Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Geography and Geology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The Ruby Range in southwestern Montana was tectonically uplifted during the mountain-building event of the Big Sky orogeny. Contained within the Christensen Ranch Formation, made up of sedimentary units metamorphosed during the Big Sky orogeny, are a small number of metamorphosed banded iron formations (BIFs). It is the presence and composition of these BIFs which is the focus of this research, principally their depositional origin, relationship to surrounding sedimentary packages, elemental and mineral compositions, and lastly, peak metamorphic conditions. Samples were collected, cut into thin sections, and powdered for textural and compositional analyses employing polarized light microscopy, Raman microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analyses. Mineral phase assemblages and compositional data suggest differences in protoliths between Stone Creek and Iron mine metamorphosed BIFs in addition to greater activity of fluid phases during the metamorphism of Iron Mine formations.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Andrew Wulff
Disciplines
Earth Sciences | Geology
Recommended Citation
Hughes, Jacob, "Geothermobarometry and Petrographic Interpretations of Christensen Ranch Meta- Banded Iron Formation from the Ruby Range, Montana" (2015). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 580.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/580