Characteristics of internal contacts in the Tuolumne Batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for episodic emplacement and physical processes in a continental arc magma chamber

Research Article| September 01, 2005 Characteristics of internal contacts in the Tuolumne Batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for episodic emplacement and physical processes in a continental arc magma chamber Jiří Žák; Jiří Žák 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, Prague 128 43, 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 Author and Article Information Jiří Žák 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, Prague 128 43, 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 Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 09 Jan 2004 Revision Received: 24 Jan 2005 Accepted: 06 Feb 2005 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2005) 117 (9-10): 1242–1255. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25558.1 Article history Received: 09 Jan 2004 Revision Received: 24 Jan 2005 Accepted: 06 Feb 2005 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jiří Žák, Scott R. Paterson; Characteristics of internal contacts in the Tuolumne Batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Implications for episodic emplacement and physical processes in a continental arc magma chamber. GSA Bulletin 2005;; 117 (9-10): 1242–1255. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25558.1 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 Internal contacts along the eastern margin of the Tuolumne Batholith, central Sierra Nevada, California, and structures preserved along these contacts, are highly variable; the contacts range from relatively sharp, to gradational boundaries, to sheeted zones, to very complex boundaries formed by multiple processes. Fractional crystallization, kilometer-scale mixing within broad transition zones, voluminous magmatic stoping along sharp contacts, and downward return flow (and/or margin collapse) of older magma units were important large-scale processes along these contacts during chamber construction. In contrast, sheeting, extensional cracking and diking represent only second-order, small-scale complexities. Formation of the most complex zones along internal contacts resulted from the interaction of the sequential emplacement of different units with the irregular geometry of these contacts, which often resulted from removal of earlier phases by stoping.Our results indicate that multiple processes are likely during emplacement of large magma bodies within one another and that it is unlikely that evidence for all internal processes during batholith construction are preserved. We also argue that fairly large magma chambers existed in this batholith and thus that large accumulations of magma may exist in upper crustal chambers for significant periods of time. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.