40Ar/39Ar chronology of the Leucite Hills, Wyoming: eruption rates, erosion rates, and an evolving temperature structure of the underlying mantle

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

2

Scientific paper

The lamproite lavas of the Leucite Hills, Wyoming comprise an isolated volcanic field of mesas and buttes, which erupted onto a thick sequence of K/T shales and sandstones. Volcanic activity spanned the interval from 3.0 to 0.89 Ma, during which time <0.7 km3 of magma were erupted. Approximately 84% of the magma was erupted within a 10-90 ky interval (between 0.94 and 0.89 Ma), with an average eruption rate of ~5 m3/km2/yr (more than an order of magnitude lower than the `background trickle' eruption rate at continental arcs). The eruption rate prior to this burst of activity, between 3.0 and 0.94 Ma, was two orders of magnitude lower at ~0.02 m3/km2/yr. There is a strong correlation (r2=0.99) between the height of the volcanic mesas (the volcanic cap protects the underlying sediment from erosion) and their eruption age, providing an average sediment erosion rate of 0.113+/-0.002 mm/yr over the last 2.5 million years. Recent seismic studies indicate that the Leucite Hills volcanic field overlies an abrupt transition in lithospheric structure between the Archean craton to the north (with fast upper mantle seismic velocities) and the Colorado Plateau to the south (with a low-velocity zone similar to that beneath East Pacific Rise spreading ridge). The trigger for the Leucite Hills magmatism may be related, therefore, to the recent emplacement of asthenospheric mantle immediately to the south and not necessarily to the more distant Yellowstone hotspot to the north.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

40Ar/39Ar chronology of the Leucite Hills, Wyoming: eruption rates, erosion rates, and an evolving temperature structure of the underlying mantle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with 40Ar/39Ar chronology of the Leucite Hills, Wyoming: eruption rates, erosion rates, and an evolving temperature structure of the underlying mantle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and 40Ar/39Ar chronology of the Leucite Hills, Wyoming: eruption rates, erosion rates, and an evolving temperature structure of the underlying mantle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1253743

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.