Major 10.2-Ma Rhyolitic Volcanism in the Eastern Snake River Plain
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Major 10.2-Ma Rhyolitic Volcanism in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho- Isotopic Age and Stratigraphic Setting of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 2091 AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publications re leased prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications that may be listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" may no longer be available. 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Eaton, Director For Sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Box 25286, MS 306, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Major 10.2-Ma rhyolitic volcanism in the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho : isotopic age and stratigraphic setting of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation I by K.S. Kellogg ... [et al.]. p. cm.-(U.S. Geological Survey bulletin; 2091) Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.3:2091 1. Volcanic ash, tuff, etc.-Idaho. 2. Geology, Stratigraphic-Miocene. 3. Petrology-Idaho. 4. Starlight Formation (Idaho) I. Kellogg. Karl S. II. Title: Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation. III. Series. QE75.B9 no. 2091 [QE461] 557.3 s-dc20 94-15631 [552'.2'09792] CIP CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ Introduction ......................................................................................................................... Description of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member.................................................................... 3 New isotopic ages for the Arbon Valley Tuff Member........................................................ 5 Sampling....................................................................................................................... 5 Methodology................................................................................................................. 5 Results of 40 Arf39Ar Analysis . ........... .......... .... ......... .......... ............ ... ....... ....... ......... ... 6 Results of potassium-argon analysis............................................................................. 7 Estimated age of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member................................................................ 10 Stratigraphy of the southeastern margin of the Snake River Plain....................................... 11 Geochemistry of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member................................................................ 11 Source of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member........................................................................... 13 Conclusions . .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 16 References Cited................................................................................................................... 16 FIGURES 1. Location map showing the known extent of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member and three rhyolite lava flows . ......... .. .. 2 2. Photograph of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member in The Cove....................................................................................... 4 3. Photograph of the base of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member in The Cove . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 4. Diagrams showing 40Arf3 9 Ar age spectra for sanidine and biotite from the Arbon Valley Tuff Member................... 8 5. 40 ArP6 Ar- 39 ArP6 Ar isochron diagrams for sanidine and biotite from samples of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member . 9 6. Diagrammatic stratigraphic cross section of units along the southeastern margin of the Snake River Plain............. 12 7. Strontium-rubidium-zirconium ternary diagram comparing samples from the Heise volcanic field with those from the Arbon Valley Tuff Member . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 8. Cross section along the resistivity sounding line shown in figure 1 ........................................................................... 16 TABLES 1. Measured production ratios for potassium- and calcium-derived argon isotopes for the U.S. Geological Survey RIGA reactor................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. 40Arf3 9 Ar age-spectrum data for the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation..................................... 6 3. Summary of 40ArJ39 Ar dating results for the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation........................ 9 4. Summary of potassium-argon ages for the Arbon Valley Tuff Member and several other rhyolitic units from the eastern Snake River Plain............................................................................................................................. 10 5. Major-oxide chemical analysis of rhyolite of west Pocatello ..................................................................................... 13 6. Selected trace-element abundances for samples of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member, rhyolites of Two-and-a-Half-Mile Creek and Stevens Peak, and tuffs of the Heise volcanic field................................................ 14 III Major 10.2-Ma Rhyolitic Volcanism in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho Isotopic Age and Stratigraphic Setting of the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation By K.S. Kellogg, S.S. Harlan, H.H. Mehnert, L.W. Snee, K.L. Pierce, W.R. Hackett, and D.W. Rodgers ABSTRACT for cycles of rhyolitic magmatism in volcanic fields of the eastern Snake River Plain. Each cycle lasted for several mil lion years, and magmatism migrated northeastward toward The Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Forma the Yell ow stone plateau. tion, formally named in this report, is a prominent rhyolite ash-flow tuff that is exposed at many localities along the southeastern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain. Where it occurs, the unit makes up the entire middle member of the INTRODUCTION Starlight Formation and extends from at least Rockland Val ley on the southwest to the Blackfoot Mountains on the northeast, a distance of more than 125 km. The tuff is also Evidence is accumulating that the Snake River Plain is recognized at one locality on the northwestern margin of