Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility data bearing on the transport direction of mid-tertiary regional ignimbrites,Candelaria Hills area,West-Central Nevada |
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| Authors: | Michael S Petronis John W Geissman |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MSC 03 2040, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;(2) Department of Natural Sciences, Ivan Hilton Science Technology Bldg., New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM 87701, USA |
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| Abstract: | In west-central Nevada, the Oligocene Candelaria pyroclastic sequence reaches a local thickness of up to 1.3 km, in what has
been referred to as the Candelaria trough, but more generally the accumulation of ash-flow tuffs and related volcanic rocks
is less than 300 m thick. Complete to near complete outcrops are scattered over about 3200 km2 in the Candelaria Hills and surrounding ranges of the Southern Walker Lane structural zone. Three regionally extensive compound
cooling units within the overall sequence (25.8 Ma Metallic City, 24.1 Ma Belleville, and 23.7 Ma Candelaria Junction Tuffs)
have distinguishing characteristics and are the focus of study. At 106 sites, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS)
data provide an estimate of transport direction of each tuff. Inferred transport directions based on the AMS data are corrected
for a modest clockwise, yet variable magnitude, vertical axis rotation that affected these rocks in late Miocene to Pliocene
time, as revealed by paleomagnetic studies. The AMS data show a somewhat orderly pattern of magnetic fabrics that we interpret
to define unique transport directions for the Metallic City and Candelaria Junction Tuffs. The low susceptibility and degree
of anisotropy of the Belleville Tuff limits our interpretation from this pyroclastic deposit. The Metallic City and Candelaria
Junction Tuffs typically show gentle, south–southeast and southeast dipping magnetic fabric imbrication, respectively, and
very gently plunging magnetic lineations. These AMS fabric elements indicate the tuffs were transported to the north–northwest
and northwest, respectively. The AMS fabric data from the Metallic City and Candelaria Junction Tuffs suggest relatively unrestricted
flow during emplacement. Evidence across the 3,200 km2 area to support more regionally controlled channelized flow into and/or flow along the east northeast–west southwest axis
of the Candelaria trough is lacking. The ignimbrites clearly filled a topographic depression inferred to have formed concurrent
with early, localized Basin and Range extension during pyroclastic emplacement, but based on the uniformity of AMS fabric
data, we infer that the depression quickly filled and did not hinder flow across the region. Unrecognized eruptive centers
for the three ignimbrites may lie buried beneath Neogene basin fill sediments south–southeast of the Candelaria Hills or concealed
below younger deposits farther southeast into the Palmetto Mountains.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Revised and prepared for publication in the Bulletin of Volcanology. |
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| Keywords: | Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility Ignimbrite Pyroclastic flow Caldera Candelaria Hills Walker Lane Nevada |
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