Mega-rings Surrounding Timber Mountain Nested Calderas, Geophysical Anomalies: Rethinking Structure and Volcanism Near Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

8110 Continental Tectonics: General (0905), 8120 Dynamics Of Lithosphere And Mantle: General, 7218 Lithosphere And Upper Mantle

Scientific paper

Observed regional mega-rings define a zone ˜80-100 km in diameter centered on Timber Mountain (TM). The mega-rings encompass known smaller rhyolitic nested Miocene calderas ( ˜11-15 my, < 10 km circular to elliptical small "rings") and later stage basaltic features (< 11 my, small flows, cones, dikes) in the Southwest Nevada Volcanic Field. Miocene rhyolitic calderas cluster within the central area and on the outer margin of the interpreted larger mega-ring complex. The mega-ring interpretation is consistent with observations of regional physiography, tomographic images, seismicity patterns, and structural relationships. Mega-rings consist of arcuate faulted blocks with deformation (some remain active structures) patterns showing a genetic relationship to the TM volcanic system; they appear to be spatially associated and temporally correlated with Miocene volcanism and two geophysically identified crustal/upper mantle features. A 50+ km diameter pipe-like high velocity anomaly extends from crustal depth to over 200 km beneath TM (evidence for 400km depth to NE). The pipe is located between two ˜100 km sub-parallel N/S linear trends of small-magnitude earthquake activity, one extending through the central NV Test Site, and a second located near Beatty, NV. Neither the kinematics nor relational mechanism of 100km seismically active N/S linear zones, pipe, and mega-rings are understood. Interpreted mega-rings are: 1) Similar in size to larger terrestrial volcanic complexes (e.g., Yellowstone, Indonesia's Toba system); 2) Located in the region of structural transition from the Mohave block to the south, N/S Basin and Range features to the north, Walker Lane to the NW, and the Las Vegas Valley shear zone to the SE; 3) Associated with the two seismically active zones (similar to other caldera fault-bounded sags), the mantle high velocity feature, and possibly a regional bouguer gravity anomaly; 4) Nearly coincident with area hydrologic basins and sub-basins; 5) Similar to features described from terrestrial and planetary caldera-collapse studies, and as modeled in laboratory scaled investigations (ice melt, balloon/sand). Post Mid-Miocene basalts commonly occur within or adjacent to the older rhyolitic caldera moats; other basaltic material occurs marginal to both the outer rings of the interpreted mega-ring system and high velocity pipe. The YM repository may be situated in an isolated structural setting within the mega-ring system; basaltic materials are absent in the block for over 11my for geologic reasons. The mega-ring model may better explain YM area structures (Highway 95 fault), tectonism, and volcanism. Coincident physiographic, geologic, and geophysical features associated with the mega-rings feature, and temporal characteristics of regional seismicity and volcanism suggest the need to critically re-assess regional scale and YM tectonic, seismotectonic, and volcanic models.

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

Mega-rings Surrounding Timber Mountain Nested Calderas, Geophysical Anomalies: Rethinking Structure and Volcanism Near Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada 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 Mega-rings Surrounding Timber Mountain Nested Calderas, Geophysical Anomalies: Rethinking Structure and Volcanism Near Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mega-rings Surrounding Timber Mountain Nested Calderas, Geophysical Anomalies: Rethinking Structure and Volcanism Near Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1455072

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