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The petrology and geochemistry of the Medicine Lake Volcano, California

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Abstract

The Medicine Lake shield volcano is part of the Oregon high alumina plateau basalt petrologic province, as defined by Waters (1962) and Higgins (1973). The early eruptions are basaltic andesites and they constitute a significant portion of the shield-forming lavas. These lavas are characterized by a mild iron enrichment trend produced by fractionation of plagioclase and olivine, together with lesser amounts of clinopyroxene. Siliceous andesites of less areal extent form the shield-capping lavas. Their formation is initiated by the appearance of titanomagnetite as a liquidus phase which prevents further iron enrichment. Additional fractionation of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and minor olivine continued during this interval.

An origin for the basaltic andesites which involves the derivation of a liquid by partial melting of lithosphere composed of low Sr87/Sr86 material previously subducted along the continental margin is favored. This magma subsequently fractionated under low pressure conditions, a conclusion supported by least squares mixing calculations.

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  1. Department of Geology, Franklin and Marshall College, 7604, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

    S. A. Mertzman Jr.

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Mertzman, S.A. The petrology and geochemistry of the Medicine Lake Volcano, California. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 62, 221–247 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371012

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