New K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages of plutonism, hydrothermal alteration, and mineralization in the central Wasatch Mountains, Utah

Twenty-one new K-Ar and 10 new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are reported for igneous and hydrothermal minerals from intrusive rocks of the Wasatch igneous belt in the central Wasatch Mountains. Interpretation of our new data combined with previously published K-Ar ages and with new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and U-Pb ages reported by Vogel et al. (1997) suggests that the Clayton Peak stock was emplaced at about 36 to 35 Ma, the Alta stock at about 35 to 33 Ma, and the Little Cottonwood stock at about 31 to 30 Ma. Biotite K-Ar ages progressively increase from west to east in the Little Cottonwood stock, which is consistent with more rapid cooling of the eastern part of the stock and with other evidence suggesting about 15 degrees of eastward tilting of the central Wasatch Mountains following emplacement of the Wasatch igneous belt. Most porphyry stocks in the Park City mining district were emplaced at about 41 to 40 Ma; the Ontario stock was emplaced at about 36 Ma. Vein deposits in the Park City mining district formed at about 36 to 33 Ma. The Park Premier stock was emplaced in several pulses between about 35 to 32 Ma. Alteration related to porphyry copper mineralization in the Park Premier stock formed at 33.5 Ma and advanced argillic alteration and gold mineralization formed at 31.4 Ma. Molybdenum mineralization in the eastern part of the Little Cottonwood stock formed between 26 to 23.5 Ma.