List of large volume volcanic eruptions in the Basin and Range Province

Large volume volcanic eruptions in the Basin and Range Province include Basin and Range eruptions in California, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and Oregon, as well as those of the Long Valley Caldera geological province and the Yellowstone hotspot.

Volcanic fields

Some of the volcanic fields within the Basin and Range Province: Northwestern Nevada, the Modoc Plateau, Central Nevada, the Great Basin, Southwestern Nevada, the Mojave Desert, and the Long Valley Caldera region. Named ones include: Coso Volcanic Field, Mono Lake Volcanic Field, Marysvale Volcanic Field, San Juan volcanic field, Indian Peak, Central Colorado volcanic field, Jemez volcanic lineament, Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, Santa Rosa-Calico, and Boot Heel volcanic field.

Geological features

Many geological features in Western United States have a Northeastern orientation, the North American craton motion has the same orientation as well. For example: the Trans-Challis fault zone, Idaho; the Snake River in Oregon; the Garlock Fault, California; the Colorado River in Utah; the Colorado Mineral Belt; Crater Flat- Reveille Range-Lunar Crater lineament, the Northwestern Nevada volcanic field; the San Juan caldera cluster, Colorado; the Socorro-Magdalena caldera cluster, New Mexico; Jemez volcanic lineament (Raton hotspot trail); and the Yellowstone hotspot trail. But the Yellowstone hotspot trail was modified through faults and extension.

Geology

Prior to the Eocene Epoch (55.8 ± 0.2 to 33.9 ± 0.1 Ma) the convergence rate of the Farallon and North American Plates was fast and the angle of subduction was shallow. During the Eocene the Farallon Plate subduction-associated compressive forces of the Laramide orogeny ended, plate interactions changed from orthogonal compression to oblique strike-slip, and volcanism in the Basin and Range Province flared up. It is suggested that this plate continued to be underthrust until about 19 Ma, at which time it was completely consumed and volcanic activity ceased, in part. Olivine basalt from the oceanic ridge erupted around 17 Ma and extension began. The extension resulted in roughly north-south-trending faults, the Great Basin, the Walker trough, the Owens graben, and the Rio Grande rift, for instance.

List of large volume eruptions in the Basin and Range Province

The large volume eruptions in the Basin and Range Province include:
*Long Valley Caldera; Mono County, California, USA; 758.9 ± 1.8 ka; VEI 7; of Bishop Tuff.
*Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA; around 1.15 Ma; VEI 7; around of the Tshirege formation, Upper Bandelier eruption.Izett, Glen A. (1981).
*Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA; around 1.47 Ma (Lower Bandelier eruption, the Otawi).
*Yellowstone hotspot (?), Lake Owyhee volcanic fields; 15.0 to 15.5 Ma.
*Yellowstone hotspot (?), Northwest Nevada volcanic field, Virgin Valley, High Rock, Hog Ranch, and unnamed calderas; West of the Pine Forest Range, Nevada; 15.5 to 16.5 Ma; Tuffs: Idaho Canyon, Ashdown, Summit Lake, and Soldier Meadow.Matthew A. Coble, and Gail A. Mahood (2008).
* Columbia River Basalt Province: Yellowstone hotspot releases a huge pulse of volcanic activity, the first eruptions were near the Oregon-Idaho-Washington border. Columbia River and Steens flood basalts, Pueblo Mountains, Steens Mountain, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; most vigorous eruptions were from 14 to 17 Ma.
** Columbia River flood basalts,
** Steens flood basalts,
* Mount Belknap Caldera (), Marysvale Volcanic Field, southwestern Utah; 19 Ma; of tephra (Joe Lott member).
* Big John Caldera (), Marysvale Volcanic Field, southwestern Utah; 22 Ma; of Delano Peak Tuff member.
* Monroe Peak Caldera (), Marysvale Volcanic Field, southwestern Utah; 23 Ma; of Osiris Tuff.Lipman (1984).
* Lake City calderas ( wide), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 23.1 Ma; of Sunshine Peak Tuff.Lipman (1976).Hon and Lipman (1976).
* Turkey Creek Caldera ( wide), Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona; 25 Ma; of Rhyolite Canyon Formation.
*Lake City calderas ( wide), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 25.9 Ma; of tephra.
* Questa Caldera ( wide), Questa-Latir volcanic locus, Questa, New Mexico; 26 Ma, of Amalia Tuff.
* Creede Caldera ( wide), San Juan Mountains, Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 26.7 Ma; less than of Snowshoe Mountain Tuff.Manson ''et al.'' (2004).
* San Luis caldera complex ( wide), Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 26.8 Ma, of Nelson Mountain Tuff.Lipman (2000).
*San Luis caldera complex ( wide), Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 26.9 Ma, of Cebola Creek Tuff.
*San Luis caldera complex ( wide), Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 27 Ma, of Rat Creek Tuff.
* Three Creeks Caldera ( wide), Marysvale Volcanic Field, Cove Fort-Sulphurdale area, southwestern Utah; 27 Ma; of Three Creeks Tuff Member of the Bullion Canyon Volcanics.
* South River Caldera, Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 27.1 Ma, more than of Wason Park Tuff.
* Central San Juan Caldera (concealed), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 27.2 Ma, of Blue Creek Tuff.
* Bachelor Caldera (), Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 27.35 Ma; of Carpenter Ridge Tuff.
* Silverton Caldera ( wide), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 27.6 Ma, of Crystal Lake Tuff.
*La Garita Caldera (), Wheeler Geologic Area, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; VEI 8; more than of Fish Canyon Tuff was blasted out in a major single eruption about 27.8 Ma.Bachmann ''et al.'' (2002).
* San Juan Caldera (), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28 Ma; more than of Sapinero Mesa Tuff.
* Uncompahgre Caldera (), Uncompahgre National Forest, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28.1 Ma; more than of Dillon/Sapinero Mesa Tuffs.Lipman et al. (1973).
* Lost Lake Caldera ( wide), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28.2 Ma, of Blue Mesa Tuff.
* Platoro calderas, San Juan volcanic field, Platoro, Conejos County, Colorado; 28.2 Ma; of Chiquito Peak Tuff.
* Central San Juan Caldera (concealed), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28.3 Ma; of Masonic Park Tuff.
* Ute Creek Caldera, Central Colorado volcanic field, Colorado; 28.3 Ma; of Ute Ridge Tuff.Steven and Lipman (1976).

List of Rupelian calderas

The Rupelian age/stage ( Paleogene period/system, Oligocene epoch/series) spans the time between 33.9 ±0.1 Ma and 28.4 ±0.1 Ma (million years ago).
* Bursum Caldera (size: 40 x 30 km), Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico; 28.5 Ma ±0.5; of Bloodgood Canyon Tuff.Ratté et al. (1984).
*Bursum Caldera (size: 40 x 30 km), Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico; 28.5 Ma ±0.5; of Apache Springs Tuff.
* San Juan Caldera (size: 24 x 22 km), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28.5 Ma; of tephra.
* Summitville Caldera (size: 12 x 8 km), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 28.5 Ma; of Ojito Creek/ La Jadero Tuffs.Lipman (1975).Lipman et al. (1996).
* Mount Hope (size: 15 km), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 29 Ma; of Masonic Park Tuff.
*Around White Rock caldera (size: 50 km North-South), White Rock Mountains, Great Basin, Nevada; 29.02 Ma ±0.04; of Lund Tuff.
* Ute Creek (size: 8 km wide), San Juan volcanic field, Colorado; 29 Ma; of Ute Ridge Tuff.
* Platoro calderas (size: 12 x 18 km), San Juan volcanic field, Platoro, Conejos County, Colorado; 29.5 Ma; of Black Mountain Tuff.
* Indian Peak, Eastern Nevada; 29.5 Ma; more than of Wah Wah Springs Tuff.
* Platoro calderas (size: 18 x 22 km), San Juan volcanic field, Platoro, Conejos County, Colorado; 30 Ma; of La Jara Canyon Tuff.
* Goodsight-Cedar Hills volcano-tectonic depression ( Bell Top Formation), south-central New Mexico; 30.5 Ma ±1.5, of tephra (Bell Top Formation).
* William's Ridge, Central Nevada; 31.4 Ma; of Windous Butte Tuff.
* North Pass Caldera, Cochetopa Hills, Central Colorado volcanic field; 32.25 Ma; of Saguache Creek Tuff.
* Organ Caldera (size: 16 km wide), Organ Mountains, New Mexico; 32 Ma, of Cueva Soledad Rhyolite.Seager (1973).
* Chinati Caldera (size: 30 x 20 km), Chinati Mountains, Texas; 32.5 Ma ±0.5, of Mitchel Mesa Rhyolite.
* Bonanza (size: 12 km wide), Central Colorado volcanic field; Colorado; 32.5 Ma, more than of Bonanza Tuff.
*Cowboy Rim (size: 26 x 18 km), Animas Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico; 33 Ma, of Gillespie Tuff.
* Emory Caldera (size: 25 x 55 km), Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, City of Rocks State Park; 33 Ma; VEI 8; of Kneeling Nun Tuff.
* Socorro Caldera (size: 25 x 35 km), Rio Grande rift, Socorro, New Mexico; 33 Ma, of Hells Mesa Rhyolite.
*Marshall Creek, Thirtynine Mile volcanic area, Central Colorado volcanic field; Colorado; 33.7 Ma; more than of Thorn Ranch Tuff.
* Mount Aetna (size: 10 km wide), Central Colorado volcanic field; Colorado; 33.81 Ma, of Badger Creek Tuff.
* Grizzly Peak Caldera (size: 12 km wide), Central Colorado volcanic field; Colorado; 34.31 Ma; of Grizzly Peak Rhyolite.McIntosh and Chapin (2004).
* Juniper Caldera (size: 25 km), Animas Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico; 35 Ma; of Oak Creek Tuff.Erb (1979).
*Mount Princeton (eroded), Central Colorado volcanic field; Colorado; 35.3 Ma ±0.6; more than of Wall Mountain Tuff.Lipman and Calvert (2003).
*Davis Mountains, Texas; 35.35 Ma ±0.6; of tuffs of Wild Cherry, Lavas of Casket Mountain.
*Davis Mountains, Texas; 35.61 Ma ±0.09; of Barrel Springs Formation and ash flow tuff.
* Quitman Caldera (size: 15 x 10 km), Quitman Mountains, Hudspeth County, Texas; 36 Ma; of Square Peak Volcanics.
*Davis Mountains, Texas; 36.2 Ma ±0.6; of Mafic lavas.
*Davis Mountains, Texas; 36.33 Ma ±0.13; of tephra (Paisano Volcano).
*Davis Mountains, Texas; 36.51 Ma ±0.05; of Adobe Canyon and Limpia Formations.
*Davis Mountains (fissures), Texas; 36.82 Ma ±0.08; of Flood rhyolites, rhyolite domes, and Gomez Tuff.Henry et al. (1994).
* Muir Caldera (size: 26 x 18 km wide), Hidalgo County, New Mexico; 37 Ma; of Woodhaul Canyon tephra.
* Infernito Caldera (size: 12 km wide), Trans-Pecos, Texas; 37.5 Ma ±0.5; of Buckshot Tuff.
* Thomas Caldera (size: 16 x 25 km wide), Delta, Utah; 39 Ma; of Mount Laird Tuff.
* Twin Peaks Caldera (size: 20 km), Challis volcanic field, Custer, Idaho; 45 Ma, of Challis Creek Tuff.
* Van Horn cauldron complex (size: 34 x 48 km), Challis volcanic field, Custer, Idaho; 46 Ma ±0.6; unknown amount of Elis Creek Tuff.
* Silver Bell Caldera (size: 8 km wide), Arizona; 55.8 Ma; unknown amount of Mount Laird Tuff.Sawyer and Lipman (1983).
*Silver Bell Caldera (size: 8 km wide), Arizona; 68 Ma; of Lithic Tuff.
* Tucson Mountain Caldera (size: 25 km wide), Tucson Mountains, Arizona; 73 Ma; of Cat Mountain Tuff.

References

Sources

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Columbia River Basalt Province-sources

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Peter W. Lipman – sources

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Maps

*Overview map at Basin and Range Province.
Map of the Basin and Range Province
*Map: Thelin and Pike (1991)
Landforms of the conterminous United States
– A digital shaded-relief portrayal, USGS Map I-2206

*Great Basin/Nevada
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*** Supplemental material: Columbia River Basalt Group,
eruptive loci
*Great Basin/Utah
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*Colorado
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*New Mexico
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**Mogollon-Datil volcanic field
*** citing from

{{DEFAULTSORT:Large Volume Volcanic Eruptions In The Basin And Range Province
Basin and Range Province
Volcanism
List of large volume volcanic eruptions in the Basin and Range Province
Calderas of the United States
Volcanic fields of the western United States
Cenozoic volcanism
Prehistoric volcanic events
VEI-8 eruptions
VEI-7 eruptions
Volcanic eruptions in the United States