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Architecture and evolution of an Early Permian carbonate complex on a tectonically active island in east-central California

December 7, 2015

The newly named Upland Valley Limestone represents a carbonate complex that developed on and adjacent to a tectonically active island in east-central California during a brief interval of Early Permian (late Artinskian) time. This lithologically unique, relatively thin limestone unit lies within a thick sequence of predominantly siliciclastic rocks and is characterized by its high concentration of crinoidal debris, pronounced lateral changes in thickness and lithofacies, and a largely endemic fusulinid fauna. Most outcrops represent a carbonate platform and debris derived from it and shed downslope, but another group of outcrops represents one or possibly more isolated carbonate buildups that developed offshore from the platform. Tectonic activity in the area occurred before, probably during, and after deposition of this short-lived carbonate complex.

Publication Year 2015
Title Architecture and evolution of an Early Permian carbonate complex on a tectonically active island in east-central California
Authors Calvin H. Stevens, Robert T. Magginetti, Paul Stone
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Stratigraphy
Index ID 70160383
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center