Award Date

5-1-2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geoscience

First Committee Member

Andrew D. Hanson

Second Committee Member

Terry L. Spell

Third Committee Member

Rodney V. Metcalf

Fourth Committee Member

Vernon F. Hodge

Number of Pages

122

Abstract

Zircon (U-Th)/He analyses and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analyses were performed on a suite of Mississippian sedimentary rocks collected in east-central Nevada in order to test Permian exhumation described in a previous study.

The zircon analyses produced three clusters of ages: 1) older than, 2) similar to, and 3) younger than depositional age. The majority of zircons shows ages that are older than the sandstone deposition age. Young ages were recorded in three localities that may indicate reset ages/residence within the (U-Th)/He partial retention zone (HePRZ). Moderate-high ratios of Th/U may indicate a magmatic source. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analyses show values between 0.54% - 1.56% which indicate early mature - postmature stage with respect to potential hydrocarbon maturation. The hypothesized regional Permian exhumation was not documented in this study, and the Ro values in all locations are too low to have caused thermal resetting of the (U-Th)/He system.

Keywords

Burial (Geology); Burial history; Chainman; Exhumation; Geological time; Mississippian Geologic Period; Nevada; Permian Geologic Period; Scotty Wash; Sedimentary rocks; (U-Th)/He zircon

Disciplines

Geology | Stratigraphy

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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