Holocene glaciation of the central Sierra Nevada,California

Sediment cores from two bedrock-dammed lakes in North Fork Big Pine Creek, Sierra Nevada, California, preserve the most detailed and complete record of Holocene glaciation yet recovered in the region. The lakes are fed by outwash from the Palisade Glacier, the largest (～1.3 km²) and presumably longest-lived glacier in the range, and capture essentially all of the rock flour it produces. Distinct late-Holocene (Matthes) and late-Pleistocene (Recess Peak) moraines lie between the modern glacier and the lakes. The lakes have therefore received continuous sedimentation from the basin since the retreat of the Tioga glacier (Last Glacial Maximum) and capture rock flour related to all post-LGM advances. A total of eight long cores (up to 5.5 m sediment depth) and one short surface sediment short core preserve a coherent record of fluctuating rock flour flux to the lakes through the Holocene. Age constraints on rock flour spikes in First and Second lakes based on 31 14C-dated macrofossils indicate Holocene glaciation began ～3200 cal yr B P, followed by a possible glacier maximum at ～2800 cal yr B P and four distinct glacier maxima at ～2200, ～1600, ～700 and ～250-170 cal yr. B.P., the most recent maximum being the largest.Reconstruction of the equilibrium-line altitudes (ELA) associated with each distinct advance recorded in the moraines (Recess Peak, Matthes, and modern) indicates ELA depressions (relative to modern) of ～250 m and 90 m for Recess Peak and Matthes advances, respectively. These differences represent decreases in summer temperatures of 1.7–2.8 °C (Recess Peak) and 0.2–2° (Matthes), and increases in winter precipitation of 22-34 cm snow water equivalent (s.w.e.) (Recess Peak) and 3-26 cm s.w.e. (Matthes) compared to modern conditions. Although small, these changes are significant and similar to those noted in the Cascade Range to the north, and represent a significant departure from historical climate trends in the region.     

Biotites from Granitic Rocks of the Central Sierra Nevada Batholith, California

Biotites from plutonic recks of the central Sierra Nevada andInyo Mountains, California, have been examined and characterizedby powder X-ray diffraction and optical and chemical methods. Compositions of the biotites define a trend in the compositionaltriangle Fe+3 Fe+2Mg. When related to the experimentally studiedternary system KFe₃+3AlSisO₁₂H-₁-KFe₃+2 AlSi₃O₁₀(OH)₂-KMg₃AlSi₃O₁₀(OH)₂and coupled with the estimated positions of biotite solid solutionsfor different oxygen buffers, the trend suggests that oxygenfugacities in magmas during biotite crystallization were slightlyhigher than those defined by the Ni-NiO buffer. The compositionaldata also suggest that magmas were ‘buffered’ withrespect to oxygen by oxides existing within the magmas themselves. Correlation between the Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratio, an inferred temperatureindicator, and other elements is generally poor, which suggeststhat factors other than temperature at the time of crystallizationexerted an important influence on compositions.     

Hornblendes from Granitic Rocks of the Central Sierra Nevada Batholith, California

Twenty samples of hornblendes from rocks of 14 plutonic unitsin the central Sierra Nevada and Inyo Mountains, California,have been studied in detail. Optical, density, single-crystaland powder X-ray diffraction, and major and minor element chemicaldata are reported. The compositions of the hornblendes show only limited correlationwith the chemistry of the rocks in which they occurred. Hornblendesfrom granitic rocks of the eastern Sierra Nevada and Inyo Mountainshave a wide range of tetrahedral aluminum content which is oftenas low as three-quarters of an atom per formula unit, whereashornblendes from younger granitic rocks elsewhere in the SierraNevada batholith contain more than one atom of tetrahedral aluminumper formula unit. Because an increase of aluminum in tetrahedralco-ordination is considered indicative of higher temperaturesof crystallization, the observed differences in the hornblendessuggest that older plutonic rocks of the batholith may havebeen metamorphosed regionally or may have been affected by widespreadhydrothermal action prior to consolidation of later graniticrocks.     

Late Pleistocene Glaciations in the Northwestern Sierra Nevada, California

Pleistocene fluvial landforms and riparian ecosystems in central California responded to climate changes in the Sierra Nevada, yet the glacial history of the western Sierra remains largely unknown. Three glacial stages in the northwestern Sierra Nevada are documented by field mapping and cosmogenic radionuclide surface-exposure (CRSE) ages. Two CRSE ages of erratic boulders on an isolated till above Bear Valley provide a limiting minimum age of 76,400±3800 ¹⁰Be yr. Another boulder age provides a limiting minimum age of 48,800±3200 ¹⁰Be yr for a broad-crested moraine ridge within Bear Valley. Three CRSE ages producing an average age of 18,600±1180 yr were drawn from two boulders near a sharp-crested bouldery lateral moraine that represents an extensive Tioga glaciation in Bear Valley. Nine CRSE ages from striated bedrock along a steep valley transect average 14,100±1500 yr and suggest rapid late-glacial ice retreat from lower Fordyce Canyon with no subsequent extensive glaciations. These ages are generally consistent with glacial and pluvial records in east-central California and Nevada.     

Concerning KAr dating of a basalt flow from the Tahoe-Tioga interglaciation,Sawmill Canyon,southeastern Sierra Nevada,California

New KAr ages for a basalt flow interbedded with Tahoe and Tioga tills in Sawmill Canyon, southeastern Sierra Nevada, slightly refine previously published ages for the flow and provide an estimate of 53,000 ± 44,000 yr for the Tahoe-Tioga interglaciation.     

The Genesis of Zoned Skarns in the Sierra Nevada, California

Zoned skarns occur at plutonic-metamorphic contacts, in veinscutting marble, and at contacts between marble and interlayeredamphibolite and biotite-rich rocks. For P = 2 kb, fluid inclusionsand P-T-X_CO2 stability relations of calc-silicate assemblagessuggest T< 650 °C and a H₂O-rich fluid (X_CO2 < 0.1).Small-scale, Ca-rich endoskarns are common near exoskarns. Massbalance calculations suggest that: (a) the formation of exoskarnrequires the influx of solute in an aqueous solution from uncontaminatedmagma in addition to material derived from the endoskarn, (b)some ‘limestone assimilation’ is required to formendoskarns, and (c) skarn formation was essentially a constant-volumeprocess. Applying chromatographic theory, compositional profilesof garnet and pyroxene across zoned skarns suggest that infiltrationmetasomatism was an important process, although diffusion metasomatismappears to have produced local compositional gradients at theinfiltration ‘fronts’. Fluid flow calculations showthat thick exoskarns could readily form by intergranular infiltration of aqueous solutions. Reciprocal diffusional exchangeis suggested as a dominant mechanism in the formation of zonedskarns formed at contacts between interlayered metamorphic lithologies.     

Studies of batholithic feldspars: Sierra Nevada,California

Co-existing plagioclase and alkali feldspars of the Sierra Nevada granites and plagioclases of the mafic inclusions have been analysed using an ARL EMX electron microprobe analyser. Each Sierran rock type contains co-existing feldspar pairs within specific compositional ranges. Core plagioclase compositions of the mafic inclusions are only slightly higher or lower in anorthite than the host rock plagioclases and cluster between An30 and An40. The chemical inhomogeneity of the Sierran potash feldspars and this effect on the Barth k value prohibits the use of the feldspars as geothermometers for these particular rocks. Results of the electron microprobe, x-ray, and petrographic study and the experimental hydrothermal investigation of the granites suggest but do not prove that both the plagioclase composition and the mafic inclusion mineralogy can be explained in terms of a model which considers the inclusions to be the refractory residue left over from the partial melting of crustal material.Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.     

Repeated parallel deformation in part of the eastern Sierra Nevada,California and its implications for dating structural events

Study of a thick section of late Paleozoic to mid-Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanogenic rocks in eastcentral Sierra Nevada has revealed an involved structural succession not readily apparent when analysed under the traditional assumptions of structural analysis (e.g. parallel structures are of the same age).Earliest structures in the area occur as sparse folds in late Paleozoic rocks, whereas in Triassic to mid-Cretaceous rocks earliest structures occur as penecontemporaneous slumps. Upon these earliest structures are superimposed slaty cleavage with associated lineations and subsequent crenulations. The slaty cleavage across the area is statistically parallel, as are the axial planes of crenulations which fold the slaty cleavage. Such a succession would traditionally be interpreted as representing two periods of deformation, the first forming the slaty cleavage and the second the crenulation of the slaty cleavage. There is evidence, however, to indicate that the slaty cleavage itself was formed during more than one period of deformation and the same may be true for the crenulations. Dykes emplaced in Jurassic rocks have been dated (U/Pb) as mid-Cretaceous and lie parallel to what is probably an early slaty cleavage direction. The dykes, however, also bear a slaty cleavage, albeit weaker than in the host rock. In addition, quantitative strain determinations of rocks in the area show that the older units are more strongly deformed than the younger units. These and other data suggest that the statistically parallel slaty cleavage and related structures (folds, lineations, etc.) found in the Jurassic and older rocks have formed during at least two, and possibly three, increments of strain, each increment separated by a lengthy period of geologic time, possibly as much as 45 Ma or more. Crenulations of the slaty cleavage at any point (subsequently formed after each period of slaty cleavage formation) may even predate slaty cleavage formed later at another nearby point.While it is possible to set up a chronology between earlier (tectonic and/or penecontemporaneous slumps) and later structures (slaty cleavage, folds, lineations, etc.), it is not valid to designate for the entire area a relative time sequence of formation of slaty cleavage and crenulations in the Jurassic or older rocks by the usual methods (e.g. S₂, S₃, F₂, F₃, etc.). These later structures can only be designated as Only in the youngest stratigraphic unit in the area, which has been subjected to one deformation (mid-Cretaceous), can a valid structural succession be applied areally.We suggest that multiphase, parallel structures, comparable to those we have described, may be a relatively common phenomenon in orogenic belts. Until one arrives at a thorough understanding of the detailed stratigraphy and the absolute ages of units in key relationships to the structures, it may only be possible to delineate the broadest of time sequences for the structures concerned.     

基于10Be暴露年代的北美洲晚第四纪冰川演化序列研究

对北美洲晚第四纪冰川¹⁰Be暴露年代进行汇编与聚集程度置信等级划分,构建了北美洲各区域的冰川演化序列,并进一步对比和分析了冰川演化序列对高分辨率气候事件的响应情况,使用较好和中等聚集程度的暴露年代漂砾组对北美洲各区域进行冰期划分。结果表明：北美洲冰川序列横跨6个深海氧同位素阶段（marine isotope stage,MIS）,保守估计至少在MIS 6/5、MIS 4/3、MIS 2时期出现了规模性冰进,其记录可信区间为约150 ka至今。末次冰盛期（Last Glacial Maximum,LGM）之前的冰川演化存在区域性,这可能与劳伦泰德冰盖的大气效应存在一定的相关性。LGM的冰川达到最大范围的时间不同步,揭示了不同地区冰川演化的影响因素不尽相同。LGM以来的冰川作用对于高分辨率气候事件,如海因里希事件1（Heinrich Stadial 1,HS1）、B-A事件（B?lling-Aller?d,B-A）、新仙女木事件（Younger Dryas,YD）的响应存在同步性。对于全新世更高分辨率的邦德事件（Bond）,北美洲的冰川¹⁰Be暴露年代同样具有很好的对应关系。     

Deglaciation and landscape history around Annapurna,Nepal, based on 10Be surface exposure dating

The High Himalaya is a key area for tectonic, geomorphological and climate studies, because of its extreme relief and location at the transition zone between areas with abundant monsoonal precipitation and the arid/semiarid Tibetan Plateau. We present ¹⁰Be surface exposure ages on 22 boulders from the Annapurna area in Nepal. The ages improve understanding of the Late Quaternary landscape history and the geomorphological processes operating in this part of the Himalaya.Although our study is reconnaissance in nature, it highlights the importance of catastrophic events, such as landslides and debris flows, for denudation of high mountains. Holocene exposure ages for the Dhampu–Chooya landslide (～4.1 ± 0.6 ka) and for 600 m of alluviation in Kali Gandaki Valley (～2.1 ± 0.6 ka), for example, indicate the frequent occurrence and extent of catastrophic events and their implications for natural hazards. We also offer an explanation for the differences in Late Quaternary glacial chronologies at closely spaced study sites in the Nepal Himalaya. Topographically controlled and spatially variable precipitation in the Himalaya determines the sensitivity of glaciers to changes in temperature and precipitation. Accordingly, some glaciers advanced in-phase with Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, whereas others reached their maximum extent at times of increased monsoonal precipitation during Marine Isotope Stage 3 and the early Holocene.     

Contact Metamorphosed Ultramafic Rocks in the Western Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

Within the western Sierra Nevada metamorphic belt, linear bodiesof alpine-type ultramafic rock, now composed largely of serpentineminerals, parallel the regional strike and commonly coincidewith major fault zones. Within this metamorphic belt, east ofSacramento, California, ultramafic rocks near a large maficintrusion, the Pine Hill Intrusive Complex, have been emplacedduring at least two separate episodes. Those ultramafic rocks,evidently unaffected by the Pine Hill Intrusive Complex andcomposed largely of serpentine minerals, were emplaced alonga major fault zone after emplacement of the Pine Hill IntrusiveComplex. Those ultramafic rocks, contact metamorphosed by thePine Hill Intrusive Complex, show a zonation of mineral assemblagesas the igneous contact is approached: olivine+antigorite+chlorite+tremolite+Fe-Cr spinel olivine+talc+chlorite+tremolite+Fe-Crspinel olivine+anthophyllite+chlorite+tremolite+Fe-Cr spinel olivine+orthopyroxene+aluminous spinel+hornblende+Fe-Cr spinel.Superimposed on these mineral assemblages are abundant secondaryminerals (serpentine minerals, talc, chlorite, magnetite) whichformed after contact metamorphism. Correlation of observed mineralassemblages with the experimental systems, MgO-SiO₂-H₂O andMgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O suggests an initial contact temperature of775±25 °C for the Pine Hill Intrusive Complex assumingPtotal P_fluid PH₂O. The pressure acting on the metamorphic rockduring emplacement of the intrusion is estimated to be a minimumof 1.5 kb.     

Late Pleistocene vegetation of Kings Canyon,Sierra Nevada,California

Seven packrat midden samples make possible a comparison between the modern and late Pleistocene vegetation in Kings Canyon on the western side of the southern Sierra Nevada. One modern sample contains macrofossils and pollen derived from the present-day oak-chaparral vegetation. Macrofossils from the six late Pleistocene samples record a mixed coniferous forest dominated by the xerophytic conifers Juniperus occidentalis, Pinus cf. ponderosa, and P. monophylla. The pollen spectra of these Pleistocene middens are dominated by Pinus sp., Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae (TCT), and Artemisia sp. Mesophytic conifers are represented by low macrofossil concentrations. Sequoiadendron giganteum is represented by a few pollen grains in the full glacial. Edaphic control and snow dispersal are the most likely causes of these mixed assemblages.The dominant macrofossils record a more xeric plant community than those that now occur on similar substrates at higher elevations or latitudes in the Sierra Nevada. These assemblages suggest that late Wisconsin climates were cold with mean annual precipitation not necessarily greater than modern values. This conclusion supports a model of low summer ablation allowing for the persistence of the glaciers at higher elevations during the late Wisconsin. The records in these middens also suggest that S. giganteum grew at lower elevations along the western side of the range and that P. monophylla was more widely distributed in cismontane California during the Pleistocene.     

Isotopic variation in the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite,central Sierra Nevada,California

Granitoid rocks of the compositionally zoned Late Cretaceous Toulumne Intrusive Suite in the central Sierra Nevada, California, have initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (Sri) and¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values (Ndi) that vary from 0.7057 to 0.7067 and from 0.51239 to 0.51211 respectively. The observed variation of both Sri and Ndi and of chemical composition in rocks of the suite cannot be due to crystal fractionation of magma solely under closed system conditons. The largest variation in chemistry, Ndi, and Sri is present in the outer-most equigranular units of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite. Sri varies positively with SiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O, and Rb concentrations, and negatively with Ndi, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, FeO, CaO, MnO, P₂O₅, TiO₂, and Sr concentrations. This covariation of Sri, Ndi and chemistry can be modeled by a process of simple mixing of basaltic and granitic magmas having weight percent SiO₂ of 48.0 and 73.3 respectively. Isotopic characteristic of the mafic magma are Sri=0.7047, Ndi=0.51269 and ¹⁸O=6.0, and of the felsic magma are Sri=0.7068, Ndi=0.51212 and ¹⁸O=8.9. The rocks sampled contain from 50 to 80% of the felsic component. An aplite in the outer equigranular unit of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite apparently was derived by fractional crystallization of plagioclase and hornblende from magma with granudiorite composition that was a product of mixing of the magmas described above. Siliceous magmas derived from the lower crust, having a maximum of 15 percent mantle-derived mafic component, are represented by the inner prophyritic units of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite.     

Microgranitoid enclave swarms in granitic plutons, central Sierra Nevada, California

Microgranitoid enclaves are common in granitic plutons worldwide, occurring individually and in homogeneous or heterogeneous swarms. Three plutons in the central Sierra Nevada batholith contain swarms with mostly heterogeneous suites of enclaves in the intermediate composition range, and occur in a number of two-dimensional shapes, specifically as dikes, small rafts, lenses, pipe/vortices and large massive shapes. Swarms are characterized by various features, including the nature of their boundary with the host, their planar or non-planar character, internal geometry, density of enclave packing, presence or absence of schlieren and crystal aggregates, and axial ratios and degree of preferred alignment of enclaves. We propose that heterogeneous enclave swarms form by one, or some combination of, the following mechanisms: (1) velocity-gradient sorting parallel or normal to the flow, (2) gravitational sorting or (3) break-up of heterogeneous dikes. Common sites where enclave swarms form include pluton margins or internal viscosity walls, within fractures, and near the pluton roof.     

A late Quaternary chironomid-inferred temperature record from the Sierra Nevada, California, with connections to northeast Pacific sea surface temperatures

Chironomid remains from a mid-elevation lake in the Sierra Nevada, California, were used to estimate quantitative summer surface water temperatures during the past ∼15,000 yr. Reconstructed temperatures increased by ∼3°C between lake initiation and the onset of the Holocene at ∼10,600 cal yr BP (calibrated years before present). Temperatures peaked at 6500 cal yr BP, displayed high variability from 6500 to 3500 cal yr BP, and stabilized after 3500 cal yr BP. This record generally tracks reconstructed Santa Barbara Basin sea surface temperatures (SSTs) through much of the Holocene, highlighting the correspondence between SST variability and California land temperatures during this interval.     

Holocene environmental change resets lichen surface dates on Recess Peak glacial deposits in the Sierra Nevada,California

Development of an accurate chronology for glacial deposits in the Sierra Nevada has long been problematic given the lack of suitable organic material for radiocarbon dating. Lichenometry initially appeared promising as ages showed an increase from cirque headwalls to down-canyon moraines. However, while Recess Peak lichen age estimates range from 2 to 3 ka, recent work shows these deposits to be at least 10 ka older. Here, we present evidence for a late Holocene reset of Recess Peak lichen ages by significant post-depositional climate change. Following late-Pleistocene deposition of Recess Peak moraines, warming through the mid-Holocene allowed forests to advance into shallow basins eliminating local inverted tree lines. This produced a partial canopy where shading killed the original post-Pleistocene crustose lichen colonies. Late-Holocene cooling resulted in forest retreat from these basins as alpine tree line fell. Lichens then recolonized the re-exposed Recess Peak deposits. We conclude that while Recess Peak lichen ages are accurate to within the dating uncertainty of the technique, existing lichen ages actually date the timing of post-mid-Holocene cooling and recolonization, and not the original emplacement of these deposits. Thus, applications of Lichenometry should consider post-depositional environmental change when interpreting the meaning of these dates.     

10Be surface exposure dating reveals unexpected high deformation rates in the central Andean wedge interior

Understanding deformation associated with active thrust wedges is essential to evaluate seismic hazards. In this study, we investigate the spatial distribution, timing, and rates of deformation across the central Andean backarc of Argentina, where deformation and shortening have been assumed to occur within a narrow wedge‐front zone. The combined results of our geomorphic mapping, topographic surveying, and ¹⁰Be exposure dating demonstrate that fault activity related to the growth of the Andean orogenic wedge is not only limited to a narrow thrust front zone but also occurs in the Andean wedge interior. There, internal structures with deformation rates of ca. 1.3 mm/year have been active during the last ~140 ka. Widely distributed deformation implies that seismic hazards may have been underestimated in the internal part of the Andean orogen.     

Palynological evidence for early Holocene aridity in the southern Sierra Nevada, California

Sediments of Balsam Meadow have produced a 11,000-yr pollen record from the southern Sierra Nevada of California. The Balsam Meadow diagram is divided into three zones. (1) The Artemisia zone (11,000–7000 yr B.P.) is characterized by percentages of sagebrush (Artemisia) and other nonarboreal pollen higher than can be found in the modern local vegetation. Vegetation during this interval was probably similar to the modern vegetation on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada and the climate was drier than that of today. (2) Pinus pollen exceeded 80% from 7000 to 3000 yr B.P. in the Pinus zone. The climate was moister than during the Artemisia zone. (3) Fir (Abies, Cupressaceae, and oak (Quercus) percentages increased after 3000 yr B.P. in the Abies zone as the modern vegetation at the site developed and the present cool-moist climatic regime was established. Decreased fire frequency after 1200 yr B.P. is reflected in decreased abundance of macroscopic charcoal and increased concentration of Abies magnifica and Pinus murrayana needles.     

Fabric studies within the Cascade Lake shear zone, Sierra Nevada, California

The Cascade Lake shear zone occurs on the eastern margin of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite, Sierra Nevada Batholith, California. Foliation in the zone is NNW trending and subvertical, and lineation is moderately south plunging. Deformation is syn-tectonic with emplacement of the Cathedral Peak granodiorite. A deformation gradient exists toward the NE margin of this pluton, with higher strains and lower temperatures of deformation found near the contact. We compare fabric data collected very densely in this shear zone using several techniques: field fabrics, 3D orientation of K-feldspar megacrysts, and AMS (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility) analysis. In general, the results from the three different methods are in agreement. Deformation in this shear zone is part of a larger pattern of deformation within the Cathedral Peak granodiorite, as recorded by AMS analysis, and dextral shearing associated within the last stage of plutonism within the Sierra Nevada magmatic arc.     

Metamorphism of Calcareous Rocks in Three Roof Pendants in the Sierra Nevada, California

Two roof pendants in the Hope Valley area, Alpine County, containabundant calc-silicate assemblages which can be related to univariantor invariant equilibria in the CaO-Al₃O₃-SiO₂-H₂O-CO₂ system.Such assemblages are considered to represent components of reactionsthat buffered the chemistry of the pore fluid. Through dataobtained from microprobe analysis it is concluded that solidsolution in plagioclase, garnet, and clinozoisite are importantvariables such that on a TXco₂ projection each sample had aunique path during metamorphism. Differences in the plagioclasecomposition of nearby samples with assemblages related by thereaction: grossularite_(s.s)+quartz = anorthite_(s.s.)+wollastonite, suggest unique equilibration temperatures for assemblages inlocal domains. In the Twin Lakes pendant in Fresno County, thereaction: clinohumite+calcite+CO₂= 4forsterite+dolomite+H₂O, is importantin magnesian marbles. Contrasting parageneses, which are relatedby this equilibrium, are considered to reflect variations influid composition. Constrasting assemblages in calc-silicaterocks, which are linked by the reactions: calcite+quartz= wollastonite+CO₂, tremolite+calcite= dolomite+diopside+CO₂+H₂O, exist down to the scale of a thin section. Variation in Ti contentof idocrase may be an important factor in assemblages linkedby reactions involving this phase. This study suggests that during contact metamorphism of calcareousrocks in the Sierra Nevada, H₂O and CO₂ behaved as ‘initialvalue components’ (Zen, 1963) whose activities were controlledby reactions withion local systems.