This collaborative investigation with G. Dunne of California State University at Northridge will study structural and geochronological events on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in east-central California. The research will address the chronology of formation of the Sierran Arc during the Mesozoic and the timing of major deformation episodes in the eastern Sierran thrust system. U/Pb dating of zircons from selected volcanic and intrusive rocks in the region will provide the time constraints. The results of this study will have broad implication for the evaluation of continental margin magmatic arcs in this and other tectonic settings.
