Award Date

1-1-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geoscience

First Committee Member

Eugene I. Smith

Number of Pages

87

Abstract

The Navajo Lake volcanic field is an ideal natural laboratory for volcanological and geochemical studies. This field extends from Navajo Lake, east of Cedar City, Utah to Panguitch Lake, Utah and lies in the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Transition Zone between the Hurricane and Sevier faults. The volcanic field is characterized by numerous basalt flows that erupted from more than 28 cinder cones. Many of the cones are aligned in a SE-NW direction. Three stages of basalt flows are recognized by mineralogy and morphology. Additionally, trachy-andesite occurs in the Panguitch Lake area. Many of the flows appear to be young because they are devoid of vegetation and have flow fronts 10 to 100 meters high. Flows erupted from the base and on the flanks of several cinder cones that are generally well covered by vegetation. In the Panguitch Lake area, the northernmost A'a flow is composed of a basal basalt flow and an upper trachy-andesite flow. These flows appear to have erupted from a common fissure system. The lava flow just north of Navajo Lake covers approximately 4 km2 and erupted from two vents on the west flank of a well-vegetated cone. Tertiary Brian Head and Claron formations and Isom formation pyroclastic flows underlie the volcanic field.

Keywords

Field; Lake; Navajo; Petrogenesis; Utah; Volcanic; Volcanology

Controlled Subject

Geology; Geochemistry

File Format

pdf

File Size

2600.96 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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