Tectonic implications of magnetic fabrics and remanence in the Cooper Mountain pluton, North Cascade Mountains, Washington

Abstract

Documenting the timing and kinematics of deformation in orogens is critical to unraveling their history. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility defines the orientation of magnetic fabrics in the Eocene Cooper Mountain pluton in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington. The magnetic foliation typically has a steep dip and a northwest strike; the magnetic lineation plunges moderately to shallowly northwest or southeast. The remanent magnetization was measured to determine if the Cooper Mountain pluton has been tilted following emplacement. The remanence has two components. The characteristic remanence typically unblocks at 370 °C in most specimens, but at 580 °C in others. The two components are carried by pyrrhotite and magnetite. Mean directions of these components are indistinguishable from each other and from the North American expected Eocene direction. The paleomagnetic results and ~ 47 Ma 40Ar–39Ar total fusion ages from biotite suggest that there has been no remagnetization or significant reorientation of the pluton since emplacement. Therefore, the in situ magnetic fabrics from the pluton can be used to understand the kinematics. Discordance of the fabrics with the pluton margin and near concordance with regional structures suggests that they have a tectonic origin. Thus the Cooper Mountain pluton is syntectonic rather than posttectonic. The magmatic fabric is slightly oblique to the length of the Cascade orogen, which can be explained if it formed as a consequence of regional dextral shear during transpression.