Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The petrogenesis of 30–20 Ma basic and intermediate volcanics from the Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field, New Mexico, USA

  • Published:
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the western USA calcalkaline magmas were generated hundreds of kilometres from the nearest destructive plate margin, and in some areas during regional extension several Ma after the cessation of subduction. The Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field (MDVF) in southern New Mexico was a centre of active magmatism in the mid- to late-Tertiary, and a detailed field, petrographic and geochemical study has been undertaken to evaluate the relations between extensional tectonics and calcalkaline magmatism in the period 30–20 Ma. The rocks comprise alkalic to high-K calcalkaline lavas, ranging from basalt to high silica andesitc. Most of the basaltic rocks have relatively low HFSE abundances, elevated 87Sr/86Sr and low 143Nd/144Nd, similar to many Tertiary basalts across the western USA, and they are inferred to have been derived from the continental mantle lithosphere. Two differentiation trends are recognised, with the older magmas having evolved to more calcalkaline compositions by magma mixing between alkalic basaltic andesites and silicic crustal melts, and the younger rocks having undergone 30–40% fractional crystallisation to more alkalic derivatives. The younger basalts also exhibit a shift to relatively higher HSFE abundances, with lower 87Sr/86Sr and higher 143Nd/144Nd, and these have been modelled as mixtures between an average post-5 Ma Basin and Range basalt and the older MDVF lithosphere-derived basalts. It is argued that the presence of subduction-related geochemical signatures and the development of calcalkaline andesites in the 30–20 Ma lavas from the MDVF are not related to the magmatic effects of Tertiary subduction. Rather, basic magmas were generated by partial melting of the lithospheric mantle which had been modified during a previous subduction event. Since these basalts were generated at the time of maximum extension in the upper crust it is inferred that magma generation was in response to lithospheric extension. The association of the 30–20 Ma calcalkaline andesites with the apparently ‘anorogenic’ tectonism of late mid-Tertiary extension, is the result of crustal contamination, in that fractionated, mildly alkaline, basaltic andesite magmas were mixed with silicic crustal melts, generating hybrid andesite lavas with calcalkaline affinities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abitz RJ (1989) Geology and petrogenesis of the nothern Emory Caldera, Sierra County, New Mexico. PhD dissertation, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

  • Alibert C, Michard A, Albarède F (1986) Isotope and trace element geochemistry of Colorado Plateau volcanics. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 50:2735–2750

    Google Scholar 

  • Arndt NT, Christensen U (1992) The role of lithospheric mantle in continental flood volcanism. J Geophys Res 97:10967–10981

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker DR, Eggler DH (1983) Fractionation paths of Atka (Aleutians) highalumina basalts; constraints from phase relations. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 18:387–404

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker DR, Eggler DH (1987) Compositions of anhydrous and hydrous melts coexisting with plagioclase, augite, and olivine or low Ca-pyroxene from 1 atm. to 8 kbar. Application to the Aleutian centre of Atka. Am Mineral 72:12–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Bornhorst TJ (1980) Major- and trace-element geochemistry and mineralogy of Upper Eocene to Quaternary volcanic rocks from the Mogollon Datil Volcanic Field, southwestern New Mexico. PhD disscrtation, University of Nex Mexico, Albuquerque

  • Bradshaw TK, Hawkesworth CJ, Gallagher K (1993) Basaltic volcanism in the Southern Basin and Range: no role for a mantle plume. Earth Planet Sci Lett 116:45–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlin RM (1983) Cenozoic domino-style crustal extension in the Lemitar Mountains, New Mexico, a summary. New Mexico Geol Soc, Guidebook 34:111–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen RL, Lipman PW (1972) Cenozoic volcanism and plate-tectonic evolution of the Western United States. II Late Cenozoic. Phil Trans R Soc London A 271:249–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke CB (1990) The geochemistry of the Atlanta Lobe of the Idaho Batholith in the Western United States Cordillera. PhD thesis, Open University, Milton Keynes, England

  • Clemons RE, Kottlowski FE, Stone WJ, Elston WE, Deal EG, Seager WR, Kelley VC, Kelley RW, Hawley JW, Mueller JE, Robertson JM (1982) New Mexico Highway Geologic Map. New Mexico Geological Society

  • Davis J (1991) The geochemical evolution of basic and intermediate mid- to late-Tertiary volcanism from the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, southwestern New Mexico, USA. PhD thesis, Open University, Milton Keynes, England

  • Davis J, Elston W, Hawkesworth CJ (in press) Basic and intermediate volcanism of the Mogollon Datil Volcanic Field; implications for the mid-Tertiary tectonic and magmatic transitions in southwestern New Mexico, USA Geol Soc Landon Spec Pub, IG Gass Comm Vol

  • Elston WE (1957) Geology and mineral resources of Dwyer Quadrangle, Grant, Luna and Sierra Counties, New Mexico. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Bull 33

  • Elston WE (1984) Subduction of young oceanic lithosphere and extensional orogeny in southeestern North America during mid-Tertiary time. Tectonics 3:229–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Elston WE (1980) Overview of the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Mem 46:43–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Elston WE, Damon PE, Coney PJ, Rhodes RC, Smith EI, Bikerman M (1973) Tertiary volcanic rocks, Mogollon-Datil province, New Mexico, and surrounding region; K—Ar dates, patterns of eruption and periods of mineralisation. Geol Soc Am Bull 81:3393–3406

    Google Scholar 

  • Elston WE, Rhodes RC, Coney PJ, Dcal EG (1976) Progress report on the Mogollon Plateau volcanic field, sourthwestern New Mexico, No. 3-surface expression of a pluton. In: Elston WE, Northrop SA (eds) Cenozoic volcanism in southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol Soc Special Publ 5:3—26

  • Fitton JG, Dunlop HM (1985) The Cameroon line, West Africa, and its bearing on the origin of oceanic and continental alkali basalt. Earth Planet Sci Lett 72:23–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitton JG, James D, Kempton PD, Ormerod DS, Leeman WP (1988) The role of lithospheric mantle in the generation of late Cenozoic basic magmas in the S.W. United States. J Petrol Spec Lithosphere Issue 29:331–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitton JG, James D, Leeman WP (1991) Basic magmatism associated with Late Cenozoic extension in the western United States: compositional variations in space and time. J Goephys Res 96:13693–13711

    Google Scholar 

  • Fodor RV (1975) Petrology of basalt and andesite of the Black Range, New Mexico. Geol Soc Am Bull 86:295–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Fodor RV (1976) Volcanic geology of the northern Black Range, New Mexico. In: Elston WE, Northrop SA (eds) Cenozoic volcanism in southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol Soc Special Publ 5:68–70

  • Futa K, Ratté JC (1989) Petrogenetic implications of Rb−Sr and Sm−Nd isotopes related to post-caldera volcanism in the western Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Bull 131:100

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher K, Hawkesworth CJ (1992) Dehydration melting and the generation of continental flood basalts. Nature 358:57–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Gans PB (1981) Geometry of pre-Basin and Range extension, eastcentral Nevada. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union 62:399

    Google Scholar 

  • Gans PB, Mahood GA, Schermer E (1989) Synextensional magmatism in the Basin and Range Provine; a case study from the eastern Great Basin. Geol Soc Am Spec Pap 233

  • Gill JB (1981) Orogenic andesites and plate tectonics. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Glazner AF, Ussler W III (1989) Crustal extension, crustal density and the evolution of Cenozoic magmatism in the Basin and Range of western United States. J Geophys Res 94:7952–7961

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove TL, Baker BM (1984) Phase equilibrium controls on the tholeiitic versus calcalkaline differentiation trends. J Geophys Res 89:3253–3274

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove TL, Gerlach DC, Sando TW (1982) Origin of calcalkaline series lavas at Medicine Lake volcano by fractionation, assimilation and mixing, Contrib Mineral Petrol 80:160–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris NBW, Pearce JA, Tindle AG (1986) Geochemical characteristics of collision zone magmatism. In: Coward MP, Ries AC (eds) Collision tectonics. Geol Soc London Spec Pub 19:67–81

  • Hawkesworth CJ, Clarke CB (in press). Partial melting in the lower crust: new constraints on crustal contamination processes in the central Andes (Andean Spec Vol). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Henderson P (1984) Inorganic geochemistry. Pergamon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hergt J, Peate D, Hawkesworth CJ (1991) The petrogenesis of Mesozoic Gondwana low-Ti flood basalts. Earth Planet Sci Lett 105:134–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempton PD, Harmon RS, Hawkesworth CJ, Moorbath S (1990) Petrology and geochemistry of lower crustal granulites from the Geronimo volcanic field, southeastern Arizona. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 54:3401–3426

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempton PD, Fitton JG, Hawkesworth CJ, Ormerod DS (1991) Isotopic and trace element constraints on the composition and evolution of the lithosphere beneath the southwestern Unites States. J Geophys Res 96 B8:13713–13735

    Google Scholar 

  • Krier DJ (1980) Geology of the southern part of the Gila primitive area, Grant County, New Mexico. MS thesis, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

  • Le Bas MJ, Le Maitre RW, Steckeisen A, Zanettin B (1986) A chemical classification of volcanic rocks based on the total alkali-silica diagram. J Petrol 27:745–750

    Google Scholar 

  • Leat PT, Thompson RN, Morrison MA, Hendry GL, Dickin AP (1988) Compositionally diverse Miocene-Recent rift-related magmatism in NW Colorado: partial melting, and mixing of magmas from 3 different asthenospheric and lithospheric mantle sources. J Petrol Spec Lithosphere Issue 29:351–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Leat PT, Thompson RN, Morrison MA, Hendry GL, Dickin AP (1990) Geochemistry of mafic lavas in the early Rio Grande rift, Yarmony Mountain, Colorado, USA. Chem Geol 81:23–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipman PW, Prostka HJ, Christiansen RL (1972) Cenozoic volacanism and platetectonic evolution of the western United States. I. Early and Middle Cenozoic. Phil Trans R Soc London A 271:217–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Lum CCL, Leeman WP, Foland KA, Kargel JA, Fitton JG (1989) Isotopic variations in continental basaltic lavas as indicators of mantle heterogeneity: examples from the Western U.S. Cordillera. J Geophys Res 94:7871–7884

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald GA, Katsura T (1964) Chemical composition of Hawaiian lavas. J Petrol 5:82–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Marvin RF, Naeser CW, Bikerman M, Mehnert HH, Ratté JC (1987) Isotopic ages of post-Paleocene igneous rocks within and bordering the Clifton 1°x2° quadrangle, Arizona-New Mexico. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Bull 118

  • McIntosh WC (1989) Timing and distribution of ignimbrite volcanism in the Eocene-Miocene, Mogollon-Datil volcanic field. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Mem 46:58–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Menzies MA, Leeman WP, Hawkesworth CJ (1983) Isotope geochemistry of Cenozoic volcanic rocks reveals mantle heterogeneity below western U.S.A. Nature 303:205–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Merzbacher CJ, Eggler DH (1984) A magmatic geohygrometer: application to Mount St Helens and other dacitic magmas. Geology 12:587–590

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyashiro A (1974) Volcanic rock series in island arcs and active continental margins. Am J Sci 274:321–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Ormerod DS, Hawkesworth CJ, Rogers NW, Leeman WP, Menzies MA (1988) Tectonic and magmatic transitions in the Western Great Basin. Nature 333:349–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Ormerod DS, Rogers NW, Hawkesworth CJ (1991) Melting in the lithospheric mantle. Inverse modelling of alkali olivine basalt from the Big Pine volcanic field, California. Contrib Mineral Petrol 108:305–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Peacock MA (1931) Classification of igneous rock series. J Geol 39:54–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry FV, Baldridge WS, DePaolo DJ (1987) Role of asthenosphere and lithosphere in the genesis of late Cenozoic basaltic rocks from the Rio Grande Rift and adjacent regions of the southwestern United States. J Geophys Res 92:9193–9213

    Google Scholar 

  • Potts PJ, Thorpe OW, Watson JS (1981) Determination of the rareearth element abundances in 24 international rock standards by instrumental neutron activation analysis: a critical appraisal of calibration errors. Chem Geol 34:331–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Potts PJ, Thorpe OW, Issacs MC, Wright DW (1985) High-precision instrumental neutron-activation analysis of geologcial samples employing simultaneous counting with both planar and coaxial detectors. Chem Geol: 48:145–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratté JC (1989) Selected volcanic features of the western Mogollon-Datil volcanic field. N M Bur Mines Miner Resour Mem 46:68–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratté JC, Gaskill DL (1975) Reconnaissance geologic map of the Gila Wilderness study area, southwestern New Mexico. US Geol Surv Misc Geologic Investigations Map I-886 scale 1:62500

  • Reid MR, Hart SR, Padovani ER, Wandless GA (1989) Contribution of metapelitic sediments to the composition, heat production and seismic velocity of the lower crust of the southern New Mexico, USA. Earth Planet Sci Lett 95:367–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeder PL, Emslie RF (1970) Olivine-liquid equilibrium. Contrib Mineral Petrol 29:275–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith EI (1976) Structure and petrology of the John Kerr Peak dome complex, southwestern New Mexico. In: Elston WE, Northrop SA (eds) Cenozoic volcanism in southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol Soc Special Publ 5:71–78

  • Stinnet JW (1980) A geochemical study of calcalkaline andesites and associated volcanic rocks from the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, southwestern New Mexico. PhD dissertation, Miami University, Ohio

  • Taylor SR, McLennan SM (1985) The continental crust: its composition and evolution. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson RN, Leat PT, Dickin AP, Morrison MA, Hendry GL, Gibson SA (1990) Strongly potassic lavas from lithospheric mantle sources during continental extension and heating: evidence from Miocene minettes of northwest Colorado, USA. Earth Planet Sci Lett 98:139–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Ussler W, Glazner AF (1989) Phase equilibria along a basalt-rhyolite mixing line: implications for the origin of calcalkaline intermediate magmas. Contrib Mineral Petrol 101:232–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright TL, Doherty PC (1970) A linear programming and least squares computer method for solving petrographic mixing problems. Geol Soc Am Bull 81:1995–2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoback ML, Anderson RE, Thompson GA (1981) Cainozoic evolution of the state of stress and style of tectonism of the Basin and Range province of the western United States. Phil Trans R Soc London A 300:407–434

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, MK7 6AA, Milton Keynes, UK

    Jon Davis & Chris Hawkesworth

Authors
  1. Jon Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chris Hawkesworth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davis, J., Hawkesworth, C. The petrogenesis of 30–20 Ma basic and intermediate volcanics from the Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field, New Mexico, USA. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 115, 165–183 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321218

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321218

Keywords

Search

Navigation