Quaternary rhyolite from the Mineral Mountains, Utah, USA. Final report, Volume 77-10
A suite of silicic volcanic rocks is associated with the Roosevelt Hot Springs geothermal area in southwestern Utah. The volcanic sequence includes Tertiary rhyolite 8 My old and obsidian, ash and rhyolite of Quaternary age. The Quaternary lavas are characterized by high silica content (76.5% Si0/sub 2/) and total alkalies in excess of 9 percent. Obsidians commonly contain greater amounts of fluorine than water. Two older flows (0.8 My) can be distinguished from younger dome and pyroclastic material (approximately 0.5 My) by subtle differences in their chemistry. The mineralogy of the rhyolites consists of alkali feldspar, plagioclase, and small amounts of Fe-Ti oxides, biotite, hornblende and rare allanite. Fe-Ti oxide temperatures are 740 to 785/sup 0/C for the flows and 635 to 665/sup 0/C for the domes; two feldspar temperatures give similar results. The phase relationships of bulk rock, glass and feldspar compositions demonstrate that the younger Quaternary rhyolites could have been derived from the earlier magma type, represented by the obsidian flows, by a process of crystal fractionation. The major phases which must fractionate are alkali feldspar, plagioclase and quartz with minor amounts of biotite, magnetite and ilmenite participating also. Trace element patterns support this scheme as well. The Tertiary lavas cannot be related to the Quaternary rhyolites and are thought to represent a separate event.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-S-07-1601
- OSTI ID:
- 5696814
- Report Number(s):
- IDO-1601-T7
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FELDSPARS
CRYSTALLIZATION
RHYOLITES
MINERALOGY
PETROGRAPHY
VOLCANIC ROCKS
BIOTITE
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMOMETRY
HORNBLENDE
PETROGENESIS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
UTAH
AMPHIBOLE
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MICA
MICROANALYSIS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
ROCKS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
USA
Geothermal Legacy
150201* - Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems- USA- (-1989)