Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Petrogenesis Of The East Fork Member Rhyolites, Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Usa, Carla Eichler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The most recent volcanism in the Valles caldera is represented by the El Cajete Pyroclastic Beds (ECPB), Battleship Rock Ignimbrite (BRI), and Banco Bonito Flow (BBF) as well as the VC-1 rhyolite, which are collectively known as the East Fork Member (EFM) of the Valles Rhyolite. The EFM was erupted at approximately 55 ka and 40 ka after an approximate 460 ka lull in volcanism. Previous studies suggested a mafic intrusion at depth triggered the eruptions. This thesis represents the first detailed study of the EFM.

Crystal assemblages consist of plagioclase, biotite, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole, sanidine, quartz, and oxides. Electron …

The Geochronology And Geochemistry Of The Bearhead Rhyolite, Jemez Volcanic Field, New Mexico, Leigh Justet

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Around 82% of mapped Bearhead Rhyolite (Main Cluster) and Peralta Tuff appears to have been derived from a relatively long-lived (~680 ka), large, shallow (Earth's surface) magma chamber that did not produce a caldera-forming eruption. Although volatile contents were great enough (~ wt.% H₂O), no large-scale explosive eruptions occurred because magma may have been tectonically vented. The lack of systematic chemical variation within the Main Cluster with time during this ~680 ka interval may imply that erupted magmas were physically separated from each other by fault-formed cupolas in the roof of the magma chamber. These results are significant …

The Petrogenesis Of Andesites Produced During Regional Extension: Examples From The Northern Mccullough Range, Nv And Xitle Volcano, Mexico, Kelly Ann Boland

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Andesite dominated volcanic systems produced during regional crustal extension remain a relatively unexplored aspect of andesite petrogenesis. In the southern Basin and Range province, thick sections of andesite and basaltic andesite have been documented in areas including the Piute Range, California, the Eldorado Range, Nevada, and the McCullough Range, Nevada. The northern McCullough Range, located 20 miles south-southeast of Las Vegas, is an ideal place to study the petrogenesis of an andesite dominated system. This area contains a mid-Miocene stratocone composed mainly of a 1200 m thick section of andesite flows that formed synchronous with regional extension.

The northern McCullough …

Mafic Volcanism In The Colorado Plateau: Basin And Range Transition Zone, Hurricane, Utah, Alexander Sanchez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Hurricane volcanic field (HVF) is a small-volume (0.48 km³) mafic volcanic field in the Colorado Plateau/Basin & Range Transition Zone located in the eastern part of the St. George basin in southwestern Utah. Strombolian-Hawaiian style eruptions produced thin (10 m) a'a lava flows and cinder (scoria) cones composed of vesicular basalt, bombs and agglutinate. Radiometric dating and geologic relationships demonstrate that the HVF formed over a period of at least 100,000 years. In the upper crust, magma probably rose along joints in sedimentary rocks because chains of volcanic vents follow joint orientation maxima in sedimentary rocks.

Three …

Geology And Geochemistry Of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks In The Northern Reveille And Southern Pancake Ranges, Nye County, Nevada, Kelly Brian Rash

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The northern Reveille and southern Pancake Ranges, located in the south-central Great Basin, experienced a prolonged history of Tertiary volcanism. Volcanic activity in this area began with the eruption of large-volumes of ash-flow tuffs from calderas of the central Nevada caldera complex. The Reveille Range and the southernmost portion of the Pancake Range are the site of two calderas that are the sources for the tuff of Goblin Knobs and tuff of northern Reveille Range. The tuff of Goblin Knobs (70.4-75.3 wt.% SiO₂) erupted from the caldera of Goblin Knobs (25.6 Ma) and is the thickest (~1700 m) …

Geochemical Evolution Of A Mid-Miocene Synextensional Volcanic Complex: The Dolan Springs Volcanic Field, Northwestern Arizona, Scott Michael Mcdaniel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Dolan Springs volcanic field (DSV), of northwestern Arizona, is dominated by andesite and basaltic-andesite flows and breccias, with minor amounts of basalt, rhyolite, and ash-flow tuff. Geochemistry is used here as a tool to evaluate the roles and contributions of the lithospheric and asthenospheric mantles to magmatism related to Miocene extension in the Colorado River extension corridor (CREC). The majority of synextensional volcanic rocks in the DSV are geochemically similar to regional trends, but rare tholeiitic basalts erupted near the end of extension. The tholeiites have trace element signatures similar to ocean island basalt (OIB), but have isotopic values …