Marysvale volcanic field

Marysvale volcanic field

Indian Peak caldera complex, and Caliente, Three Creeks, Mount Belknap, Big John and Monroe Peak calderas.
Location
Marysvale volcanic field

Utah

Location Utah, United States
Coordinates 38°30′N 112°30′W / 38.500°N 112.500°WCoordinates: 38°30′N 112°30′W / 38.500°N 112.500°W
Geology
Type Volcanic field
Age of rock Middle Cenozoic

The Marysvale volcanic field is located in southwestern Utah, United States.

One of the largest volcanic fields in the western United States, the Marysvale straddles the Colorado Plateau-Great Basin transition zone. Most igneous rocks belong to a middle Cenozoic (~32 to 22 million years old) calc-alkaline sequence, although about 5% are related to an upper Cenozoic (23 million years to Holocene) bimodal (basalt and rhyolite) sequence. The Marysvale contains a variety of volcanic features, including stratovolcanoes, calderas, lava domes, and cinder cones.

The field is an example of intraplate volcanism; its earlier deposits are thought to be related to Farallon plate subduction, while the later bimodal assemblage (especially the basalts) have been linked to Basin and Range extension.

Notable calderas

Name Size Coordinates Age
Monroe Peak Caldera 20 x 16 km 38°29′00″N 112°03′30″W / 38.483333°N 112.058333°W[1] 23 Ma
Big John Caldera 10 x 6 km 38°19′06″N 112°23′00″W / 38.318225°N 112.383333°W[1] 24 Ma
Mount Belknap Caldera 17 x 13 km 38°26′51″N 112°30′00″W / 38.4475°N 112.5°W[1] 19 Ma

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rowley, Peter D.; Cunningham, Charles G.; Steven, Thomas A.; Workman, Jeremiah B.; Anderson, John J.; Theissen, Kevin M. (2002). Geologic Map of the Central Marysvale Volcanic Field, Southwestern Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series I-2645-A. Denver, Colorado: U. S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-02.