Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen

Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen
Stratigraphic range: Early to mid Cambrian
An outline of the Aulacogen
AreaApproximately 42,500 sq mi (110,000 km2)
Location
Coordinates35°00′N 99°18′W / 35°N 99.3°W / 35; -99.3.
CountryUnited States

The Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen (ah-lah-coh-jin) is a failed rift, or failed rift arm (aulacogen), of the triple junction that became the Iapetus Ocean spreading ridges. It is a significant geological feature in the Western and Southern United States. It formed sometime in the early to mid Cambrian Period and spans the Wichita Mountains, Taovayan Valley, Anadarko Basin, and Hardeman Basin in Southwestern Oklahoma.[1] The Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen is primarily composed of basaltic dikes, gabbros, and units of granitic rock.[2]

A rough outline of the inferred bounds of the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen
  1. ^ Perry Jr., William J. "Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma" (PDF). USGS.gov. US Geological Survey.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hogan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).