Post-Late Jurassic, pre-late Eocene strike-slip faulting in west-central Utah

Two events of strike-slip faulting interpreted to be of Late Mesozoic-Early Tertiary age are recorded in the northern Deep Creek Mountains. These fault systems display principal detachment zones that strike N50W and N84E. Both fault systems are manifested as fault mosaics, locally anastomosing with local duplex formation. They are interpreted to represent first-order structures that operated independently of other strain regimes. A quartz monzonite stock dated 38 Ma displays strong control of the intrusion by the NW-striking faults. That, in addition to cross-cutting relationships between the NW-striking faults and a granodiorite dated 152 Ma place age constraints on the strike-slip faulting. The ENE-striking faults are younger than the NW-striking faults and are interpreted to be older than the quartz monzonite, although this relationship is ambiguous. Strike-separation on the major NW-striking faults is on the order of 3 km. Offsets of similar magnitude or greater are interpreted for the ENE-striking faults, although this remains unquantified. Despite the small area of influence, relatively minor displacements, and broad time frame of occurrence, these faults have some regional significance. If Cretaceous-aged, the strike-slip faults are markedly different than the extensional structures that formed in the internal zone' of the Cordilleran thrust belt. If Tertiary-aged,more » the strike-slip faults represent an age of structure with few documented examples in the eastern Basin and Range.« less