Abstract
Isotope geochemistry of Cenozoic volcanic rocks from the western USA demonstrates considerable mantle heterogeneity in the source regions. The Basin and Range volcanic rocks have tapped a source similar to mid-oceanic ridge basalts and the Hawaiian islands, while the magmas erupted in the Sierran Province formed in enriched grossly heterogeneous garnet bearing mantle. Within the bimodal rhyolite–basalt province of the Snake River Plain and Yellowstone National Park, there exist olivine tholeiites that have retained the primary isotopic characteristics of their mantle source area.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Oxburgh, E. R. & Parmentier, E. M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A288, 415–429 (1978).
Stueber, A. M. & Ikramuddin, M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 38, 207–216 (1974).
Kramers, J. D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 34, 419–431 (1977).
Erlank, A. & Shimizu, N. Proc. 2nd int. Kimberlite Conf. (abstr.) Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977).
Menzies, M. A. & Murthy, V. R. Nature 283, 634–636 (1980).
Erlank, A. J., Allsopp, H. L., Hawkesworth, C. J. & Menzies, M. A. Terra Cognita 2, 261–263 (1982).
O'Nions, R. K., Carter, S. R., Evensen, N. M. & Hamilton, P. J. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 7, 11–38 (1979).
Carlson, R. W., Lugmair, G. W. & MacDougall, J. D. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 2483–2499 (1981).
De Paolo, D. J. & Wasserburg, G. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. 76, 3056–3060 (1979).
Hawkesworth, C. J., Erlank, A. J., Menzies, M. A. & van Calsteren, P. 5th int. Conf. Geochronology, Cosmochronology and Isotope Geology 133–134 (1982).
Moorbath, S. & Thompson, R. N. J. Petrol. 21, 295–321 (1980).
Dickin, A. P. J. Petrol. 22, 155–189 (1981).
Leeman, W. P. & Manton, W. I. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 11, 420–434 (1971).
Doe, B. R., Leeman, W. P., Christiansen, R. L. & Hedge, C. E. J. geophys Res. 87, 4785–4806 (1982).
Leeman, W. P. Idaho Bureau of Mines (in the press).
Leeman, W. P. Natn geogr. Soc. Res. Pap. 347–364 (1978).
Lynch, D. J. thesis, Univ. Arizona (1972).
Menzies, M. A., Kempton, P. & Dungan, M. Terra Cognita 2, 230 (1982).
De Paolo, D. J. & Wasserburg, G. J. Geophys. Res. Lett. 3, 734–746 (1976).
Hedge, C. E. & Noble, D. C. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 82, 3503–3510 (1971).
Van Kooten, G. K. J. Petrol. 21, 651–684 (1980).
Everson, J. E. thesis, Caltech (1979).
Van Kooten, G. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 76, 378–385 (1981).
Anderson, D. L. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 57, 1–12 (1982).
Christiansen, R. L. & McKee, E. H. Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 152, 283–311 (1978).
Leeman, W. P. & Whelan, J. F. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta (in preparation).
Leeman, W. P. Nature 271, 365–366 (1979).
Leeman, W. P., Vitaliano, C. J. & Prinz, M. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 56, 35–60 (1976).
Jagoutz, E., Carlson, R. W. & Lugmair, G. Nature 284, 708–710 (1980).
Stosch, H. G., Carlson, R. W. & Lugmair, G. W. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 47, 263–271 (1980).
Allegre, C. J., Othman, D. B., Polve, M. & Richard, P. Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 19, 293–306 (1979).
Cohen, R. S., Evensen, N. M., Hamilton, P. J. & O'Nions, R. K. Nature 283, 149–153 (1980).
Dosso, L. & Murthy, V. R. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 48, 268–276.
Richardson, S. H., Erlank, A. J., Duncan, A. R. & Reid, D. L. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. (in the press).
Hawkesworth, C. J., Norry, M. J., Roddick, J. C. & Vollmer, R. Nature 280, 28–31 (1979).
Menzies, M. A. & Murthy, V. R. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 46, 323–334 (1980).
Pearce, J., Alabaster, T., Shelton, A. W. & Searle, M. P. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 300A, 299–317 (1981).
De Paolo, D. J. U.S. geol. Surv. Open File Rep. 78/701, 91–93 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Menzies, M., Leeman, W. & Hawkesworth, C. Isotope geochemistry of Cenozoic volcanic rocks reveals mantle heterogeneity below western USA. Nature 303, 205–209 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/303205a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/303205a0
This article is cited by
-
Mantle source heterogeneity of the Early Jurassic basalt of eastern North America
International Journal of Earth Sciences (2018)
-
Petrogenesis of Sierra Nevada plutons inferred from the Sr, Nd, and O isotopic signatures of mafic igneous complexes in Yosemite Valley, California
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2013)
-
Experimental and geochemical evidence for derivation of the El Capitan Granite, California, by partial melting of hydrous gabbroic lower crust
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2005)
-
Geochemistry of Mesozoic intracontinental basalts from Yunnan, southern China: Implications for geochemical evolution of the subcontinental lithosphere
Mineralogy and Petrology (1997)
-
Geochemistry of the Grenville Dyke Swarm: role of plume-source mantle in magma genesis
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (1995)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
