A Tertiary Lamprophyre Dike Province in Southeastern Alaska

1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G. Smith
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Mantle Source ◽  
Olivine Basalt ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Alkali Content ◽  
Topographic Features ◽  
Total Alkali ◽  
Alkali Olivine Basalt ◽  
Basalt Composition ◽  
Dike Swarms

Mapping in southeastern Alaska along the British Columbia border has shown the presence of hundreds of aligned Tertiary Lamprophyre dikes. Most dikes occur in northeast-trending swarms that cut across northwest-trending structures in the bedrock. More than 60% of the dikes dip within 10° of vertical and strike between N35°E and N80°E. Major topographic features such as fjords and streams have the same trend; differential erosion along the dike swarms and parallel joint sets, not faulting, is responsible for this northeast topographic grain.The dikes show various degrees of deuteric alteration. In relatively unaltered rocks, phenocrysts are subcalcic augite and rarely plagioclase, altered olivine, or amphibole. Deuterically altered dikes have a texture of interlocking milky plagioclase and black amphibole needles.The dikes form an undifferentiated homogeneous suite of alkali olivine basalt composition with an average SiO2 content of 48.8% and a total alkali content of 5.3%. Their chemistry closely resembles Quaternary volcanic rocks in British Columbia and Alaska.Structural setting, extent, and chemistry of the dikes suggest a mantle source and rapid intrusion without time for differentiation.

The Cheslatta Lake suite: Miocene mafic, alkaline magmatism in central British Columbia

2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 697-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G Anderson ◽  
Jonah Resnick ◽  
James K Russell ◽  
G J Woodsworth ◽  
Michael E Villeneuve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Olivine Basalt ◽  
Volcanic Belt ◽  
Primitive Mantle ◽  
Alkaline Magmatism ◽  
Type Area ◽  
Late Tertiary ◽  
Alkali Olivine Basalt ◽  
Trace Element Contents ◽  
Geochemical Studies

New mapping, mineralogical, and geochemical studies help characterize late Tertiary primitive, alkaline, sodic basanite, alkali olivine basalt, transitional basalt, and diabase in the Nechako River, Whitesail Lake, and McLeod Lake map areas of central British Columbia and distinguish the Miocene Cheslatta Lake suite. The suite encompasses scattered erosional remnants of topographically distinct, columnar-jointed, olivine-phyric basalt and diabase volcanic necks, dykes, and associated lava flows north of the Anahim volcanic belt and west of the Pinchi Fault. Volcanic centres at Alasla Mountain and at Cutoff Creek, near Cheslatta Lake, are proposed as type areas. Olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene phenocrysts, megacrysts, and (or) xenocrysts; common ultramafic xenoliths; and rare but significant plutonic and metamorphic xenoliths are characteristic. Basanite, transitional basalt, and alkali olivine basalt groundmass contain plagioclase, clinopyroxene, Fe-Ti oxides, feldspathoid, olivine, and apatite. The Cheslatta Lake suite is characterized by its alkaline character, olivine-rich (>10 wt.%) normative mineralogy, and silica-undersaturated nature (>1 wt.% normative nepheline; hypersthene-normative rocks are uncommon). Mg numbers vary between 72–42. Some samples encompass near-primitive mantle melt compositions. Cheslatta Lake suite rocks in the Nechako River area are distinguished from the underlying Eocene Endako and stratigraphically higher Neogene Chilcotin groups basaltic andesite lavas within the study area, and from the Chilcotin Group basalt in the type area south of the Anahim volcanic belt, by form, preserved thickness, phenocryst–xenocryst mineralogy, amygdule abundance, included xenoliths, isotopic age, and major and incompatible, high field strength, and rare-earth trace element contents.

Late Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Clearwater – Wells Gray area, British Columbia

1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine J. Hickson ◽  
J. G. Souther
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Volcanic Activity ◽  
Olivine Basalt ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Volcanic Belt ◽  
Pillow Lava ◽  
Late Cenozoic ◽  
Gray Area ◽  
High Level ◽  
Tuff Breccia

The Clearwater – Wells Gray area of east-central British Columbia includes a succession of late Cenozoic, alkali olivine basalt flows that lie east of the extensive Chilcotin lavas and define the eastern end of the Anahim Volcanic Belt. The rocks are petrographically similar to but less altered than the Chilcotin basalts. The volcanic activity spanned at least two episodes of glacial advance and produced both subaerial flows and a subaqueous facies comprising pillow lava, pillow breccia, and tuff breccia, locally intercalated with fluvial gravels and sand. Four morphological assemblages have been recognized. An early glacial assemblage, characterized by tuyalike forms, gives K – Ar dates of 0.27 – 3.5 Ma. These circular features are surrounded by a deeply dissected valley-filling assemblage of subaerial and minor subaqueous flows and tuff breccia that rest locally on lag gravel and till. Subaerial flows in this assemblage give K – Ar dates of 0.15 – 0.56 Ma. Whitehorse Bluffs, a volcanic centre composed of crudely laminated tuff cut by high-level dykes, may be a source of some of these valley-filling flows. A late interglacial assemblage is composed of subaerial pyroclastic material, transitional deposits, and deposits that are clearly subaqueous. Volcanic activity in the area culminated with the formation of pyroclastic cones, blocky lava flows, and pit craters that postdate the last Cordilleran glaciation.

A Guide to the Chemical Classification of the Common Volcanic Rocks

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. N. Irvine ◽  
W. R. A. Baragar
Keyword(s):  
Alkali Basalt ◽  
Olivine Basalt ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Tholeiitic Basalt ◽  
Chemical Classification ◽  
Alkali Olivine Basalt ◽  
The Common

A system is presented whereby volcanic rocks may be classified chemically as follows:I. Subalkaline Rocks:A. Tholeiitic basalt series:Tholeiitic picrite-basalt; tholeiite; tholeiitic andesite.B. Calc-alkali series:High-alumina basalt; andesite; dacite; rhyolite.II. Alkaline Rocks:A. Alkali olivine basalt series:(1) Alkalic picrite–basalt; ankaramite; alkali basalt; hawaiite; mugearite; benmorite; trachyte.(2) Alkalic picrite–basalt; ankaramite; alkali basalt; trachybasalt; tristanite; trachyte.B. Nephelinic, leucitic, and analcitic rocks.III. Peralkaline Rocks:pantellerite, commendite, etc.

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