GSA Annual Meeting, November 5-8, 2001

Paper No. 0
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

OXYGEN ISOTOPE EVIDENCE OF THE PRECAMBRIAN CONTINENTAL MARGIN IN THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN OF UTAH AND NEVADA


KING, E. M., Dept. of Geography-Geology, Illinois State Univ, Normal, IL 61790, VALLEY, J. W., Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1215 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706, STOCKLI, D. F., Dept. of Geology, Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 and WRIGHT, J. E., Dept. of Geology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, emking@ilstu.edu

Igneous zircons from Precambrian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary intrusive bodies of the northern Great Basin preserve the best record of magmatic oxygen isotope ratios. Zircons preserve more consistent d18O values than whole-rock or quartz in samples that may be altered by post magmatic processes. In order to compare the magmatic source of granitic rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to Tertiary, and that experienced variable metamorphism, zircon d18O values are crucial in order to establish tenable comparisons. The magmatic d18O of intrusive rocks in the Great Basin is important for determining the magmatic source and potentially identifying the location of the Precambrian continental margin at depth.

Values of d18O(Zrc) vary systematically in the Great Basin with crustal structure as determined by radiogenic isotopic ratios. Plutons emplaced east of the 87Sr/86Sr(initial)=0.706 isopleth have higher d18O(Zrc) than plutons intruded west of the 0.706 line. Average d18O(Zrc) values east and west of the 0.706 line are bimodal. Cretaceous and Jurassic plutons intruded east of the 0.706 line have, on average, d18O(Zrc) values that are 2‰ higher than plutons west of the 0.706 line. Analyses of d18O(Qtz) and d18O(WR) do not show the bimodal distinction across the 0.706 line.

The difference in d18O across the 0.706 line reflects the involvement of high d18O sedimentary rocks derived from the Precambrian craton in magmas intruded east of the 0.706 line while magmas west of the 0.706 line are dominated by lower d18O rocks derived from volcanic arcs. These data demonstrate the importance of analyzing refractory phases, such as zircon, for regional studies of oxygen isotope ratios investigating the structure of the crust. The correspondence of stable and radiogenic isotopic discontinuities in the Great Basin indicates that the 0.706 line is both a geochronologic and lithologic crustal boundary.