SNAKE RIVER PLAIN, IDAHO Katelyn J
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LINKS BETWEEN ERUPTIVE STYLES, MAGMATIC EVOLUTION, AND MORPHOLOGY OF SHIELD VOLCANOES: SNAKE RIVER PLAIN, IDAHO Katelyn J. Barton, Eric H. Christiansen, and Michelle Hurst Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Abstract Despite their similar ages and geographic locations, two low-shield volcanoes on the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, Kimama Butte (87 ka) and Rocky Butte (95 ka), have strikingly different profiles. In this study, these two volcanoes are examined to determine the connections between chemical composition, intensive parameters, eruption style, and topographic features of basaltic shield volcanoes. Because lava temperature, magma viscosity, and chemical composition overlap at the two volcanoes, they are probably not important controls on the differences in morphology. The main difference at the two shields, aside from general vent morphology, is the presence of late-stage, phenocryst-rich, high viscosity lavas that form high spatter ramparts at Kimama Butte but not at Rocky Butte. We conclude that phenocryst abundance, magma viscosity, and eruption style play the most important role in developing a shield volcano summit. Where eruptions shifted from lava lake overflow and tube development to late fountaining with short, viscous, spatter-fed, phenocryst-rich flows, a steeper, higher shield developed. The result can be used to better understand the eruptive processes of shield volcanoes on the Moon, Mars, and Venus that can only be studied morphologically. INTRODUCTION Hauber et al., 2009; Henderson, 2015; Hughes et al., 2019). Three categories of Limitations due to physical distance from morphological profiles, ‘capped’, low-profile, other planetary bodies makes understanding or dome-shaped, are present on the Snake the volcanic systems on them difficult. River Plain (Sakimoto et al., 2003; Hughes et Estimations of the chemical composition of al., 2004). The low-profile shield summit lavas is especially challenging and often regions are slightly elevated compared to the constrained based on morphology (Guest et rest of the shield while the ‘capped’ variety al., 1992; Sakimoto et al., 2003). To overcome have markedly steeper flanks near the vent and these difficulties, it is beneficial to study a distinct elevated cap at the summit (Hughes similar terrains on Earth where our access is et al., 2004). less limited. In particular, since volcano morphology is a parameter that can be Kimama Butte and Rocky Butte represent the accurately assessed with the techniques range of morphologies typical of shield currently used in planetary exploration, it is volcanoes on the eastern Snake River Plain important to understand the morphology of (Fig. 1). Kimama Butte, a ‘capped’ shield similar terrestrial shield volcanoes. variety, has a diameter of 9 km and a height of 210 m with only a small central crater at the The eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho is one main vent. In contrast, Rocky Butte is a low- such terrain that is analogous to volcanic profile shield with a broad 12 km topographic provinces on the Moon, Mars, and Venus (e.g. shield that rises 140 m to the summit with less Greeley and Spudis, 1981; Head and Gifford, than 1-degree slopes. The summit is marked 1980; Guest et al., 1992; Hughes, 2001; by a shallow, slightly elongated crater. Sakimoto et al., 2003; Hughes et al., 2004; 1 Figure 1. North-south profiles of Kimama Butte and Rocky Butte. Notice Rocky Butte is a low-profile shield while Kimama Butte has a steep ‘cap’ near the summit. 15:1 vertical exaggeration. The main purpose of this study is to determine that trends east-northeast across southern the connection between chemical Idaho to the edge of Yellowstone Plateau compositions, eruption styles, and topographic volcanic field. Characteristic of the area is an features of basaltic shield volcanoes. In extensive record of bimodal volcanism (basalt particular, we will test the assertions of and rhyolite) with few intermediate previous studies that have linked more evolved compositions (Hughes et al., 1999; chemical compositions (Hughes and Christiansen and McCurry, 2008; Colón et al., Sakimoto, 2002; Sakimoto et al., 2003), 2018). The time-transgressive Miocene- changes in eruptive style (Hughes and Quaternary rhyolites are associated with the Sakimoto, 2002; Brady, 2005), and lavas with Yellowstone hot spot track (Hughes et al., higher crystallinity (Brady, 2005) with the 1999). Covering the rhyolitic calderas and steeper portions of shields. If such volcanic centers are younger basaltic lavas and interrelationships can be understood on Earth sediments from eolian, fluvial, and lacustrine with these two low-shield volcanoes, processes (Hughes et al., 2002). information can be unlocked about the many other shield volcanoes in the solar system. A deep-mantle plume is the most widely accepted explanation for this mid-plate GEOLOGIC SETTING volcanism (Leeman, 1982; Pierce et al., 1992; McQuarrie and Rodgers, 1998; Perfit and Kimama Butte and Rocky Butte are two of Davidson, 2000; Hughes et al., 2002; Colón et approximately 300 low-shield volcanoes al., 2018); however, other mechanisms such as (Henderson, 2015) scattered along the 400 km an upper-mantle plume or decompression long, 100 km wide eastern Snake River Plain melting from extension of a rift in the 2 lithosphere are still maintained (Christiansen represent single pulses of magma that feed et al., 2002; Foulger et al., 2015). individual monogenetic low-shield volcanoes Decompression melting led to initial flood (Potter et al., 2018; Potter et al., 2019). As the basalts (Columbia River Flood Basalts, OR basaltic magmas crystallize and evolve, the and the High Rock caldera complex, NV) and reservoirs are continually fed by repeated then to silicic eruptions along the hot spot influx of mafic magma before erupting track. Around 14-10 Ma, a transition from (Leeman and Vitaliano, 1976; Leeman, 1982; plume head to plume tail resulted in better Hanan et al., 2008; Potter et al., 2018). aligned rhyolitic volcanic centers and calderas along the axis of the eastern Snake River Plain Small volumes of magma (0.01-15 km3), that (Pierce et al., 1992; Coble and Mahood, 2016). have little substantial residence time in the Basaltic volcanism began shortly after the crust, erupt from fissures or central vents over demise of rhyolitic volcanism at each center a time span of a few days to years to form large with flow ages ranging from thousands to tube- and channel-fed lava fields some tens of several million years old (Armstrong et al., kilometers across (Greeley, 1982; Geist et al., 1975). 2002; Walker and Sigurdsson, 2000; Hughes et al., 2002; Hughes et al., 2018). Small Basaltic Volcanism on the Snake River topographic shields typically less than 200 m Plain high and ~15 km across mark the central vents. The polygenetic lava field grows as volcanoes Basaltic volcanism on the Snake River Plain accumulate on top of each other covering the has been called “plains style” volcanism as it distal flows but leaving the slightly steeper has distinct flow characteristics, surface upper portion of the shields exposed. morphologies, and geochemistry compared to Eventually, these summits are also buried. The continental flood basalts and large Hawaiian- summit regions are typically marked by type shield volcanoes (Greeley, 1982; irregular pit craters filled with small lava lakes, Christiansen and McCurry, 2008; Hughes et shelly pahoehoe, ropy pahoehoe, and short al., 2018). Clusters of tens to thousands of spatter-fed flows. Lava lake overflow and monogenetic low-shield volcanoes are a “underflow” into tubes are important characteristic aspect of a basaltic plains region mechanism of shield growth (Greeley, 1982; (Walker and Sigurdsson, 2000). Hughes et al., 1999; Hughes et al., 2018). Presumably, development of low-shield METHODS volcanoes on the Snake River Plain begins with partial melting of the Yellowstone plume Existing geologic maps (Malde et al., 1963; between 80 and 110 km depth (e.g., Leeman LaPoint, 1977; Bond et al., 1978; Othberg et and Vitaliano, 1976; Bradshaw, 2012; Jean et al., 2012; Kuntz et al., 2018) were modified al., 2013; Putirka et al., 2009; Jean et al., during field exploration and sampling (Fig. 2). 2018). Magma ascends from that depth and Samples were collected around each shield eventually stagnates in the crust where from the distal flow margins, the flanks of the fractional crystallization and incorporation of shield, and near the summit vents. local partially melted country rock occurs. Additionally, lava flow types (olivine-rich, Stagnation depth is probably controlled by the intermediate, plagioclase-rich) were mapped. strength of the crustal rocks, rather than At Rocky Butte, strike and dip measurements density, to form the mid-crustal sill, inferred to were recorded for slabby ramparts along with be a complex network of individual bodies of flow descriptions (spatter, lava flow, spatter- magma that fractionate independently and 3 Figure 2. A colored shaded relief map showing the summit regions of Kimama Butte and Rocky Butte and parts of the lava fields. Lava from an older shield forms a kipuka just west of the Kimama Butte summit. fed flow, etc.) at points around the rim and GEOLOGY OF KIMAMA BUTTE inside the lava lake. Sample locations and other field information were compiled on Kimama Butte lavas erupted 87 ± 11 ka detailed geologic and topographic maps in (40Ar/39Ar weighted mean plateau age using ArcGIS using aerial photographs, and new 1.196 Ma for the age of the Alder Creek digital elevation models derived Rhyolite standard; Kuntz et al., 2018) and 2 photogrammetrically. cover an area of about 250 km (Fig. 2). From the main vent, ~10 km3 of lava distributed in a Whole rock major and trace element analyses broad low-profile shield 13 km in diameter and were performed by x-ray fluorescence 240 m high (Fig. 1). Individual hummocky spectrometry and major element analysis of lava flows built on each other to create the pre-eruptive phases (olivine, plagioclase, and broad shield.