Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Metamorphic Rocks In The Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, Usa: A Window Into The Precambrian Basement Of Southwest Laurentia, Kyle Michael Metz

LSU Master's Theses

The western North American craton consists of a mosaic of Precambrian basement terranes that developed through episodes of microcontinent collision and magmatic arc accretion. Defining the extent and boundaries of these terranes is critical to deciphering the Precambrian development of Laurentia. The poorly exposed Selway terrane occurs between the Archean Wyoming province and the Neoproterozoic rifted margin of Laurentia. A rare exposure of Precambrian metamorphic rocks, the Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex (SMC), crops out over 33 km2 in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, USA, and potentially provides a window into the deep crust of the region. Field mapping, petrographic analyses, and …