Supra‐Subduction Zone Ophiolite Formed in an Extensional Forearc: Trinity Terrane, Klamath Mountains, California

• Published in: The Journal of geology 1998-09, Vol.106 (5), p.591-608
• Main Authors: Wallin, E. Timothy, Metcalf, Rodney V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bloomers; Forearcs; Gabbro; Geochemistry; Geology; Lithospheres; Mountains; Peridotite; Rocks; Tectonics; Trinity
• ISSN: 0022-1376; 1537-5269
• DOI: 10.1086/516044

The Paleozoic Trinity terrane is a massif of ultramafic rock and mafic intrusive complexes that forms the basement of eugeoclinal rocks in the eastern Klamath Mountains. The origin of the Trinity terrane has been particularly enigmatic and several mutually exclusive origin models have been proposed: (1) mantle diapir; (2) slice of obducted monogenetic oceanic lithosphere; (3) monogenetic backarc‐basin lithosphere; (4) forearc lithosphere; and (5) volcanic arc basement. We have compiled new and existing field, petrographic, geochronologic, isotopic, and whole‐rock chemical data for the Trinity terrane to evaluate these models and conclude that the Trinity terrane is an supra‐subduction zone ophiolite whose mafic intrusive complexes record subduction‐related magmatism and forearc extension that occurred during the inception of intraoceanic subduction. According to this extensional forearc model, all four terranes in the eastern Klamath Mountains evolved principally during the inception and evolution of a single, E‐dipping, mid‐Paleozoic convergent margin analogous to the Eocene Izu‐Bonin‐Marianas arc system. Conventional wisdom has been that the Devonian volcanic succession in the Eastern Klamath terrane records the inception of Paleozoic subduction‐related magmatism in California. New U‐Pb zircon age data for gabbros in mafic intrusive complexes of the Trinity terrane range from Early Silurian to Early Devonian (431 to 404 Ma), indicating that subduction‐related magmatism began earlier than previously believed. Silurian and Devonian igneous rocks of the Trinity and Eastern Klamath terranes are coeval, broadly cogenetic, and represent different levels of exposure of the same ophiolite. This interpretation provides the first integrated explanation of the origin of seemingly disparate Paleozoic lithotectonic elements in the eastern Klamath Mountains.