Marysvale volcanic field

The Marysvale volcanic field is located in southwestern Utah, United States.

Marysvale volcanic field
Indian Peak caldera complex, and Caliente, Three Creeks, Mount Belknap, Big John and Monroe Peak calderas.
Highest point
Coordinates	38°30′N 112°30′W
Geography
Marysvale volcanic field Utah
Location	Utah, United States
Geology
Age of rock	Middle Cenozoic
Mountain type	Volcanic field

One of the largest volcanic fields in the western United States, the Marysvale straddles the Colorado Plateau-Great Basin transition zone. Most igneous rocks belong to a middle Cenozoic (~32 to 22 million years old) calc-alkaline sequence, although about 5% are related to an upper Cenozoic (23 million years to Holocene) bimodal (basalt and rhyolite) sequence. The Marysvale contains a variety of volcanic features, including stratovolcanoes, calderas, lava domes, and cinder cones.

The field is an example of intraplate volcanism; its earlier deposits are thought to be related to Farallon plate subduction, while the later bimodal assemblage (especially the basalts) have been linked to Basin and Range extension.

Notable calderas

Name	Size	Coordinates	Age
Monroe Peak Caldera	20 x 16 km	38°29′00″N 112°03′30″W	23 Ma
Big John Caldera	10 x 6 km	38°19′06″N 112°23′00″W	24 Ma
Mount Belknap Caldera	17 x 13 km	38°26′51″N 112°30′00″W	19 Ma

See also

• Geology of the Bryce Canyon area
• Large volume volcanic eruptions in the Basin and Range Province
• Tushar Mountains, Delano Peak

References

• Peter D. Rowley; Charles G. Cunningham; John J. Anderson; Thomas A. Steven; Jeremiah B. Workman & Lawrence W. Snee (May 6, 2002), "Geology and Mineral Resources of the Marysvale Volcanic Field, Southwestern Utah" (PDF), in Lund, W.R. (ed.), Field Guide to Geologic Excursions in Southwestern Utah and Adjacent Areas of Arizona and Nevada, Geological Society of America 2002 Rocky Mountain Section Annual Meeting, Cedar City, Utah: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–172{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)