Preliminary investigation of the geology and geochronology of the Precambrian core of the northern Wet Mountains, Colorado

Date

1960-08

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

The Wet Mountain block is an asymmetrical anticlincal structure oriented en echelon with the Colorado Front Range. The Precambrian rocks of the northern Wet Mountains are of diverse texture and composition. Migmatities, granitic gneisses, and granites comprise the western half; the eastern portion is composed of metasediments, meta-igneous rocks, and large bodies of pegmatites. Metamorphism to the highest amphibolite fades is represented in the metasedlments. The age of the metamorphism has been dated at approximately 1.4 billion years. Morphological studies of zircons reveal rounded grains in the metasediments and euhedral and rounded grains In the granitic rocks, indicating a partial replacement origin for the crystallines. Precambrian history of the area thus far indicated is; deposition of diverse sediments, intrusion of igneous plugs, metamorphism to the amphibolite facies, alkali metasomatism, intrusion of granites with associated pegmatites, uplifted peneplanation.

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