London Phil. Trans., ser. A, v.
nic crustal sequence at Point Sal, California: EDS 268, p. 589-6D3.
(Am. Geophys. Union Trans.), v. 54, no. 11, p. Molnar, P., Atwater, T., Mammerickx, J., and Smith,
122D. S. M., 1975, Magnetic anomalies, bathymetry and
Hopson, C. A., Frano, C. J., Pessagno, E. A. Jr., and the tectonic evolution of the South Pacific
Mattinson, J.M., 1973, Late Jurassic ophiolite since the Late Cretaceous: Geophys. Jour. Roy.
at Point Sal, Santa Barbara County, California: Astronomical Soc., v. 40, p. 383-420.
Geol. Soc. America Abstracts with Programs, v. 5, Moore, J. G., 1965, Petrology of deep-sea basalt
no. 1, p. 58. near Hawaii: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 263, p. 40-52.
Hopson, C. A., Frano,, C. J., Pessagno, E. A. Jr., Moore, J. G., 197D, Water content of basalt erupted
and Mattinson, J. M., 1975a, Preliminary report on the ocean floor: Contr. Mineral. and Petrol.,
and geologic guide to the Jurassic ophiolite near v. 28, p. 272-279.
Point Sal, southern California coast: Geol. Soc. Moore, J. G., and Schilling, J.-G., 1973, Vesicles,
America Cordilleran Section guidebook to field water, and sulfur in Reykjanes Ridge basalts:
trip no. 5, 36 p. Con tr. Mineral. and Petrol. , v. 41, p. 10 5-118.
Hopson, C. A., Mattinson, J.M., and Pessagno, E. A. Nichols, G., 1977, The seismic structure of the Pt.
Jr., 1975b, Record of Late Jurassic sea-floor Sal ophiolite and its relationship to oceanic
spreading, California Coast Ranges: Geol. Soc. crustal structure: M. A. thesis, Univ. Califor-
America Abstracts with Programs, v. 7, no. 3, nia, Santa Barbara.
p. 326. Page, B. M., 1972, Oceanic crust .and mantle fragment
Irvine, T. N., 197D, Crystallization sequences in the in subduction complex near San Luis Obispo, Cali-
Muskox intrusion and other layered intrusions. I, fornia: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 83, p. 957-
olivine-pyroxene-plagioclase relations: Geol. Soc. 972.
South Africa, Spec. Pub. 1, p. 441-476. Pessagno, E. A. Jr., 1973, Age and geologic signifi-
Jones, D. L., Blake, M. C. Jr., and Rangin, C., 1976, cance of radiolarian cherts in the California
The four Jurassic belts of northern California Coast Ranges: Geology, v. 1, no. 4, p. 153-156.
and their significance to the geology of the Pessagno, E. A. Jr., 1977, Upper Jurassic radiolaria
southern California borderland: Am. Assoc. Petro- and radiolarian biostratigraphy of the California
leum Geologists, Pacific Section, Miscel. Pub. 24, Coast Ranges: Micropaleontology, v. 23, no. 1,
p. 343-362. p. 56-113.
Kempner, W. C., 1977, The magnetic properties of the Pike, J.E.N., 1975, Gabbros with multistage textures
Point Sal ophiolite: a comparison with oceanic in the San Luis Obispo ophiolite: Geol. Soc.
crust: M. A. thesis, Univ. California, Santa America Abstracts with Programs, v. 7, no. 3,
Barbara, 134 p. p. 361.
Kempner, W., Lcyendyk, B., and Cockerham, R., 1976, Ramberg, H., 1963, Experimental study of gravity
Magnetic stratigraphy of the Point Sal ophiolite: tectonics by means of centrifuged models:
EDS (Am. Geophys. Union Trans.), v. 57, no. 5, Uppsata Univ. Bull. Geological Institutions,
p. 4D4. v. 42, p. 1-97.
Kempner, W. C., and Lcyendyk, B. P., 1976, The mag- Sclater, J. G., Anderson, R. N., and Bell, M. L.,
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source of marine magnetic anomalies: EOS (Am. central eastern Pacific: Jour. Geophys. Research,
Geophys. Union Trans.), v. 57, no. 12, p. 1004. v. 76, p. 7888-7915.
Lanphere, M. A., 1971, Age of the Mesozoic oceanic Woodring, W. P., and Bramlette, M. N., 1950, Geology
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MacDonald, K. C., 1977, Near-bottom magnetic anoma- 185 p.
lies, asymmetric spreading, oblique spreading,
and tectonics of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near lat
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Matthews, D. H., 1971, Altered basalts from Swallow
Bank, an abyssal hill in the NE Atlantic, and
from a nearby seamount: Roy. Soc. London Phil.
Trans., ser. A, v. 268, p. 551-571.
Mattinson, J. M., 1977, Emplacement history of the
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p. 1509-1514.
Maxwell, J. C., 1974, Anatomy of an orogen: Geol.
Soc. America Bull., v. 85, p. 1195-1204.
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Geophys. Research, v. 81, p. 4327-4351.
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Menzies, M., Blanchard, D., and Jacobs, J., 1977a,
Rare earth and trace element geochemistry of meta-
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Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters, in press.
Menzies, M., Blanchard, D., Brannon, J., and Korotev,
R, 1977b, Rare earth and trace element geochemist:ry
of a fragment of Jurassic seafloor, Point Sal,
California: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, in press.
PLATFORM
K J L O ME T E R S
OL_~L__~.1__~.1__~..__~
500 ATLANT;c
L E G E ND <FIGURE 1)
!cl
LJ and
Middle Ordovician.to
older Devon~anbo~}~~~u~\ocks
rocks (includes ar
. astic sedimentary rocks de~os1
"t e d upon
in Southern Appalachians).
Ordovician I+ I Mainly granitic intrusions
HUMBER ZONE DUNNAGE ZONE GANDER ZONE AVALON ZONE MEGUMA ZONE
Transporte~ c~m~1exes,
II mainly oph1ol1t1c.
.
llochthons, mainly
~ ~:~~~~~n a to
Middle Ordovician
~sedimentary rocks. Cambrian to Middle O~dovician
P'Yl marine facies volcanic rocks'
l::'.j:::J slates'
cherts' greywackes
and melange.
[I]
Cambrian to Middle Ordovician
carbonate sequence and d .
overlying southeasterly- er1ve
elastic sedimentary rocks.
d
Cambrian to Ordovi~ian
sha les with Atlantic
trilobite faunas g Lower Ordovician
and older grey-
wackes and slates
Pa .
----------------- -------------
Md.
EXPLANATION
Cl
z
CECIL
Western limit of
D
Coastal Plain sedimentary rocks J~I (/)
LiJ
:::!:
(.)
UNCONFORMITY
Del. Glenarm sequence Baltimore Complex sequence Intrusive rock sequence
I
I
\Del . x
Cl) Quartz gabbro and diorite
-
, 0. (.)
INDEX MAP OF COUNTIES / E 0N
0
DI SCUSSED IN TEXT James Run Formation (.)
Cl)
0
LiJ
0 .....J
:E
E Gabbro Granodiorite plutons at: ~
I "'
cc 1. Port Deposit
I 0..
:::J
0
(5 D
Serpentinized peridotite
2 . Ellicott City
3 . Occoquan
\ m
E
Wissahickon Formation
c
Cl)
(3 (including diamictite) z
<t:
0:::
cc
:::!:
<t:
(.)
LiJ
Lower rocks in Glenarm Group 0:::
CL
(including Cockeysville Marble ....----~--
0 10 20 KILOMETERS
\a
0
~
!l g "'"' w
/
GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BALTIMORE COMPLEX Compiled by B. A. Morgan , U.S . Geological Survey , 1977
PLATE II
\'y rh." .,o
l'i0 i48 14r'
i r
Preliminary report on the ophiolites of northern and western Alaska-
Patton, Tailleur, Brosge, and Lanphere
0 G E
G Barrow
A 'N
T I
G
R ,,
,, I f \
B E A u F 0 R T
.... ,
: ...
' 'l
0 50 100 150 ' .,
).1.'~t .t I
KILOM ETERS ..
I
.-1 !
,.J
CHU KCHI
SEA
..
<
~ ,..
,i " .
" ,,l
.( ,.. 't) '41~
/ ?, .. , ..,,,
- ..''s
"--:t[,
----=--
--=--
FAULT
Map number
.
able 2
Age of fossi I
~e c t ion
- ~'
U\O
} II J'.,-:7
. J:> ""'-
119"00' 55' 50' 118"45'
4425' +
+ + + EXPLANATION
8B
x
Q) sd Sheeted dike unit
a.
E d qd Quartz diorite
0
(.)
c: Major deformation
1?c:
:::J gb Gabbro
0 gb
:::2: PY Pyroxene-rich peridotite and pyroxen ite
c:
0
>-
PY ol Olivine-rich peridotite; main host rock of chrom ite deposits
c:
<ti du Dunite-olivine rock free of pyroxene,
u ol du Sp
associated with chromite deposits
sp Serpentin ite-derived from peridotite
c
0
B ~ B'
8000 '
QJ
2500 m
gb sd "'c 2250
0 2 3 4 MILES
7000' Tv
ol 2000
&;~l
6000' du sp P 2 3
1750 0 4 KILOMETERS
5000' p 1500
4000' 1250
3000' 1000
QUADRANGLE LOCATION
750
2000'
PLATE IV
EQUAL AREA STEREO PLOTS
POLES (MYLONITE FO L IAT I ON)
GENERALIZED GEOLOGIC MAP
TI VY MTN SLAB
453 PTS: 1 , 3 , 4,5 , 6i
(PER l 't AREA) OF THE KINGS-KAWEAH
OPHIOLITE BEL TJ SOUTH-
L
I
(MYLONITE LINEATION)
TIVY MTN SLAB
WEST SIERRA NEVADA
207 PTS: 2 , 6 , 10, 15,20%
FOOTHILLS) CALIFORNIA
J. SA LEEBY1 7977
F AXES (FOLDS IN S - L )
1
TIVY MTN SLAB I I 5c::::::m-=::::::m-=~OC:::::km:::::::======i5'========='i
l 0========:::!:15
106 PTS : 1 ,3 , 6.9. 12i
Omi 5 10
F AX I AL SURFACE POLES
1 CALIFORNIA
TI VY MT N SL AB
I ND EX
I OI PTS: 1 , 2,5 , 9 , 15 '.i
MA P
-0
~~~ c ~TN
5
I SLAB "o
198 PTS : 1 , 3 , 6 , 9 , 12 , 1 5 ~ ""'
~ Fran cisco
o~
"-i-
EXPLANATION
PLUTON I C RO CKS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA BA THO LI TH: QUARTZ DIOR I TE, TONAL I TE, DIORITE ,
GABBRO AND GRANOD I OR I TE
~)1-->--
QUARTZIT I C TO SL I GHTLY ARKOSIC AND/OR SLATE AND QUARTZ-MICA SCHIS T
'
VOLCANO GEN I C SANDSTOtlE AND MUDS TONE
PURE AND LOCALLY ARG I LLACEO US RAD I OLAR I AN CHERT WHICH OCCURS AS SEM l -
1NTACT, HIGH L Y DEFOR MED DEPOS I T I ONAL REMNANTS ABOV E SERPENT IN I TE MELANGE
:::::
... ROCK, GABBRO , PYROXENITE, MAF I C TECTONITE ( GREENSCHIST TO AMPHIBOL I TE
FAC I ES ) , AND PURE AND METALLIFEROUS RADIOLARIAN CHERT DISPERSED I N SCHIS-
TOSE SER PEN TINI TE
TEC TONI C BLOCKS OF DEFORMED PURE ANO ME TA L LIFEROUS RAD I OLARIAN CHERT, OP H l-
CALCIT E , GABBRO, WEHRL IT E, HARZBURG I TE, AND DUN I TE DI SPER SED I N SCHISTOSE
SERPENT I N I TE AND DEFORMED DETR IT AL SERPEN T INITE
PR I MARY FEA T URES S3 POLES (SLA TY CLEAV -
AGE I l l EPICLAS TI CS)
CL I NOPYROXENE (+OLIVINE OR HORN- MA F IC HO RNBLENDE HORNFELS , HORN-
AR EA B, 379 PTS:
BLENDE) GABBRO,-PYROXENITE AND LES SER FELSED MYLONIT I C GNEISS AND TREMO-
2 , I 0, 20, 25, 30 %
WEHRL IT E WITH LOCAL CUMULA T E LA YERING LITE - CHLOR I TE (OR ANTIGORITE) HORN-
AND MYLONITE ZONES FELS ; TRENO OF DE FORMATION ZONES
SHOWN BY SLASHES
PLATE V