Geologic map of southern Panamint Valley, southern Panamint Range, and central Slate Range, California, USA

Abstract

Abstract This detailed geologic map and supplemental digital data set1 examine and demonstrate the complex deformational history and reactivation relationships of the southern Panamint Valley area (California, USA), from active transtension of the Walker Lane belt, Miocene extension of the Basin and Range, multiple Mesozoic events related to subduction, and Neoproterozoic extension. This collection of map data focuses on the geometry, kinematics, and relative timing of deformation to understand the deformation history and effects of structural reactivation. Andrew and Walker (2009) used these geologic mapping data to palinspastically restore the Fish Canyon area of the Slate Range to overlapping the western Panamint Range at Goler Wash. Neogene extension and subsequent dextral transtension has created a complex network of faults via partial reactivation of Mesozoic and Neoproterozoic structures and has separated the Slate Range from the Panamint Range. The Neogene fault system changes from south to north from dextral strike-slip along the southern Panamint Valley fault to oblique normal slip along the Emigrant fault at a triple junction with the sinistral-oblique normal Manly Pass fault. The Mesozoic deformation history is different in the two ranges across Panamint Valley. The Slate Range was the hanging wall to Jurassic and Cretaceous contractional deformation; this same deformation in the Panamint Range to the east was localized along the western range flank with the majority of the Panamint Range thus being in the footwall to Mesozoic contraction. The western Panamint Range preserves migmatitic fabrics and deformation due to Jurassic contraction and plutonism. The Goldbug fault, along the western Panamint Range, places Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic rocks over Neoproterozoic to Cretaceous rocks. Jurassic contraction has top-to-the-northeast relative transport and the more discrete Cretaceous thrust faulting in the Panamint Range has top-to-the-east transport. The Butte Valley fault, previously recognized farther north of the map area in the Panamint Range, cuts Late Jurassic rocks and structures. Neoproterozoic to Cambrian sedimentary rocks with top-to-the-northeast contractional deformation occur as relative down-dropped block exposed east of the Butte Valley fault. The Butte Valley fault continues southward and is then deflected by Late Cretaceous thrust faulting on the Goldbug fault. Neoproterozoic deformation is more difficult to discern but is hypothesized to relate to abundant olistostromes mapped within the Kingston Peak Formation in the Panamint Range (i.e., Prave, 1999). This detailed geologic mapping and collection of structural data for the rocks in the southern Panamint Valley area were created using digital in-the-field geographic information systems software running on a field-hardened laptop computer. This map is a simplification of detailed geologic mapping data collected at 1:6000 scales and reduced to 1:20000 scale. Structural data includes kinematic and relative timing of deformation information.