Role of the Melones Fault Zone in the Structural Chronology of the North Yuba River Area, Western Sierra Nevada, California

Abstract

Research Article| March 01, 1979 Role of the Melones Fault Zone in the Structural Chronology of the North Yuba River Area, Western Sierra Nevada, California S. E. Cebull; S. E. Cebull 1Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L. R. Russell L. R. Russell 2Shell Development Company, Bellaire Research Center, P.O. Box 481, Houston, Texas 77001 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1979) 90 (3_Part_II): 528–544. https://doi.org/10.1130/GSAB-P2-90-528 Article history received: 07 May 1978 rev-recd: 02 Nov 1978 accepted: 14 Nov 1978 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation S. E. Cebull, L. R. Russell; Role of the Melones Fault Zone in the Structural Chronology of the North Yuba River Area, Western Sierra Nevada, California. GSA Bulletin 1979;; 90 (3_Part_II): 528–544. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/GSAB-P2-90-528 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract INTRODUCTIONThe Melones fault zone is the easternmosi major element of the Foothills Fault system (Clark, 1960, 1964) of the Western Sierra Nevada metamorphic belt, California. In the southern part of the belt, it commonly separates. Mesozoic rocks on the west from Paleozoic rocks on the east, but to the north, the fault is bounded on both sides largely by Paleozoic rocks. Accordingly, E. M. Moores considers the northern segment to be significantly older than that farther south (Schweickert and Cowan, 1975). Sense of displacement along the zone is uncertain, as is the role of the fault in the tectonic evolution of the belt. For example, the zone has been interpreted as being both of possible dip-slip origin (Knopf, 1929; Russell and Cebull, 1914) and strike-slip origin (Chandra, 1953; Clark, 1960; Baird 1962). Probably, movement was complex and includes both components of displacement (Cebull, 1972), which may be related either to a single oblique-slip motion or to changes of sense with time. Recently, the Melones fault has been interpreted in terms of regional plate-tectobics models. Schweickert and Cowan (1974, 1975) depict the Melones, with some of the other Foothills faults, as sutures between collided arcs. At one place along the Melones fault zone, along the north fork of the Yuba River west of Downieville (Fig. 1), Schweickert (1976) reports lawsonite blueschist and cites such rocks as supporting the proposal that the zone is one of suturing “between diverse terranes juxtaposed by subduction” (p. 409). According to Schweickert and Cowan (1975), the rock succession along the North Yuba River, from Downieville westward for about 30 km, is a melange. If this is correct, the Melones fault zone there represents only the easternmost portion of the melange succession (see Figure 1 of Schweickert and Cowan, (1975) This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.