Structural Style of East Flank of Bighorn Mountains, Johnson and Sheridan Counties, Wyoming: ABSTRACT

Abstract

The 70 mi-long portion of the east flank of the Bighorn Mountains, between Sheridan and Mayoworth, Wyoming, is structurally divisible into three distinct segments - northern, central, and southern - each distinguished by a dominant sense of vergence and structural style. The northern segment displays southwest-verging reverse faults and associated folds, indicating tectonic transport out of the Powder River basin and onto the mountain flank. The central segment displays northeast and east-northeast-verging reverse faults and associated folds, indicating tectonic transport of the mountain flank over the Powder River basin. Seismic and drill-hole data indicate most of these reverse faults dip to the southwest and west-southwest at angles of 35{degree} or less. The southern segment displays west-southwest-verging reverse faults and associated folds, again indicating tectonic transport out of the Powder River basin and onto the mountain flank. All major structures identified within the area of investigation are basement involved, and the geometry of the rocks supports the concept that the mountain flank deformed under the influence of northeast-southwest-directed horizontal compression rather than vertically oriented block uplift.