PROVENANCE DETERMINED BY REE, TH, AND SC ANALYSES OF METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS, BOYDEN CAVE ROOF PENDANT, CENTRAL SIERRA-NEVADA, CALIFORNIA

REE, Th, and Sc analyses of metasedimentary rocks collected from the w estern sequence of the Boyden Cave roof pendant, when compared with si milar analyses of uppermost Precambrian to Cambrian miogeoclinal mudst ones from the Nopah Range, support the idea that rocks from the former area are a part of a large tectonically displaced fragment of the Cor dilleran miogeocline, as proposed by R.A. Schweickert and M.M. Lahren. For example, REE distribution diagrams for samples from the western s equence of the Boyden Cave pendant show parallel light-REE enrichment trends and negative Eu anomalies that range from 0.61 to 0.86, and ave rage 0.69. Likewise, REE distribution patterns for samples from the up permost Precambrian to Cambrian Cordilleran miogeoclinal section in th e Nopah Range also show parallel light-REE enrichment trends, and Eu a nomalies that range from 0.65 to 0.75 and average 0.68. On a La-Th-Sc diagram, samples from the Boyden Cave pendant cluster with specimens f rom the Nopah Range. Finally, sediments from both areas have broadly s imilar Th/Ss and Th/U ratios. These results suggest that samples from the western sequence of the Boyden Cave pendant are composed of detrit us like that shed from differentiated western North American upper con tinental crust during the early development of the Cordilleran miogeoc line. Such an interpretation is consistent with: (1) the quartz-rich t o slightly feldspathic character of sandstones in the Boyden Cave pend ant, which implies a continental to transitional continental-block pro venance, (2) a Precambrian U-Pb age for detrital zircon extracted from a single sandstone bed; and (3) the complete absence of volcanic mate rial in the western sequence of the Boyden Cave pendant. Our results s upport the regional correlations and tectonic model proposed by R.A. S chweickert and M.M. Lahren, and further suggest that although underuti lized, REE, Th, and Sc analyses are useful in evaluating stratigraphic , sedimentologic, and tectonic problems in complexly metamorphosed and deformed metaclastic terranes.