9419115 Day In well-known metamorphic belts associated with continental collisions, peak metamorphism commonly was reached during or after major crustal thickening. In contrast, metamorphic belts formed at the boundary of ocean/continent collisions commonly preserve low grade metamorphism acquired prior to the final amalgamation of the orogen. This project will focus on the metamorphism preserved in the western metamorphic belt of the Sierra Nevada where ophiolite preserves metamorphism that pre-dates the Cretaceous Sierra Nevada batholith and may be as old as early Jurassic. Results will help evaluate the thermal effects of the late Jurassic, Nevadan deformation in the Sierra Nevada. The outcome may also provide guidance in interpreting metamorphism in other ocean/continent collision settings.
