Geologic Field Trips to the Basin and Range, Rocky Mountains, Snake River Plain, and Terranes of the U.S. Cordillera

The combination of a long geologic record and stunning scenery has attracted geologists to the Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran regions for two centuries. Past and ongoing geologic research in this region has resulted in a wealth of significant observations and paradigm shifts in interpretations. This field guide, compiled for the 2011 joint meeting of the GSA Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran Sections, provides a small and succulent appetizer to the full menu of remarkable geology of the Rocky Mountain and Cordillera regions. Field trips presented in this volume span geologic topics from Neoproterozoic deposits, late Paleozoic—early Mesozoic terrane accretion, Eocene mammals and climate, Eocene to middle Miocene extension, late Miocene and younger basin and river system evolution, and Pleistocene glaciers and pluvial lakes.
New investigations of Pleistocene glacial and pluvial records in northeastern Nevada
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Published:January 01, 2011
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CiteCitation
Jeffrey S. Munroe, Benjamin J.C. Laabs, 2011. "New investigations of Pleistocene glacial and pluvial records in northeastern Nevada", Geologic Field Trips to the Basin and Range, Rocky Mountains, Snake River Plain, and Terranes of the U.S. Cordillera, Jeffrey Lee, James P. Evans
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Abstract
The Great Basin of the western United States offers tremendous potential for exploring the response of mountain glaciers and lowland lakes to climate changes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, MIS-2, ca. 22–18 ka B.P.) and subsequent glacial-interglacial transition. The combination of well-distributed alpine moraine records and pluvial lake deposits offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop a more precise understanding of temperature and precipitation changes during the latest Pleistocene and into the Holocene. This field trip provides an overview of recent and ongoing work illuminating aspects of the glacial and pluvial history of northeastern Nevada from the LGM to the present. The route of this trip involves three full days of stops separated by two nights in Elko, Nevada. The first day focuses on glacial deposits at the type locality for the LGM Angel Lake Glaciation on the eastern side of the East Humboldt Range. The second day explores the geomorphic record of pluvial Lakes Franklin and Clover on the east side of the Ruby–East Humboldt Mountains and describes recent efforts to develop a chronology for the late Pleistocene regression of these lakes. The final day again focuses on glacial geology, starting with the type locality of the pre-LGM Lamoille Glaciation on the west side of the Ruby Mountains, and ending with several stops along the scenic drive up Lamoille Canyon.
- alpine environment
- Basin and Range Province
- Cenozoic
- chronology
- climate change
- East Humboldt Range
- Elko County Nevada
- field trips
- geomorphology
- glacial environment
- glaciation
- Great Basin
- Holocene
- interglacial environment
- lake sediments
- lakes
- last glacial maximum
- moraines
- Nevada
- North America
- paleoclimatology
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- road log
- Ruby Mountains
- terrestrial environment
- United States
- upper Pleistocene
- Lake Franklin
- Elko Nevada
- Lamoille Canyon
- Lake Clover