9317130 Molina It has long been known that paleozoic trends are truncated along the southwest continental margin of the United States and correlation of Paleozoic miogeoclinal strata in northwestern Sonora with similar rocks in the Death Valley area has been interpreted to indicate 800 km of sinistral motion on a "Mojave-Sonora Megashear". However, this interpreted structure has not been verified in the field, and remains controversial. This proposal will employ paleomagnetic techniques to attempt to confirm the postulated offset along the proposal structure. As the latitudinal component of the offset is at or near the resolving power of the method, this project is focused on determining the level of precision and consistency of the paleomagnetic signal in this area. A successful outcome will help justify use of this method to resolve the Mojave- Sonora Megashear controversy.
