‘Snake River (SR)-type’ volcanism at the Yellowstone hotspot track: distinctive products from unusual,high-temperature silicic super-eruptions |
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Authors: | M J Branney B Bonnichsen G D M Andrews B Ellis T L Barry M McCurry |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, England, UK;(2) Idaho Geological Survey, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3014, USA;(3) Volcano Dynamics Group, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA England, UK;(4) Department of Geosciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8072, USA;(5) Volcanology Lab. & MDRU, EOS, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada |
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Abstract: | A new category of large-scale volcanism, here termed Snake River (SR)-type volcanism, is defined with reference to a distinctive
volcanic facies association displayed by Miocene rocks in the central Snake River Plain area of southern Idaho and northern
Nevada, USA. The facies association contrasts with those typical of silicic volcanism elsewhere and records unusual, voluminous
and particularly environmentally devastating styles of eruption that remain poorly understood. It includes: (1) large-volume,
lithic-poor rhyolitic ignimbrites with scarce pumice lapilli; (2) extensive, parallel-laminated, medium to coarse-grained
ashfall deposits with large cuspate shards, crystals and a paucity of pumice lapilli; many are fused to black vitrophyre;
(3) unusually extensive, large-volume rhyolite lavas; (4) unusually intense welding, rheomorphism, and widespread development
of lava-like facies in the ignimbrites; (5) extensive, fines-rich ash deposits with abundant ash aggregates (pellets and accretionary
lapilli); (6) the ashfall layers and ignimbrites contain abundant clasts of dense obsidian and vitrophyre; (7) a bimodal association
between the rhyolitic rocks and numerous, coalescing low-profile basalt lava shields; and (8) widespread evidence of emplacement
in lacustrine-alluvial environments, as revealed by intercalated lake sediments, ignimbrite peperites, rhyolitic and basaltic
hyaloclastites, basalt pillow-lava deltas, rhyolitic and basaltic phreatomagmatic tuffs, alluvial sands and palaeosols. Many
rhyolitic eruptions were high mass-flux, large volume and explosive (VEI 6–8), and involved H2O-poor, low-δ18O, metaluminous rhyolite magmas with unusually low viscosities, partly due to high magmatic temperatures (900–1,050°C). SR-type
volcanism contrasts with silicic volcanism at many other volcanic fields, where the fall deposits are typically Plinian with
pumice lapilli, the ignimbrites are low to medium grade (non-welded to eutaxitic) with abundant pumice lapilli or fiamme,
and the rhyolite extrusions are small volume silicic domes and coulées. SR-type volcanism seems to have occurred at numerous
times in Earth history, because elements of the facies association occur within some other volcanic fields, including Trans-Pecos
Texas, Etendeka-Paraná, Lebombo, the English Lake District, the Proterozoic Keewanawan volcanics of Minnesota and the Yardea
Dacite of Australia.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
This paper constitutes part of a special issue dedicated to Bill Bonnichsen on the petrogenesis and volcanology of anorogenic
rhyolites. |
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Keywords: | Snake River Yellowstone Intraplate Hot-spot Ignimbrite Welded tuff Rheomorphic Super-eruption |
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