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DIsTRIBuTIoN OF THE CHILc0TIN GROUP BASALTS, BRITISH COLUMBIA by JACQUELINE ANNE MARIE DOHANEY B.Sc. (Honours), Carleton University, 2006 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN SCIENCE in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Geological Sciences) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August, 2009 © Jacqueline Anne Marie Dohaney, 2009 ABSTRACT The Chilcotin Group basalts (CGB) are Oligocene to Late Pleistocene, stratified olivine-phyric basaltic lavas that overlie a large proportion of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. The distribution of the CGB is poorly understood regionally; the current distribution is based on compilations of previously published geological maps that employ a diverse set of lithostratigraphic definitions of the Group. Exposure of the basalts is typically poor, but the thickest and most extensive sections are exposed in the valley-margins of major rivers (e.g., the Fraser River). This study collates and interprets spatial datasets and reassesses the distribution of the CGB with the intent of producing a new, more robust distribution of the CGB within the Taseko Lakes (0920) and Bonaparte Lake (092P) map areas, with the goal of better characterizing their geological history and physical volcanology. The new distribution map demonstrates several important observations: (1) the distribution of the CGB is less extensive than previous compilations by up to 48%; this implies that, regionally, the CGB is probably significantly over-estimated; (2) there are abundant, yet not previously identified “windows” through the basalt that expose underlying rock units which may be geologically and economically important; (3) CGB volcanism spanned the Oligocene to the Pleistocene (—30 Ma) and was centered in the central Fraser River area (south of Williams Lake, B.C.) throughout the Pliocene Pleistocene; (4) the CGB was likely erupted from a multitude of small-volume monogenetic vents, rather than a series of long-lived volcanic centres or fissures; and (5) the CGB is thickest where lavas ponded in paleo-valleys, providing a key to mapping the distribution of Neogene channels in the Fraser Basin drainage. II TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF TABLES V LIST OF FIGURES Vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Statement of problem 1 1.2 Research goals 5 Chapter 2: The Chilcotin Group basalts (CGB) 6 2.1 Regional geology 6 2.2 Previous work 14 2.3 A working definition of the Chilcotin Group 19 Chapter 3: CGB Distribution Re-Assessment 32 3.1 Purpose and scope of CGB distribution re-assessment 32 3.2 Methodology of CGB distribution re-assessment 34 3.3 CGB distribution data types and sources 36 3.3.1 Geological maps containing the CGB 37 3.3.2 Point data 42 3.3.3 Aeromagnetic surveys 56 3.4 CGB distribution data collation 58 3.4.1 Step 1: Re-interpretation of existing geological maps 58 3.4.2 Step 2: Areas of disagreement 63 3.4.3 Step 3: Refining contacts of the CGB 65 3.4.4 Step 4: Final distribution re-assessment 69 3.5 Analysis of uncertainty of the new spatial distribution of the CGB 72 Chapter 4: Discussion and Implications 74 4.1 A new distribution map for the CGB 75 4.2 Basement windows within 0920 and 092P 77 4.3 Spatial and temporal evolution of the CGB 87 4.4 History of major river systems recorded by CGB lavas 94 III conclusions. 4.5 Summary and 97 Bibliography 99 Appendix 1: Database Metadata 113 Appendix 2: UBC Geochemistry Data 118 Appendix 3: Digital Maps 120 Appendix 4: Map Compilation Steps 121 Appendix 5: Final Maps 123 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: List of sources on previous studies of the Chilcotin Group 18 Table 2.2: Stratigraphic subdivisions or formations within the Chilcotin Group 26 Table 2.3: Comparison of stratigraphic attributes of CGB versus other major Cenozoic mafic volcanic units 30 Table 3.1: Catalogue of previous mapping in area of interest (0920 and 092P) 40 Table 3.2: List of stratigraphic map units used by previous workers in 0920 and 092P map sheets 60 Table 4.1: List of major MINFILE Occurrences within Taseko Lakes and Bonaparte Lake 83 V LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Map illustrating the location of the Chilcotin Group basalts in British Columbia 3 Figure 1.2: A cartoon of lava morphology: valley vs. plateau lavas 4 Figure 2.1: Regional geological setting of the CGB 11 Figure 2.2: Schematic time scale of Cenozoic volcanic stratigraphy of the Intermontane Belt 12 Figure 2.3: Map illustrating the present-day tectonic setting of western North America 13 Figure 2.4: A schematic cross section through the Dog Creek (0920) paleo-valley 25 Figure 2.5: The total alkali’s versus silica geochemical diagram for the CGB 27 Figure 2.6: Photograph of CGB volcanic plug at Lone Butte (092P) 29 Figure 2.7: An age histogram of the CGB 31 Figure 3.1: Location of the CGB Area of Interest (NTS map sheets 0920, 092P) 33 Figure 3.2: Flow chart illustrating the steps of distribution re-assessment of the CGB.. 35 Figure 3.3: Index map showing the location and coverage of previous mapping within 0920 and 092P 41 Figure 3.4: The station table from the geospatial database of the CGB 44 Figure 3.5: A map showing the sample locations and localities 45 Figure 3.6: The spatial distribution of CGB geochronology 47 Figure 3.7: The spatial distribution of the geochemical data collected from the CGB.... 49 Figure 3.8: A map illustrating the location of the ARIS data collected from the spatial database (0920, 092P) 51 Figure 3.9: A map illustrating the locations of the public water wells data within 0920 and 092P 53 Figure 3.10: Location map and catalogue of aeromagnetic survey data 57 Figure 3.11: Several maps illustrating disagreement among previous workers in placement of geological contacts within the Vedan Lake area (0920) 61 Figure 3.12: Preliminary geological map of the CGB 62 Figure 3.13: Map illustrating areas where the database identifies disagreement with the preliminary geological map 64 Figure 3.14: Map illustrating the refinement of boundaries between the CGB and the Thuya Batholith using the first vertical gradient 67 Figure 3.15: Map showing CGB geological contacts which were modified during Step 3 68 Figure 3.16: Two maps (A, B) illustrating final modifications to CGB distribution in Step 4 of re-interpretation 70 Figure 3.17: Kreiged surface illustrating the qualitative uncertainty of the new spatial distribution of the CGB 73 Figure 4.1: Map comparing the previous compilations with a new distribution of the CGB 76 Figure 4.2: New basement windows in 0920 and 092P 81 Figure 4.3: New economic targets in 0920 and 092P 84 Figure 4.4: Regional Geochemical Survey multi-element data maps for 0920 and 092P 85 vi Figure 4.5: The regional temporal and spatial evolution of the CGB from Oligocene time to Present 90 Figure 4.6: Volcanic necks and major fault lineaments within the Interior Plateau 93 Figure 4.7: Paleo-fluvial drainage networks in the Interior of British Columbia recorded by the Chilcotin Group 96 VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3rd This study was funded through the Geological Survey of Canada’s Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-03). I received financial support through an ACCELERATE BC Internship funded by Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS), Egil H Lorntzsen Scholarship, and a Geoscience BC Graduate Scholarship. I would first like to thank Kelly for being consistently available when I needed guidance, and for always developing new ideas instead of recycling old ones — even with Masters Projects. I would like to thank Jim, and Bob for being excellent committee members and providing ideas, criticisms and assistance through the entire process. I would like to thank Jamel Joseph, Randy Enkin, Mitch Mihalynuk, Paul Schiarizza, Steven Williams, Katrin Breitsprecher, Jordan Best, Mary Lou Bevier, and Arne Toma for providing technical and geological support, and advice. Graham, I think it goes without saying that none of this work would have been possible without your help, patience and intellect. I thank you for encouraging and sharing scientific discussion with myself and other members of the lab. R-E, I want to thank you for your collaboration in our projects and persistence through everything this year. To my other fellow VPLers — Nils, Geeves, Shelley, Steve and Curtis: I am very thankful that we worked through our projects together, and supported one another, even when it seemed like there was no progress and no hope. Many thanks to Lucy, Kevin, Chris, Dan, Rosie, Andrew, Gareth, Mat, Ben, and many other graduate students for great discussions, celebrations and much needed distractions these past two years. To my family and friends who helped me through many days with words of encouragement, faith and understanding. And lastly, to my father, VIII who always asks about my work and has brought me up to love science and my grandfather John who congratulated me on this great achievement in his last days with us. Ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of problem The Chilcotin Group basalts (CGB) comprise a series of Cenozoic aged, flat-lying basaltic lavas that cover the majority of the Interior Plateau (NTS 0920, P; 093A, B, C, F, G, J, K, L; 083D; 082M) and a portion of the Okanagan Highlands (92H, I; 082E, L) of British Columbia, Canada (Figure 1.1). The Interior Plateau is a composite physiographic region that contains several highlands and plateaus (Tribe, 2005). These basalts are exposed primarily in the walls of present-day river drainages, such as the Fraser and Chilcotin rivers, and as erosional remnants on the peaks of the eastern portion of the Coast Mountains, and the Okanagan Highlands.