Geology of Medicine Lake Volcano, Northern California Cascade Range

Abstract

Medicine Lake volcano (MLV) is located in an E-W extensional environment on the Modoc Plateau just east of the main arc of the Cascades. It consists mainly of mafic lavas, although drillhole data indicate that a larger volume of rhyolite is present than is indicated by surface mapping. The most recent eruption was rhyolitic and occurred about 900 years ago. At least seventeen eruptions have occurred since 12,000 years ago, or between 1 and 2 eruptions per century on average, although activity appears to be strongly episodic. The calculated eruptive rate is about 0.6 km2 per thousand years during the entire history of the volcano. Drillhole data indicate that the plateau surface underling the volcano has been down warped by 0.5 km under the center of MLV. The volcano may be even larger than the estimated 600 km3, already the largest volcano by volume in the Cascades.