Stages in the P-T path of ascending basalt magma: an example from San Quintin, Baja California

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
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Abstract

Late Pleistocene or Recent lavas from San Quintin, Baja California are basanitoids and alkali basalts. The surface quench temperatures of the lavas average 1 005° C with log fO2fO2=−11.4, as deduced from the groundmass Fe-Ti oxides. Spinel lherzolite xenoliths and megacrysts of augite and andesine have been found in lava flows and cinder deposits. Using analytical data on the rocks and minerals and simple thermodynamic expressions, the pressures and temperatures of equilibration of lavas and xenoliths, megacrysts and phenocrysts have been calculated. The lavas could have been in equilibrium with lherzolite at 1 330–1 410° C and 27.5–31.6 kb, the more silica-poor liquid having the higher values. The basanitoid could have equilibrated with the megacrysts at about 10.5 kb and with phenocrysts at about 1.4 kb and 1130° C. The variation in composition of the lavas may be explained by a rising zone of melting within the mantle, the most silica-poor liquid having the deepest source. The source of the San Quintin basalts is probably related to spreading of the ocean floor in the Gulf of California.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Stages in the P-T path of ascending basalt magma: an example from San Quintin, Baja California
Series title Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
DOI 10.1007/BF00377648
Volume 41
Issue 1
Year Published 1973
Language English
Publisher Springer-Verlag
Contributing office(s) Volcano Science Center
Description 22 p.
First page 1
Last page 22
Country Mexico
Other Geospatial Baja California, San Quintin
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