Basaltic Volcanic Episodes of the Yucca Mountain Region

by Bruce M. Crowe, Los Alamos Natl Lab, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: High Level Radioactive Waste Management 1990

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to summarize briefly the distribution and geologic characteristics of basaltic volcanism in the Yucca Mountain region during the last 10-12 Ma. This interval largely postdates the major period of silicic volcanism and coincides with and postdates the timing of major extensional faulting in the region. Field and geochronologic data for the basaltic rocks define two distinct episodes. These are 1) an older episode of bimodal basalt-rhyolite volcanism that is associated in space and time with the waning phases of silicic eruptions at the TM-OV complex and overlaps with silicic volcanic activity at the Black Mountain calderas, and 2) a postcaldera episode (subdivided into two cycles) of basaltic volcanism characterized by small volume basalt erupted from vents that are unrelated in time or geographic distribution to the silicic centers.

Subject Headings: Volcanic deposits | Radioactive wastes | Volcanic eruption | Silica | Volcanoes | Rocks | Geology | Nevada | United States

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search