Stratigraphic evidence on the age of the Roberts Mountains thrust, Eureka and White Pine Counties, Nevada

Several stratigraphic discontinuities in Devonian and Mississippian sedimentary sequences in folded thrust plates east of the Roberts Mountains thrust of central Nevada indicate that the thrust was sporadically active during this interval. From estimates for displacement and time involved for the thrust, the average rate of movement was 1 cm/5 yr, which is comparable to current concepts of the rate of orogenic movements.

A further extrapolation of this rate to the longer period during which orogenies have been recognized in the Great Basin suggests total horizontal shortening of 400 to 500 mi (640-800 km).