Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico
In the Caborca–Altar area of northwest Sonora, variably deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks crop out in a northwest-southeast–trending belt (El Batamote belt) at least 70 km long. We obtained detrital zircon U-Pb ages from two distinctive components of the belt near Altar, her...
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
2019-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/784 |
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| author | Carl E. Jacobson César Jacques-Ayala Andrew P. Barth Juan Carlos García y Barragán Jane N. Pedrick Joseph L. Wooden |
| author_facet | Carl E. Jacobson César Jacques-Ayala Andrew P. Barth Juan Carlos García y Barragán Jane N. Pedrick Joseph L. Wooden |
| author_sort | Carl E. Jacobson |
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In the Caborca–Altar area of northwest Sonora, variably deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks crop out in a northwest-southeast–trending belt (El Batamote belt) at least 70 km long. We obtained detrital zircon U-Pb ages from two distinctive components of the belt near Altar, here termed the Altar complex and Carnero complex. Zircon ages for metasandstone and metaconglomerate matrix from the Altar complex indicate a Late Cretaceous maximum age of sedimentation, with at least part of the complex no older than 77.5 ± 2.5 (2σ). Pre-Cretaceous detrital zircons in the complex were derived largely from local sources, including Proterozoic basement, the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian miogeocline and the Jurassic arc. The detrital zircon ages and lithologic character of the Altar complex suggest correlation with the Escalante Formation, the uppermost unit of the Upper Cretaceous El Chanate Group. In contrast, one sample from the Carnero complex yielded a Middle Jurassic maximum depositional age and a detrital zircon age distribution like that of the Jurassic eolianites of the North American Cordillera. The Carnero complex may correlate with the Middle Jurassic Rancho San Martín Formation but could also be a metamorphosed equivalent of the Upper Jurassic Cucurpe Formation, Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group, or El Chanate Group derived by recycling of Jurassic erg sandstones. The Late Cretaceous age for the Altar complex protolith contradicts models that relate deposition of the entire El Batamote protolith to a basin formed by oblique slip along the Late Jurassic Mojave-Sonora megashear. Instead, the belt is best explained as an assemblage of Middle Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous formations deformed and locally metamorphosed beneath a northeast-directed Laramide thrust complex. Potassium-argon and 40Ar/39Ar ages confirm previous inferences that deformation of El Batamote belt occurred between the Late Cretaceous and late Eocene. A second phase of deformation, involving low-angle normal faults, occurred during and/or after intrusion of the ~22-21 Ma Rancho Herradura granodiorite.
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| format | Article |
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| issn | 1026-8774 2007-2902 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
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| spelling | doaj-art-5152c91ee01e48b8aa3ba8e7b047c9b12025-08-20T02:22:50ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas1026-87742007-29022019-03-0136110.22201/cgeo.20072902e.2019.1.784Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, MexicoCarl E. Jacobson0César Jacques-Ayala1Andrew P. Barth2Juan Carlos García y Barragán3Jane N. Pedrick4Joseph L. Wooden5Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, 253 Science Hall, 2237 Osborn Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA. Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 207 Merion Science Center, 720 S. Church Street, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA 19355, USA.Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Colosio s/n y Madrid, Apartado Postal 1039, Hermosillo, Son. 83000, Mexico.Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL118, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Colosio s/n y Madrid, Apartado Postal 1039, Hermosillo, Son. 83000, Mexico.Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, 253 Science Hall, 2237 Osborn Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA.U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. In the Caborca–Altar area of northwest Sonora, variably deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks crop out in a northwest-southeast–trending belt (El Batamote belt) at least 70 km long. We obtained detrital zircon U-Pb ages from two distinctive components of the belt near Altar, here termed the Altar complex and Carnero complex. Zircon ages for metasandstone and metaconglomerate matrix from the Altar complex indicate a Late Cretaceous maximum age of sedimentation, with at least part of the complex no older than 77.5 ± 2.5 (2σ). Pre-Cretaceous detrital zircons in the complex were derived largely from local sources, including Proterozoic basement, the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian miogeocline and the Jurassic arc. The detrital zircon ages and lithologic character of the Altar complex suggest correlation with the Escalante Formation, the uppermost unit of the Upper Cretaceous El Chanate Group. In contrast, one sample from the Carnero complex yielded a Middle Jurassic maximum depositional age and a detrital zircon age distribution like that of the Jurassic eolianites of the North American Cordillera. The Carnero complex may correlate with the Middle Jurassic Rancho San Martín Formation but could also be a metamorphosed equivalent of the Upper Jurassic Cucurpe Formation, Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group, or El Chanate Group derived by recycling of Jurassic erg sandstones. The Late Cretaceous age for the Altar complex protolith contradicts models that relate deposition of the entire El Batamote protolith to a basin formed by oblique slip along the Late Jurassic Mojave-Sonora megashear. Instead, the belt is best explained as an assemblage of Middle Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous formations deformed and locally metamorphosed beneath a northeast-directed Laramide thrust complex. Potassium-argon and 40Ar/39Ar ages confirm previous inferences that deformation of El Batamote belt occurred between the Late Cretaceous and late Eocene. A second phase of deformation, involving low-angle normal faults, occurred during and/or after intrusion of the ~22-21 Ma Rancho Herradura granodiorite. https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/784Altar complexCarnero complexEl Batamote beltEl Chanate GroupMojave-Sonora megashearLaramide orogeny |
| spellingShingle | Carl E. Jacobson César Jacques-Ayala Andrew P. Barth Juan Carlos García y Barragán Jane N. Pedrick Joseph L. Wooden Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas Altar complex Carnero complex El Batamote belt El Chanate Group Mojave-Sonora megashear Laramide orogeny |
| title | Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico |
| title_full | Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico |
| title_short | Protolith age of the Altar and Carnero complexes and latest Cretaceous–Miocene deformation in the Caborca–Altar region of northwestern Sonora, Mexico |
| title_sort | protolith age of the altar and carnero complexes and latest cretaceous miocene deformation in the caborca altar region of northwestern sonora mexico |
| topic | Altar complex Carnero complex El Batamote belt El Chanate Group Mojave-Sonora megashear Laramide orogeny |
| url | https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/784 |
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