Petrology and petrogenesis of basaltic rocks and their inclusions: studies from the Rio Grande rift, the Roman Comagmatic Province, and Oceanus Procellarum

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5267431

Baldridge, W S

This thesis has as its theme the study of basalt. This thesis consists of a series of topical studies in basalt petrology and petrogenesis, including a study of the mafic and ultramafic inclusions which sometimes occur in these magmas. Part I is a detailed study of the petrology and petrogenesis of basaltic rocks from the central Rio Grande rift of New Mexico. This study investigates the origin and evolution of basaltic magma within a regional context. Part II is closely related to Part I in that it is a study of the mafic and ultramafic inclusions occurring in some of these lavas. These inclusions provide information on the mineralogy, chemistry, and thermal state of the crust and upper mantle beneath the rift. Part III is a study of leucite-bearing basaltic lavas from the Plio-Pleistocene Roman Comagmatic Province of Italy. It was directed primarily toward defining phase relationships in the 1-atmosphere liquidus system SiO/sub 2/-NaAlSiO/sub 4/-KAlSiO/sub 4/-CaAl/sub 2/Si/sub 2/O/sub 8/, which has not been experimentally investigated in its entirety. This study dealt only secondarily with the origin of these magmas. Part IV deals with a suite of rocks returned by the Apollo 12 mission from the eastern side of Oceanus Procellarum. The lunar rocks illustrate many petrologic features, such as liquid immiscibility and complex pyroxene zoning, not commonly observed in terrestrial basalt.

• Research Organization: California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5267431
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580300* -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
APOLLO PROJECT
BASALT
CHEMISTRY
EARTH CRUST
EARTH MANTLE
EUROPE
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGY
IGNEOUS ROCKS
ITALY
LAVA
LUNAR MATERIALS
MAGMA
MATERIALS
MINERALOGY
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
ORIGIN
PETROGENESIS
PETROLOGY
RIO GRANDE RIFT
ROCKS
USA
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WESTERN EUROPE