Full Title: Late Cenozoic Evaporite Tectonism and Volcanism in West-Central Colorado
Editors: Robert M. Kirkham, Robert B. Scott, and Thomas W. Judkins
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Regional late Cenozoic evaporite tectonism has caused widespread collapse in west-central Colorado. Miocene volcanic rocks are downdropped as much as 1200 m in a collapsed area that is at least 3600 km2 and possibly more than 5000 km2. During the late Cenozoic, rivers removed an estimated 2300 km3 of dissolved evaporite from the contiguous Carbondale and Eagle collapse centers. Collapse was quantified by restoration of deformed Miocene to Quaternary basaltic flows to their pre-collapse position. Late Cenozoic incision rates increased by an order of magnitude during the past 3 m.y., probably triggering or accelerating diapirism and dissolution of evaporite. Annual dissolved solids loads in rivers indicate that removal of evaporite continues at a rate that matches independent geologic estimates.
Published: 1/23/2003
ISBN Number: 0813723663
Pages: 240
Product Category: Special Papers