Intraformational deformation in the tuffs and lavas of Calico Hills exposed near Yucca Mountain, Nevada

The 12.9 Ma tuffs and lavas of Calico Hills (CH) records development of part of the Southwest Nevada Volcanic Field that formed during intermittent periods of extensional tectonism. Exposures of the CH in upper Paintbrush Canyon, 6 km northeast of Yucca Mountain, consists of five lava flows interstratified with pyroclastic flow and fallout deposits, and fluvially redeposited sediment. The lower part of the exposures (shown in cross section below) consists of a lava flow (L1), interbedded primary and redeposited tuffaceous deposits (R1a and R1b), massive breccia deposit (M1), lava flow (L2), massive breccia deposit (M2), and redeposited tuffaceous deposits (R2). Moderately developed stratification at the base of massive breccia deposit M1 and localized concentrations of lithic fragments throughout the deposit indicates probably deposition from a pyroclastic flow. Bedding in R1, R2, and the base of M1 (dashed line) parallels stratigraphic unit contacts. An intraformational unconformity between R1 subunits (solid line) is interpreted as a fluctuation in local base level, or minor folding prior to deposition of R1b. Northward thinning of post-R1 rocks indicate L1 and R1 were folded into a southeast plunging anticline that formed a topographic high; across which M1 was deposited and against which L2, M2, and R2 abutted. Because post-R2 CH deposits shown no significant intraformational deformation at this location, most deformation described here occurred early in the depositional history of the CH and resulted from localized compression synchronous with regional extension or localized tumescence associated with volcanism