Volcanic History, Structure, & Mineral Deposits of the North-Central Northern Nevada Rift

This field trip will examine features of the northern Nevada rift in the region between the northern Shoshone Range and the southern Snowstorm Mountains. The middle Miocene northern Nevadarift was first identified in the 1970s, and additional work over the ensuing years has defined the igneous, structural, and geophysical features of the rift, as well as the epithermal mineral deposits associated with it. The rift is related to the Yellowstone hot spot and formed during regional crustal extension, and it may provide clues to the nature of both events. Also, the discovery of several epithermal gold-silver deposits along the rift, including the high-grade veins in the Midas District, provides an economic incentive for understanding the origin and nature of the rift. Characteristics of the northern Nevada rift and related ore deposits are summarized in John et al. (2000) and John and Wallace (2000). A previous field trip guidebook covers the mineral deposits in more detail (John et al., 1999).