The Mt. Perkins block, northwestern Arizona: An exposed cross section of a synextensional volcano in highly extended terrane
- Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Geology
Despite widespread and voluminous middle to late Tertiary volcanism in the Basin and Range province, relatively few volcanic centers have been located, especially in highly extended regions. Although large-magnitude tilting and structural dismemberment generally obscure conventional exposures of volcanic centers, they can potentially provide cross sectional views of major volcanic edifices. In the northern Colorado River extensional corridor, the steeply (90[degree]) W-tilted Mt. Perkins block incorporates a cross-sectional view of part of a major Miocene volcanic center. In ascending structural order from east to west, the Mt. Perkins block includes (a) a 15.96 Ma quartz monzonite to diorite pluton emplaced in Proterozoic gneiss, (b) a 20 km long, NNW-striking, gently to moderately (0--45[degree]) E-dipping felsic dike swarm (one dike dated at 14.7 Ma), (c) a nonconformity at the base of the Miocene volcanic section, (d) basaltic andesite flows and dacite flows and domes, (e) a 300--1,500 m thick section of rhyolite flows, surges, and tuffs bracketed between 16.4 and 14.4 Ma, and (f) capping basalt flows. Tilts decrease from 90 to 30 W between the base of the rhyolite section and upper basalt flows. Geologic and paleomagnetic data indicate 40--90 of W-tilting of the dike swarm and pluton. The felsic dike swarm invades the lower part of the volcanic section and terminates upward in the coeval sequence of rhyolites. In addition, the dike swarm and rhyolite section terminate along-strike in roughly the same area. Restoration places the rhyolites above the dike swarm, which in turn is situated directly above the pluton. These data indicate a genetic tie between at least the felsic dike swarm and thick sequence of rhyolites. Geochemical fingerprinting of the lavas, dike swarm, and pluton is underway to test the tilted volcano'' hypothesis.
- OSTI ID:
- 5435921
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9305259-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 89. annual meeting of the Cordilleran Section and the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Reno, NV (United States), 19-21 May 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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