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The temporal and spatial distribution of strain associated with the Sevier orogeny in western North America is significantly different in the southern end of the belt, at the latitude of Las Vegas, Nevada, than farther to the north at the latitude of Salt Lake City, Utah. Reasons for these differences have been speculative as a lack of temporal constraints on thrusting in the intervening region hindered along-strike correlation across the belt. We determined a crystallization age of 100.18 ± 0.04 Ma for zircons extracted from a recently recognized dacite lapilli ash-fall tuff near the base of the synorogenic Iron Springs Formation. We propose the name "Three Peaks Tuff Member" for this unit, and identify a type stratigraphic section on the western flank of the "Three Peaks," a topographic landmark in Iron County, Utah. Field relationships and this age constrain movement on the Iron Springs thrust and the end of the sub-Cretaceous unconformity in the critical intervening area to latest Albian/earliest Cenomanian. Movement on the Iron Springs thrust was synchronous with movement on multiple Sevier thrusts at ~100Ma, indicating that the mid-Cretaceous was a period of extensive thrust-fault movement. This mid-Cretaceous thrusting event coincided with a period of global plate reorganization and increased convergence, and hence an increased subduction rate for the Farallon Plate beneath North America. The accelerated subduction contributed to a Cordilleran arc flare-up event and steepening of the orogenic wedge, which triggered widespread thrusting across the retroarc Sevier deformation belts. Additionally, based on temporal constraints and the strong spatial connection of mid-Cretaceous thrusts to lineaments interpreted as pre-orogenic transform faults, we suggest that temporal and spatial variations along the strike of the orogenic belt reflect tectonic inheritance of basement structures associated with the edge of the rifted Precambrian craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Current investigations into the Albian–Cenomanian sedimentary record within the Western Interior have identified multiple complex tectono‐sedimentary process–response systems during the ongoing evolution of North America. One key sedimentary succession, the upper Cedar Mountain Formation (Short Canyon Member and Mussentuchit Member), has historically been linked to various regionally and continentally significant tectonic events, including Sevier fold‐and‐thrust deformation. However, the linkage between the Short Canyon Member and active Sevier tectonism has been unclear due to a lack of high‐precision age constraints. To establish temporal context, this study compares maximum depositional ages from detrital zircons recovered from the Short Canyon Member with that of a modified Bayesian age stratigraphic model (top‐down) to infer that the Short Canyon Member was deposited at ca 100 Ma, penecontemporaneous with rejuvenated thrusting across Utah [Pavant (Pahvant), Iron Springs and Nebo thrusts]. These also indicate a short depositional hiatus with the lowermost portion of the overlying Mussentuchit Member. The Short Canyon Member and Mussentuchit Member preserve markedly different sedimentary successions, with the Short Canyon Member interpreted to be composed of para‐autochthonous orogen–transverse (across the Sevier highlands) clastics deposited within a series of stacked distributive fluvial fans. Meanwhile, the muddy paralic Mussentuchit Member was a mix of orogen–transverse (Sevier highlands and Cordilleran Arc) and orogen–parallel basinal sediments and suspension settling fines within the developing collisional foredeep. However, the informally named last chance sandstone (middle sandstone of the Mussentuchit Member) is identified as an orogen–transverse sandy debris flow originating from the Sevier highlands, similar to the underlying Short Canyon Member. During this phase of landscape evolution, the Short Canyon Member – Mussentuchit Member depocentre was a sedimentary conduit system that would fertilize the Western Interior Seaway with ash‐rich sediments. These volcaniclastic contributions, along with penecontemporaneous deposits across the western coastal margin of the Western Interior Seaway, eventually would have lowered oxygen content and resulted in a contributing antecedent trigger for the Cenomanian–Turonian transition Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]