An Exhumed Late Paleozoic Canyon in the Rocky Mountains

Landscapes are thought to be youthful, particularly those of active orogenic belts. Unaweep Canyon in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a large gorge drained by two opposite‐flowing creeks, is an exception. Its origin has long been enigmatic, but new data indicate that it is an exhumed late Paleozoic la...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of geology 2007-07, Vol.115 (4), p.473-481
Main Authors: Soreghan, Gerilyn S., Sweet, Dustin E., Marra, Kristen R., Eble, Cortland F., Soreghan, Michael J., Elmore, R. Douglas, Kaplan, Sara A., Blum, Michael D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basement rocks
Canyons
Geological Notes
Geological time
Mountains
Outcrops
Palynomorphs
Petrology
Plate tectonics
Plateaus
Pollen
Precambrian strata
Precambrian supereon
Provenance
Stratigraphy
Tectonic landforms
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Summary:Landscapes are thought to be youthful, particularly those of active orogenic belts. Unaweep Canyon in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a large gorge drained by two opposite‐flowing creeks, is an exception. Its origin has long been enigmatic, but new data indicate that it is an exhumed late Paleozoic landform. Its survival within a region of profound late Paleozoic orogenesis demands a reassessment of tectonic models for the Ancestral Rocky Mountains, and its form and genesis have significant implications for understanding late Paleozoic equatorial climate. This discovery highlights the utility of paleogeomorphology as a tectonic and climatic indicator.
ISSN:0022-1376
1537-5269
DOI:10.1086/518075