Genesis of Recent silicic magmatism in the Medicine Lake Highland,California: evidence from cognate inclusions found at Little Glass Mountain

We use granular inclusions and phenocrysts in the Little Glass Mountain rhyolite flows to estimate temperature, pressure and the fugacities of O₂, H₂ and H₂O. The compositions of magnetite-ilmenite are used to estimate temperature and oxygen fugacity. Fugacities of H₂ and H₂O are estimated from the compositions of associated biotite-sanidine-magnetite. P_Total depends on the compositions of magnetite -ferrosilite-silica. Lastly, hydrothermal experiments were conducted at the estimated T, P and f_O2 to establish the beginning of melting of the most evolved of the inclusions in CO₂-H₂O fluids.The data suggest that the most evolved inclusions formed at ～ 830°C, a total pressure of 5200 bars, f_O2 of 10^?13 and P_H2O ～ 1000 bars. Of these variables total pressure is most difficult to estimate accurately. The values of T, P etc., previously stated produce a maximum estimate of the depth of equilibration between host magma and the inclusions whereas, assuming P_H2O = P_Total yields a minimum estimate. The physical conditions together with texture suggest a plutonic origin at a minimum depth of 3.4 km but no deeper than 15–18 km beneath the Medicine Lake Highland.The composition and mineralogy suggest that the rhyolite was derived from the dacite by crystal fractionation. The relation between dacite and associated basaltic or andesitic rocks is uncertain. The ${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ ratios (essentially 0.7040 for both inclusions and lavas) do not require involvement of crustal rocks. A source in the uppermost mantle or lower lithosphere is considered most probable for the parental liquid which gave rise to the dacite.