Submarine-fan characteristics and dual sediment provenance, Lower Carboniferous Bragdon Formation, eastern Klamath terrane, California
The Carboniferous Bragdon Formation comprises sandstone, argillite, and conglomerate, which were deposited in a hybrid submarine-fan setting. The Bragdon Formation contains a crudely progradational succession of sand-rich turbidites and intercalated channel fill and debris flows. Apparent paucity of fine-grained rocks and relatively high sedimentation rates may suggest deposition within a small, rapidly subsiding, ponded basin. Three end-member petrologic sandstone types include (i) quartz-rich, chert-rich, and sedimentary-lithic-rich sandstone, (ii) volcanic-lithic- and feldspar-rich sandstone, and (iii) crystal-rich sandstone and tuffaceous argillite. The compositions reflect basement uplift, arc dissection, and the persistence of volcanism, respectively. Interbedded strata of differing provenance, together with little or no provenance mixing within beds, indicate multicomponent source terranes, line-source sediment dispersal pattern, and limited transport distances.Facies associations and provenance to...