Four magmatic fabrics in the Tuolumne batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for interpreting fabric patterns in plutons and evolution of magma chambers in the upper crust

Research Article| January 01, 2007 Four magmatic fabrics in the Tuolumne batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for interpreting fabric patterns in plutons and evolution of magma chambers in the upper crust Jiří Žák; Jiří Žák 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12843, Czech Republic, and Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, Prague 11821, Czech Republic Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Scott R. Paterson; Scott R. Paterson 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0740, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Valbone Memeti Valbone Memeti 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0740, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Jiří Žák 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12843, Czech Republic, and Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, Prague 11821, Czech Republic Scott R. Paterson 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0740, USA Valbone Memeti 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0740, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 07 Dec 2004 Revision Received: 19 Jun 2006 Accepted: 10 Jul 2006 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA GSA Bulletin (2007) 119 (1-2): 184–201. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25773.1 Article history Received: 07 Dec 2004 Revision Received: 19 Jun 2006 Accepted: 10 Jul 2006 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Jiří Žák, Scott R. Paterson, Valbone Memeti; Four magmatic fabrics in the Tuolumne batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for interpreting fabric patterns in plutons and evolution of magma chambers in the upper crust. GSA Bulletin 2007;; 119 (1-2): 184–201. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25773.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract For the first time, four distinct magmatic fabrics are documented in a composite plutonic body, the Tuolumne batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California, USA. One type of fabric was formed by strain caused by highly localized magma flow (type 1), whereas the other three chamber-wide fabrics recorded strain increments during boundary processes along batholith margins (type 2) superimposed by increments of heterogeneous regional tectonic strain (types 3 and 4). Our present work indicates that, in contrast to studies that consider magmatic fabrics to be simple structures formed by a single process, magmatic lineations and foliations in plutons may reflect accumulated finite strain and form as composite structures recording multiple strain increments in relatively static, actively deforming and rheologically complex crystal mushes at lower melt percentages. We demonstrate that multiple magmatic fabrics in a single batholith may record remarkably different processes and thus preserve a temporal record of strain in the batholith from strain during internal chamber processes to postem-placement regional tectonic strain. However, it may be commonly very problematic to infer the exact nature of flow or even fabric-forming process from the preserved rock record. Our study also exemplifies how examination of magmatic fabric patterns in plutons, complemented with geochronology, may provide crucial constraints on the interplay among successive magma emplacement, fabric preservation, temporal evolution of strain fields in a crystallizing magma chamber, and the development of crystal-mush zones. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.