Date of Award

12-1983

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Geological and Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Christopher J. Schmidt

Second Advisor

Dr. W. Thomas Straw

Third Advisor

Dr. William B. Harrison III

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary Laramide orogeny was responsible for the northward tilting of the pre-Eocene rocks of the area. The Late Cretaceous deposition of the Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics resulted in the volcanic-Madison Group unconformity. Late Cretaceous faulting took place probably in response to caldera subsidence. Laramide uplift erosion and downstream transport resulted in the deposition of the Conrow Creek conglomerate and debris flows over the Lodgepole Limestone. Block faulting took place in response to regional extension probably during Late Oligocene-Early Miocene time resulting in the formation of the St. Paul's Gulch, Golden Sunlight, and Boulder basin faults. The Oligocene Dunbar Creek Member (Renova Formation) and the Late Miocene-Pliocene Sixmile Creek Formation were deposited as stream channel and mudflow deposits in the North Boulder River basin. The sandstone units are composed of particles derived from the Boulder batholith and Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics.

Included in

Geology Commons

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