ABSTRACT
New Nd isotopic data of zircon grains from dikes and spatially associated, penecontemporaneous tuffs within the Latir volcanic field (NM) and Mount Princeton
(CO) do not show an isotopic connection between the dikes and tuffs. I hypothesize that these inconclusive results are from inheritance of Precambrian zircons within the samples. U-Pb geochronology data of the Questa ring dike sample supports this hypothesis because it is demonstrably older than previously dated samples. Future research should date the samples using zircon U-Pb geochronologic methods alongside the Nd analysis to ensure that the samples are not contaminated with inherited zircons.
INTRODUCTION
Supereruptions are large (>500 km3) volcanic eruptions that can have devastating effects on Earth’s environment. Fully understanding the source of these eruptions is important in understanding the likelihood of occurrence and the origin and evolution of the magmas. Investigating the relationship between the unerupted plutonic rocks and the erupted volcanic rocks can help elucidate the source of supereruptions.
The relationship between plutonic and volcanic rocks is debated within the geology community. Two end-member hypotheses persist to explain their connections.
One posits that plutonic rocks are unerupted crystal and liquid residua of volcanic eruptions, so the two are geochemically complementary to each other (Hildreth, 2004;
Eichelberger et al., 2006; Bachmann et al., 2007; Lipman, 2007; de Silva and Gosnold,
2007). The other suggests that plutonic rocks are unerupted, unfractionated equivalents of volcanic rocks (Glazner et al., 2008; Tappa et al., 2011; Mills and Coleman, 2013).
1 Evaluating these two hypotheses requires investigation of spatially and temporally related plutonic and volcanic rocks.
The Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field provides an opportunity to discern the field relations between intrusive and extrusive rocks because coeval plutonic and volcanic rocks are exposed and within close proximity to one another. Zircon U-Pb geochronologic data (Tappa et al., 2011; Mills and Coleman, 2013) indicate that, in two locations (the Latir volcanic field and Mount Princeton), plutonic rocks that are age- equivalent to tuffs are limited to small (meter-scale) dikes: large, kilometer-scale plutons are either demonstrably older or younger than the erupted rocks.
The link between dikes and tuffs suggested by geochronologic data can be tested through the isotope geochemistry of the plutonic and volcanic rocks. If the dikes directly fed tuffs, with little or no upper crustal residence or modification (Glazner et al., 2008;
Tappa et al., 2011; Mills and Coleman, 2013), the feeder dikes should be isotopically equivalent to the tuffs. I provide new zircon Nd isotopic data for a ring dike near the
Questa caldera and the coeval Amalia Tuff, and a “tuff dike” north of the Mount Aetna caldera and the coeval Badger Creek Tuff.
GEOLOGIC SETTING
The Questa caldera is located in the Latir volcanic field, part of the Southern
Rocky Mountain volcanic field of Colorado and New Mexico (Figure 1). The Rio Grande rift caused uplift that eroded and exposed a section of plutonic and volcanic rocks within the Latir volcanic field (Zimmerer and McIntosh, 2012). These rocks reflect magmatism that initiated at 28.5 Ma and culminated with the formation of the Questa caldera during eruption of the Amalia Tuff at 25.52 ± 0.06 Ma (Tappa et al., 2011). The Amalia Tuff is
2
Figure 1: Simplified geologic map of the Questa Caldera within the Latir volcanic field showing the locations of the ring dike and the Amalia Tuff. Modified from Tappa et al.
(2011).
3 an approximately 500 km3 peralkaline high-silica rhyolite (Lipman et al., 1986).
Surrounding the Questa Caldera are a number of ring dikes that are compositionally similar to the Amalia Tuff (Lipman et al., 1986). The only plutonic rocks that yield the same age as the Amalia Tuff are the ring dikes surrounding the Questa caldera with a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 25.64 ± .08 Ma (Tappa et al., 2011). The dikes intrude the surrounding pre-Tertiary rocks at the northern rim of the caldera (Lipman and Reed,
1989).
The Mount Aetna caldera is located north of Questa in the Colorado portion of the
Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field (Figure 2). Following Laramide shortening, magmatism began at the Mount Aetna caldera at approximately 37 Ma (Lipman and
Bachmann, 2015). The Mount Aetna caldera formed during the eruption of the Badger
Creek Tuff at 34.47 ± 0.05 Ma (Mills and Coleman, 2013). None of the surrounding plutonic rock temporally matches the Badger Creek Tuff except for small dikes outside and on the rim of the caldera. One of these, the so-called tuff dike because of the occurrence of flattened pumice, was dated to have a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of
34.57 ± 0.08 Ma (Mills and Coleman, 2013). Another ring dike was dated to have a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 34.48 ± 0.09 Ma (Mills and Coleman, 2013). Both the tuff dike and the ring dike intrude the Mount Aetna pluton (Mills and Coleman, 2013).
METHODS
Neodymium isotope geochemistry
Samples of the dikes and tuffs were collected in New Mexico and Colorado, and then they were processed through a jaw crusher and disc mill. Mineral grains were separated through a water table, heavy liquids, and a magnetic separator in order to
4
Figure 2: Simplified geologic map of the Mount Aetna Caldera complex portion of the
Mount Princeton Batholith showing the locations of the tuff dike, the ring dike, and the
Badger Creek Tuff. Modified from Mills and Coleman (2013).
5 concentrate the amount of zircons in each sample. Next the zircon grains were picked by hand for each sample under a microscope. For each sample approximately 100 zircon grains were picked for analysis. These zircon grains were placed in a 220˚C oven for five days in a pressure-dissolution vessel that contained 500 microliters of HF and 500 microliters of HNO3 in order to completely dissolve them. After taking the samples out of the oven they were dried down, fluxed with HCl, and spiked using a 150Nd/144Nd tracer.
Isolation of Nd and Sm was accomplished with α-HIBA cation exchange column chromatography. Columns were filled with a resin and flushed with α-HIBA. Next, samples were loaded into the columns, and α-HIBA was added to elute the Nd and Sm from each sample (Boyet and Carlson, 2005). After collection of both Nd and Sm the samples were in solution with α-HIBA. α-HIBA affects the ionization of Nd on the mass spectrometer, so the samples were dried down to remove any α-HIBA. Samples were dissolved with a mixture of 13 M HNO3 and 6 M HCL, and then dried down to evaporate any remaining α-HIBA (Boyet and Carlson, 2005). Once dried down the samples were loaded onto Re and Ta filaments (for Nd and Sm samples, respectively) and placed in the mass spectrometer. Neodymium isotopic ratios were measured on the Phoenix X62 thermal ionization mass spectrometer, and Sm isotopic ratios were measured on the VG
Sector 54 thermal ionization mass spectrometer.
U-Pb geochronology
For two samples, a small aliquot was taken for U-Pb geochronology analysis after samples had been dissolved. This aliquot was spiked with 205Pb-233U-236U tracer. HCl anion exchange column chromatography separated the U and Pb. The samples were dried
6 down, loaded onto Re filaments, and measured on the VG Sector 54 thermal ionization mass spectrometer.
RESULTS
Nd isotopic data
All samples show a wide range of Nd, 143Nd/144Nd, [Nd] ppm, and [Sm] ppm, and 147Sm/144Nd values (Table 1). I collected multiple samples for the Questa caldera ring dike, and these samples yield varying 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratios. These samples have a 143Nd/144Nd range of from 0.511981 ± 0.000267 to 0.512628 ± 0.000062. The
Amalia Tuff yields a 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratio of 0.512234 ± 0.000034. The Mount
Princeton tuff dike samples yield varying 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratios. These samples have a 143Nd/144Nd range of 0.512137 ± 0.000029 to 0.512297 ± 0.000028. The Badger
Creek tuff yields a 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratio of 0.512219 ± 0.000057.
U-Pb geochronology
I dated the Questa ring dike and the Amalia Tuff (Table 2). The Questa ring dike yields an age of 26.6 ± 0.77, which is demonstrably older than previous data from Tappa et al. (2011). The Amalia Tuff yields an age of 25.85 ± 0.89, which is consistent with previous data from Tappa et al. (2011) (Figure 3).
DISCUSSION
New Nd data
New Nd data are inconclusive about the isotopic link between the Questa caldera ring dike and the Amalia Tuff for age corrected 143Nd/144Nd ratios. The ratios do not overlap within uncertainty, and the wide range of 143Nd/144Nd for the Questa ring dike
7 eNd ±2σ 143Nd/144Nd ±2σ [Nd] [Sm] 147Sm/144Nd ±2σ
ppm ppm
Questa ring dike
RD15-02 -2.73 0.73 0.512466 0.000037 90.723 38.054 0.2536 0.0022
RD15-02C 0.43 1.22 0.512628 0.000062 34.561 11.49 0.201 0.0022
RD15-03 -6.14 0.67 0.512291 0.000034 78.518 24.58 0.3461 0.0024
RD15-03C -12.19 5.21 0.511981 0.000267 3.784 1.418 0.2264 0.0052
Amalia Tuff
AT15-04 -7.43 0.66 0.512224 0.000034 46.131 18.917 0.2479 0.002
Mount Princeton tuff dike
MPRM-4 -5.77 0.54 0.512297 0.000028 4.962 2.315 0.282 0.0021
MPRM-4C -8.9 0.57 0.512137 0.000029 94.404 21.456 0.1374 0.0011
Badger Creek
Tuff
MPRM-30 -7.3 1.12 0.512219 0.000057 11.565 3.527 0.1843 0.002
Table 1: Neodymium and Samarium isotopic data for the Questa ring dike, Amalia Tuff,
Mount Princeton tuff dike, and Badger Creek Tuff.
8 Composition Isotopic Ratios
Pb* Th/ Pbc 206Pb/ 206Pb/ 207Pb/ 207Pb/ Fraction (pg) U b (pg) c 204Pb 238U e ±2σ % 235U e ±2σ % 206Pb e ±2σ % a d AT15-01 F-1 98.4 0.486 422.2 32.980 0.0040 3.5046 0.027486 70.305 0.04980613 67.17069855 2765 01231 05484 61094 04311 38932 422 46145 6 894 6 5 RD15-02 F-1 42.0 1.057 130.4 35.832 0.0041 2.9279 0.029036 57.190 0.05109098 54.57186383 9393 43403 10676 87651 2378 19446 704 23476 5 841 4 7
Dates (Ma) 206Pb/ 238U ±2σ 207Pb/ ±2σ 207Pb/ ±2σ Corr.
25.85556383 0.89551163 27.5325715 19.0968219 184.917061 1564.18359 0.89944225 5 4 2 1 6 7
26.60482746 0.77122104 29.0634373 16.3858225 243.909242 1257.21647 0.89940033 3 1 9 7 7 5 a Total mass of radiogenic Pb. b Th contents calculated from radiogenic 208Pb and 230Th-corrected 206Pb/238U date of the sample, assuming concordance between U-Pb Th-Pb systems. c Total mass of common Pb. d Measured ratio corrected for fractionation and spike contribution only. e Measured ratios corrected for fractionation, tracer and blank. f Corrected for initial Th/U disequilibrium using radiogenic 208Pb and Th/U[magma] = 3.5000. g Isotopic dates calculated using λ238 = 1.55125E-10 (Jaffey et al. 1971) and λ235 = 9.8485E-10 (Jaffey et al. 1971).
Table 2: U-Pb data for the Questa ring dike and the Amalia Tuff.
9
Figure 3: U-Pb geochronology ages of the Questa ring dike and the Amalia Tuff.
The blue bars represent my data, and the red bars represent data from Tappa et al. (2011).
10 samples indicate that the samples may have Precambrian zircons that have caused inheritance in the samples (Figure 4). New Nd data for the Mount Princeton tuff dike and the Badger Creek Tuff do not overlap within uncertainty for age corrected 143Nd/144Nd ratios (Figure 4). I hypothesize that with such a large amount of zircons in the analysis
Precambrian zircons contaminated the Nd isotope chemistry of the samples, so there is inconclusive evidence to support an isotopic link between the dike and tuff.
Magmatic Evolution of the Questa and Mount Aetna calderas
For both the Questa and Mount Aetna calderas previous workers (Lipman et al.,
1986; Campbell, 1994; Zimmerer and McIntosh, 2012) proposed that the erupted equivalent of the surrounding plutons are the tuffs. However, geochronologic data (Tappa et al., 2011; Mills and Coleman, 2013) indicate that the surrounding plutons are incrementally assembled over millions of years, whereas the eruptions of tuffs happen almost instantaneously. Furthermore, the geochronologic data temporally links small ring dikes to the tuff. The new Nd data cannot isotopically link the dikes and tuffs due to a wide range of age corrected 143Nd/144Nd ratios that are caused from the inheritance of
Precambrian zircons. This inheritance is shown in the U-Pb geochronology data (Figure
3). The older age of the Questa ring dike infers that the sample is contaminated with inherited zircons.
Pluton Assembly
Previous studies have found that pluton emplacement does not always temporally precede large-volume volcanic eruptions (Glazner, 1991; Wilson and Charlier, 2009). It has been hypothesized that magma flux plays a major role in pluton assemblage. During low magma flux plutons are being assembled, and during high magma flux volcanic
11
Figure 4: 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratios for the Mount Princeton tuff dike,
Badger Creek Tuff, Questa ring dike, and Amalia Tuff. Green data points are whole rock
143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratios taken from Johnson et al. (1990) for the Questa ring dike and Amalia Tuff.
12 eruptions are occurring (Glazner et al., 2004; Tappa et al., 2011; Zimmerer and McIntosh,
2012; Mills and Coleman, 2013). On the basis of previous U-Pb zircon geochronologic data, the only age-equivalent plutonic rocks to the tuffs at Questa and Mount Princeton are small feeder dikes. The temporal link between the dikes and the tuffs show that the dikes are likely to be the source for the high-flux magma that erupts to form the large- volume tuffs. I hypothesized that if the dikes and tuffs are temporally linked, then they should also be isotopically linked. The results were inconclusive to support this hypothesis due to a wide range of Nd isotopic data that do not overlap within uncertainty.
I hypothesize that this wide range is due to the large amount of zircons needed for analysis, and this large amount included unwanted Precambrian zircons that affected the data. The U-Pb data of the Questa ring dike indicates this inheritance, and for future research date all of the samples should be dated to to check if there has been contamination with Precambrian zircons. Dating all of the samples and ensuring that the dates of the samples match existing U-Pb zircon geochronologic data (Tappa et al., 2011;
Mills and Coleman, 2013), the possibility that the Nd ratios in the samples are contaminated by inherited zircons could be eliminated.
CONCLUSIONS
New zircon Nd isotopic data are inconclusive and cannot isotopically link small feeder dikes to large-scale volcanic eruptions. These new isotopic data cannot support previous research because the samples do not overlap within uncertainty for 143Nd/144Nd age corrected ratios. Previous research (Tappa et al., 2011; Mills and Coleman, 2013) found a temporal link between small dikes and large-volume tuffs through U-Pb zircon
13 geochronologic data. The U-Pb zircon geochronology date of the Questa ring dike from this study does not overlap within uncertainty with data from Tappa et al. (2011), so I infer that the ring dike samples have inherited zircons. Future Nd analysis needs more U-
Pb zircon geochronologic data to ensure that the samples are not contaminated with inherited zircons.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Erik Bolling, Sean Gaynor, Ryan Frazer, Connor Lawrence,
Drew Coleman, and Ryan Mills for all of their help in the field and in the lab. The
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, the Jim Gold Fellowship, and the Daniel
Craig Pignatiello Fund, administered by the Department of Geological Sciences, supported this project.
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