Abstract
Numerous distinct geological terranes compose the North American Cordillera1; there may be as many as 50 terranes in California alone2. Critical to deciphering the history of Cordilleran tectonic assembly is an understanding of the displacement history of individual terranes. It is therefore important to know: (1) whether a terrane has undergone significant motion with respect to the stable craton (that is, whether it is allochthonous or exotic); (2) if so, when relative motion started and stopped; (3) from where an individual terrane originated; and (4) the nature of interterrane movements. We consider here the problem of determining whether the now-juxtaposed Salinian and Stanley Mountain terranes of California became amalgamated at or near their present position with respect to cratonic North America, or if they collided at a considerable distance from their present positions and were later accreted to North America as a composite package. The palaeomagnetic data that we present indicate that the latter was the case.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coney, P. J., Jones, D. L. & Monger, J. W. H. Nature 288, 329–331 (1980).
Blake, M. C., Howell, D. G. & Jones, D. L. U.S. geol. Surv. Open File Map Ser. (in the press).
Page, B. M. in The Geotectonic Development of California (ed. Ernst, W. G.) (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981).
Howell, D. G. et al. in Soc. Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, (Pacific Sec.), Pacific Coast Paleogeogr. Field Guide Vol.2 (eds Howell, D. G., Vedder, J. H. & McDougall, K.) 1–46 (1977).
Howell, D. G., McLean, H. & Vedder, J. H. EOS 61, 949 (1980).
Vedder, J. H., Howell, D. G. & McLean, H. Mem. Am. Ass. petrol. Geol. (in the press).
Howell, D. G. & Vedder, J. H. Soc. Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (Pacific Sec.), Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symp. Vol. 2 (eds Howell, D. G. & McDougall, K. A.) 107–116 (1978).
Champion, D. E., Gromme, C. S. & Howell, D. G. Soc. Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, (Pacific Sec.), Field Trip Guide, Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene Turbidites, Central California Coast, 53–56 (1981).
Irving, E. Can. J. Earth Sci. 16, 669–694 (1979).
Hopson, C. A., Mattinson, J. M. & Pessagno, E. A. in The Geotectonic Evolution of California (ed. Ernst, W. G.) (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981).
Cox, A. in The Geologic Timescale (ed. Harland, W. B.) (Cambridge University Press, in the press).
Dickinson, W. R. Rev. geophys. Space Phys. 8, 813–860 (1970).
Dickinson, W. R. Am. J. Sci. 272, 551–576 (1972).
Dickinson, W. R. & Rich, E. I. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 83, 3007–3024 (1972).
Nilsen, T. H. & Clarke, S. H. U.S. geol. Surv. Professional Pap. 925, 1–64 (1975).
Morgan, W. J. in The Sea (ed. Emiliani, C.) (Wiley, New York, 1980).
Page, B. M. Am. J. Sci. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McWilliams, M., Howell, D. Exotic terranes of western California. Nature 297, 215–217 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297215a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297215a0
This article is cited by
-
Deformation and metamorphism of a schistose terrane accreted with the Proterozoic Pakhal sequence of Godavari valley near Kothagudem, Andhra Pradesh
Journal of the Geological Society of India (2015)
-
Palaeolatitude drift history of displaced terranes in southern and Baja California
Nature (1986)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
