Eocene Origin of Owens Valley, California

Citeable URL: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/1831cq831

Descriptions

Attribute Name	Values
Creator	Sousa, Francis J.
Abstract	Bedrock (U-Th)/He data reveal an Eocene exhumation difference greater than four kilometers athwart Owens Valley, California near the Alabama Hills. This difference is localized at the eastern fault-bound edge of the valley between the Owens Valley Fault and the Inyo-White Mountains Fault. Time-temperature modeling of published data reveal a major phase of tectonic activity from 55 to 50 Ma that was of a magnitude equivalent to the total modern bedrock relief of Owens Valley. Exhumation was likely accommodated by one or both of the Owens Valley and Inyo-White Mountains faults, requiring an Eocene structural origin of Owens Valley 30 to 40 million years earlier than previously estimated. This analysis highlights the importance of constraining the initial and boundary conditions of geologic models and exemplifies that this task becomes increasingly difficult deeper in geologic time.
License	Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Resource Type	Article
DOI	http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9050194
Date Issued	2019
Citation	Sousa, F.J. Eocene Origin of Owens Valley, California. Geosciences 2019, 9, 194.
Journal Title	Geosciences
Journal Volume	9
Journal Issue/Number	5
Academic Affiliation	College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Rights Statement	In Copyright
Publisher	Oregon State University
Peer Reviewed	Yes
Language	English [eng]