An Upper Crustal Ophiolite Remnant within the Feather River Ultramafic Belt, California: Tectonomagmatic Origins and Implications for Its Evolution

Abstract

The 150-km-long Feather River ultramafic belt (FRB) of the northern Sierra Nevada, California, consists of serpentinized ultramafic rocks, gabbroic rocks, with lesser amounts of amphibolitic rocks. The gabbroic rocks contain metagabbro and dikes within it. Based on the electron microprobe analyses, the metagabbro consists of typical igneous composition for clinopyroxene and early hornblende, indicating that they bear low grade metamorphism. The gabbroic rocks show Nb and Ta depletion in primitive-mantle normalized plots that is similar to typical island arc rocks. We present that the metagabbro within the ultramafic rocks is forming in the suprasubduction zone setting. Tectonic models are presented for the metagabbro and amphibolitic rocks in FRB. The low P burial metamorphism of the upper plate metagabbro and the high grade amphibolitic rocks are typical of relationships of upper plate ophiolites to metamorphic soles. The amphibolitic rocks record as metamorphic sole forming during subduction initiation beneath the ultramafic rocks and metagabbro. The unusual and protracted tectonic history of the FRB is similar to other ophiolite belts of the Cordillera of California but differs in the lack of crustal rocks.

Keywords

high-grade rocks / metamorphic sole / ophiolite / suture zone

References

[1] Bateman P. C., Harris A. G., Kistler R. W., . Calaveras Reversed: Westward Younging is Indicated. Geology, 1985, 13(5): 338-341.

[2] Coleman R. G. Plate Tectonic Emplacement of Upper Mantle Peridotites along Continental Edges. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1971, 76(5): 1212-1222.

[3] Day H. W., Moores E. M., Tuminas A. C. Structure and Tectonics of the Northern Sierra Nevada. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1985, 96(4): 436-450.

[4] Dewey J. F. Ophiolite Obduction. Tectonophysics, 1976, 31(1/2): 93-120.

[5] Dewey J. F., Bird J. M. Mountain Belts and the New Global Tectonics. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1970, 75(14): 2625-2647.

[6] Dilek Y., Furnes H. Ophiolite Genesis and Global Tectonics: Geochemical and Tectonic Fingerprinting of Ancient Oceanic Lithosphere. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2011, 123(3/4): 387-411.

[7] Dilek Y., Whitney D. L. Counterclockwise P-T-t Trajectory from the Metamorphic Sole of a Neo-Tethyan Ophiolite (Turkey). Tectonophysics, 1997, 280(3/4): 295-310.

[8] Eck D. S. The Devil’s Gate Ophiolite, Northern Sierra Nevada, California: Not an Ophiolite or Metamorphic Sole. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 2013, 45 6 72.

[9] Edelman S. H., Day H. W., Moores E. M., . Structure across a Mesozoic Ocean-Continent Suture Zone in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 1989, 224 55.

[10] Ehrenberg S. N. Feather River Ultramafic Body, Northern Sierra Nevada, California. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1975, 86(9): 1235-1243.

[11] Gehrels G. E., Dickinson W. R., Darby B. J., . Tectonic Implications of Detrital Zircon Data from Paleozoic and Triassic Strata in Western Nevada and Northern California: In: Soreghan, M. J., Gehrels, G. E., eds., Paleozoic and Triassic Paleogeography and Tectonic Evolution of Western Nevada and Northern California: Boulder, CO. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 2000, 347: 133-150.

[12] Gillis K. M. Controls on Hydrothermal Alteration in a Section of Fast-Spreading Oceanic Crust. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1995, 134(3/4): 473-489.

[13] Guilmette C., Hébert R., Dupuis C., . Metamorphic History and Geodynamic Significance of High-Grade Metabasites from the Ophiolitic Mélange beneath the Yarlung Zangbo Ophiolites, Xigaze Area, Tibet. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2008, 32(5/6): 423-437.

[14] Hacker B. R. Simulation of the Metamorphic and Deformational History of the Metamorphic Sole of the Oman Ophiolite. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1990, 95(B4): 4895-4907.

[15] Hacker B. R. Evolution of the Northern Sierra-Nevada Metamorphic Belt-Petrological, Structural, and Ar/Ar Constraints. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1993, 105(5): 637-656.

[16] Hannah J. L., Moores E. M. Age Relationships and Depositional Environments of Paleozoic Strata, Northern Sierra Nevada, California. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1986, 97(7): 787-797.

[17] Harding J. P., Gehrels G. E., Harwood D. S., . Detrital Zircon Geochronology of the Shoo Fly Complex, Northern Sierra Terrane, Northeastern California. In: Soreghan, M. J., Gehrels, G. E., eds., Paleozoic and Triassic Paleogeography and Tectonic Evolution of Western Nevada and Northern California: Boulder, CO. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 2000, 347: 43-55.

[18] Hietanen A. Geology West of the Melones Fault between the Feather and North Yuba Rivers, California. U.S. New Publications of the Geological Survey, 1981, 1126 35.

[19] Jackson J. L., Wakabayashi J., Jackson B. A. Southern Continuation of High-Grade Metamorphic Rocks of the Feather River Ultramafic Belt, California: Preliminary Reconnaissance, 2011, San Francisco: EOS Fall Meeting

[20] Jamieson R. P-T Paths from High Temperature Shear Zones beneath Ophiolites. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 1986, 4(1): 3-22.

[21] Liang Q., Jing H., Gregoire D. C. Determination of Trace Elements in Granites by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Talanta, 2000, 51(3): 507-513.

[22] Luo J., Xiao W. J., Wakabayashi J., . The Zhaheba Ophiolite Complex in Eastern Junggar (NW China): Long Lived Supra-Subduction Zone Ocean Crust Formation and Its Implications for the Tectonic Evolution in Southern Altaids. Gondwana Research, 2017, 43: 17-40.

[23] Masutsubo N., Wakabayashi J. Diverse Metamorphic Trajectories, Imbricated Ocean Plate Stratigraphy, and Fault Rocks, Yuba River Area, Feather River Ultramafic Belt, California, 2013, San Francisco: Cordilleran Section-109th Annual Meeting

[24] Moores E. M. Ultramafics and Orogeny, with Models of the US Cordillera and the Tethys. Nature, 1970, 228(5274): 837-842.

[25] Moores E. M. Origin and Emplacement of Ophiolites. Reviews of Geophysics, 1982, 20(4): 735-760.

[26] Morimoto N. Nomenclature of Pyroxenes. Mineralogy and Petrology, 1988, 39(1): 55-76.

[27] Peng S. B., Liu S., Lin M. S., . Early Paleozoic Subductionin Cathaysia (I): New Evidence from Nuodong Ophiolite. Earth Science, 2016, 41(6): 765-778.

[28] Robinson P. T., Zhou M. F. The Origin and Tectonic Setting of Ophiolites in China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2008, 32(5/6): 301-307.

[29] Saleeby J. B. Polygenetic Ophiolite Belt of the California Sierra Nevada: Geochronological and Tectonostratigraphic Development. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1982, 87(B3): 1803-1824.

[30] Saleeby J. B. Burchfiel B. C., Lipman P. W., Zoback M. L. Petrotectonic and Paleogeographic Settings of U.S. Cordilleran Ophiolites. The Cordilleran Orogen, 1992, Colorado: Conterminous U. S. Geological Society of America, Boulder, 632-682.

[31] Saleeby J. B., Shaw H. F., Niemeyer S., . U/Pb, Sm/Nd and Rb/Sr Geochronological and Isotopic Study of Northern Sierra Nevada Ophiolitic Assemblages, California. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 1989, 102(2): 205-220.

[32] Sharp W. Ernst W. G. Pre-Cretaceous Crustal Evolution of the Sierra Nevada Region, California. Metamorphism and Crustal Evolution of the Western United States, 1988, New Jersey: InPrentice-Hall

[33] Smart C. M., Wakabayashi J. Hot and Deep: Rock Record of Subduction Initiation and Exhumation of High-Temperature, High-Pressure Metamorphic Rocks, Feather River Ultramafic Belt, California. Lithos, 2009, 113(1/2): 292-305.

[34] Spray J. G. Possible Causes and Consequences of Upper Mantle Decoupling and Ophiolite Displacement. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1984, 13(1): 255-268.

[35] Sun S. S., McDonough W. F. Chemical and Isotopic Systematics of Oceanic Basalts: Implications for Mantle Composition and Processes. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1989, 42(1): 313-345.

[36] Wakabayashi J. Counterclockwise P-T-T Paths from Amphibolites, Franciscan Complex, California: Relics from the Early Stages of Subduction Zone Metamorphism. The Journal of Geology, 1990, 98(5): 657-680.

[37] Wakabayashi J., Dilek Y. What Constitutes ‘Emplacement’ of an Ophiolite? Mechanisms and Relationship to Subduction Initiation and Formation of Metamorphic Soles. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2003, 218(1): 427-447.

[38] Williams H., Smyth W. R. Metamorphic Aureoles beneath Ophiolite Suites and Alpine Peridotites; Tectonic Implications with West Newfoundland Examples. American Journal of Science, 1973, 273(7): 594-621.

[39] Zhou W., Guo G., Liu X., . Geochemical Characteristics and Tectonic Significances of the Rocks from Northeastern Jiangxi Ophiolite. Earth Science, 2016, 41(6): 84-96.