Relationship Between Volcanism and Hydrothermal Activity at Cerro Prieto, Mexico
- Key words
- Exploration; Mexico; BC; Cerro Prieto; Volcanics; Lithology; Petrography; Chemical Analysis; Chemistry; Geology; Age Dating; Heat Source; Berkeley Group Inc
- Location
- Cerro Prieto, Mexico
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1984
- Session
- Exploration; Volcanism; Petrology/petrography; Geochemical s
- Language
- English
Abstract
Whole rock analyses of major and minor elements and strontium isotopes show that the Cerro Prieto volcano, northern Mexico, is derived from partial melting of the Cretaceous granitic basement rocks beneath it and not from differentiation of Quaternary gabbroic intrusion in the Salton Trough Gulf of California rift. The small volume of dacite erupted at Cerro Prieto indicates that the associated magma chamber had an insufficient volume to retain the heat required to drive the present hydrothermal system. The Quaternary dacite volcanism and current hydrothermal activity are both the result of heat transferred to the crust by gabbroic intrusion, but no mass transfer from gabbroic to dacitic magmas is detected.
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