About 60 new isotopic age determinations help clarify the geologic history of the Round Mountain and Manhattan gold districts, Nevada. Cretaceous granite of Shoshone Mountain, southeast of Round Mountain, was emplaced about 95 m.y. ago and was domed, metamorphosed, and mineralized with tungsten-bearing quartz veins 80 m.y. ago. The granite of Pipe Spring, south of Manhattan, was emplaced probably at about 80 m.y. ago. Mineralization associated with the Pipe Spring body occurred about 75 m.y. ago. A granodiorite stock and associated rhyolite and andesitc dikes intruded the granite southeast of Round Mountain 36 m.y. ago; apparently base and precious metals mineralization accompanied their intrusion, but mineralization has not been dated isotopically. Ash-flow tuff at Round Mountain was emplaced about 26 m.y. ago, the Manhattan caldera formed about 25 m.y. ago, and gold mineralization at Round Mountain occurred at about 25 m.y. ago. Gold mineralization at Manhattan took place 16 m.y. ago.The isotopic data allow interpretation of the cooling histories of some of the igneous rocks and suggest possible thermal events that reset mineral ages.

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