A complex history of stress and flow of mineralizing fluids has been deciphered. This history is based on (1) a reconnaissance analysis of brittle deformation elements, including joints, veins, and brittle faults, within a 150 km. wide swath across the New England Appalachians and (2) a detailed analysis of 140 outcrops along the middle of the swath and 30 oriented thin sections.

Results of these analyses suggest the following sequence of Mesozoic-Cenozoic mineral assemblages and stress fields in New England:(1) Triassic to Middle Jurassic quartz chlorite epidote veins formed during SSE extension followed by SE extension;(2) Middle to Late Jurassic quartz-rich veins and silicified brittle faults formed during ESE extension with rotation of 1 (max. compressive stress) from vertical to gently plunging NE;(3) Early Cretaceous and younger (?) calcite-rich veins and mineralized fractures formed during EW-compression and/or NS-extension;(4) Cretaceous (?) or younger calcite-limonite mineralized joints formed during NS-compression and/or EW-extension;(5) Tertiary (?) to present-day (?) limonite-coated fractures formed during N60-70E compression.