Geology and Geochemistry of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks in the Northern Reveille and Southern Pancake Ranges, Nye County, Nevada
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 12-1995 Geology and geochemistry of tertiary volcanic rocks in the northern Reveille and southern Pancake ranges, Nye County, Nevada Kelly Brian Rash University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Geochemistry Commons, Geology Commons, and the Volcanology Commons Repository Citation Rash, Kelly Brian, "Geology and geochemistry of tertiary volcanic rocks in the northern Reveille and southern Pancake ranges, Nye County, Nevada" (1995). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 1441. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/3432468 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Geology and Geochemistry of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks in the Northern Reveille and Southern Pancake Ranges, Nye County, Nevada by Kelly Brian Rash A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geology Department of Geoscience University ofNevada, Las Vegas December 1995 AU:;·~;- _,." f\.,.~ ~· . ' ,""~ . ... ; .. - ' IM---'-. ., -- -3. --· • - - • ~-:.)~--~.,-" Photograph of a caldera collapse megabreccia block of the tuff of Goblin Knobs within the caldera of northern Reveille Range. The thesis of Kelly B. Rash for the degree of Master of Science in Geology is approved. Examinin , Rodney V. Metcalf, Ph.D. ._..Graduate F~'presentative, Chih-Hsiang Ho University ofNevada, Las Vegas December 1995 ii Abstract The northern Reveille and southern Pancake Ranges, located in the south-central Great Basin, experienced a prolonged history of Tertiary volcanism. Volcanic activity in this area began with the eruption of large-volumes of ash-flow tuffs from calderas of the central Nevada caldera complex. The Reveille Range and the southernmost portion of the Pancake Range are the site of two calderas that are the sources for the tuff of Goblin Knobs and tuffofnorthem Reveille Range. The tuff of Goblin Knobs (70.4-75.3 wt.% Si02) erupted from the caldera of Goblin Knobs (25.6 Ma) and is the thickest(- 1700 m) ash-flow tuff in the Reveille and southern Pancake Range. Felsic volcanism ended with the eruption of the tuff of northern Reveille Range (71'.4-78.5 wt.% SiOz) from the caldera of northern Reveille Range (25.3 Ma). The caldera of northern Reveille Range is nested within the northern part of the caldera of Goblin Knobs. Volcanic activity in the northern Reveille Range changed from felsic to mafic in composition between 18.5 and 14 Ma. Mafic volcanism began approximately 14 Ma with the eruption oflithospheric mantle derived basaltic andesites (ENd= -8.21 to -7.21 87 86 and Sr/ Sr = 0.7076-0.7081). Between 14 and 6 Mathe mantle source changed from lithospheric to asthenospheric mantle. An asthenospheric mantle source dominated the final phases of volcanic activity between 6 and 3 Ma and resulted in the eruption of two 87 86 isotopically distinct groups of basaltic lavas (eNd= 0.75-4.47 and 3.52-5.35 and Sr/ Sr iii = 0.7043-0.7061 and 0.7034-0.7036, respectively). More evolved intermediate volcanism 87 86 (sNd = 3.26-3.83 and Sr/ Sr = 0.7037-0.7064) occurred between the eruption of the two basaltic groups. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................... u .............................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ............................................................ u ...................................................... viii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ x List of Plates .............................. u ........................................................................................x Acknowledgments ................................................ u .......................................................: ....... xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... ] Previous Work .................................................................................................................. 2 Regional Tectonics ........................................................................................................... 3 Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: General Stratigraphy of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks ................................... 10 Ash-flow Tuffs ............................................................................................................... ! 0 Pancake Range ............................................................................................................ II Monotony Tuff ......................................................................................................... II Tuff of Bald Mountain ............................................................................................. 11 Shingle Pass Tuffs .................................................................................................... I2 Tuff of Arrowhead ................................................................................................... 12 Reveille Range ............................................................................................................ 13 Tuff of Goblin Knobs ............................................................................................... l3 Tuff of northern Reveille Range .............................................................................. 13 Tuff of Streuben Knobs ........................................................................................... 14 Mafic Volcanic Rocks .................................................................................................... 14 Basaltic Andesites ....................................................................................................... 14 Episode-! Basalts ........................................................................................................ 15 Trachytes ..................................................................................................................... 15 Episode-2 basalts ......................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 3: Structural Ceology ...................................................................................... 21 Faults .............................................................................................................................. 21 Northeast-Striking Normal Faults ............................................................................... 21 Northwest-Striking Normal and Reverse Faults ......................................................... 22 Strike-slip Fault ........................................................................................................... 22 v East-West-Striking Nonnal Faults .............................................................................. 22 Joints ............................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 4: Analytical Techniques .................................................................................. 26 Major and Trace Element Analyses (XRF) .................................................................... 26 Rare-Earth and Trace Element Analyses (INAA) ........................................................... 27 Isotope Analyses hTIMS) ................................................................................................ 28 Geochronology (4 ArP9Ar Incremental Heating Technique) .......................................... 28 Chapter 5: Geochemistry ............................................................................................... 33 F elsie Volcanic Rocks .................................................................................................... 33 Major Elements .......................................................................................................... .34 Trace Elements ........................................................................................................... .35 Isotopes ....................................................................................................................... .36 Mafic Volcanic Rocks ................................................................................................... .3 7 Major Elements .......................................................................................................... .3 7 Trace Elements ............................................................................................................ 38 Isotopes .......................................................................................................................