Large‐magnitude miocene extension in the central Mojave Desert: Implications for Paleozoic to Tertiary paleogeography and tectonics

Abstract

The main Cenozoic extensional structure in the central Mojave Desert is the Waterman Hills detachment fault, which places brittlely deformed synorogenic Miocene rocks on ductilely and cataclastically deformed footwall rocks. New data are presented regarding the timing, distribution, magnitude, and significance of early Miocene extension in the area. The mylonitic fabric in the lower plate was formed at 23 Ma, based on a zircon U/Pb age from a synmylonitic intrusion. Upper plate strata consist of rhyolite flows overlain by sedimentary rocks that were apparently deposited during extensional faulting. These strata were tilted, folded, and intruded by synkinematic rhyolite plugs that are cut off at the detachment fault. Potassium metasomatism of the rhyolitic rocks is pervasive. Upper plate detrital sediment was derived from the rhyolitic rocks and from metamorphic and plutonic basement rocks not present in the area. The probable source of the exotic basement clasts is the Alvord Mountain area, presently located 35 km east‐northeast of the Waterman Hills area. This source was probably much nearer to the Waterman Hills during deposition of the synorogenic deposits and has been subsequently shifted by extensional deformation. Distinctive Mesozoic plutonic rocks provide a possible tie between upper and lower plate rocks. Similar poikilitic gabbro bodies in the Goldstone area and the Iron Mountains suggest slip on the Waterman Hills detachment fault to be about 40–50 km. This is also consistent with other offset markers, such as the western edge of a Mesozoic dike swarm. When 15–20 km(?) of Tertiary extension is restored, Paleozoic eugeoclinal rocks are placed structurally above their miogeoclinal counterparts. Combined with the distribution of Triassic and Jurassic rocks, this implies post‐Early Triassic and pre‐Late Jurassic stacking of these lithologies.