Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in welded tuffs: application to a welded-tuff dyke in the tertiary Trans-Pecos Texas volcanic province,USA |
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| Authors: | John A Wolff Brooks B Ellwood Scott D Sachs |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Geology, University of Texas at Arlington, 76019 Arlington, TX, USA |
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| Abstract: | Consideration of published anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) studies on welded ignimbrites suggests that AMS fabrics are controlled by groundmass microlites distributed within the existing tuff fabric, the sum result of directional fabrics imposed by primary flow lineation, welding, and (if relevant) rheomorphism. AMS is a more sensitive indicator of fabric elements within welded tuffs than conventional methods, and usually yields primary flow azimuth estimates. Detailed study of a single densely welded tuff sample demonstrates that the overall AMS fabric is insensitive to the relative abundances of fiamme, matrix and lithics within individual drilled cores. AMS determinations on a welded-tuff dyke occurring in a choked vent in the Trans-Pecos Texas volcanic field reveals a consistent fabric with a prolate element imbricated with respect to one wall of the dyke, while total magnetic susceptibility and density exhibit axially symmetric variations across the dyke width. The dyke is interpreted to have formed as a result of agglutination of the erupting mixture on a portion of the conduit wall as it failed and slid into the conduit, followed by residual squeezing between the failed block and in situ wallrock. Irrespective of the precise mechanism, widespread occurrence of both welded-tuff dykes and point-welded, aggregate pumices in pyroclastic deposits may imply that lining of conduit walls by agglutionation during explosive volcanic eruptions is a common process. |
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