Skip to Main Content
Skip Nav Destination
GEOREF RECORD

Contributions to the Petrography and Geochronology of Volcanic Rocks from the Leeward Hawaiian Islands

G. Brent Dalrymple, Marvin A. Lanphere and Everett D. Jackson
Contributions to the Petrography and Geochronology of Volcanic Rocks from the Leeward Hawaiian Islands
Geological Society of America Bulletin (1974) 85 (5): 727-738

Abstract

Petrographic and chemical analyses of basalt from Nihoa Island, Necker Island, French Frigate Shoals, and Midway Atoll, all in the leeward part of the Hawaiian chain, confirm that these islands are subaerial remnants of tholeiitic shield volcanoes similar to those that form the principal Hawaiian Islands. Chemistry suggests that Gardner Pinnacles may be part of the alkalic cap on a tholeiitic shield. Weighted mean potassium-argon ages of 7.0+0.3 m.y. for Nihoa, 10.0+0.4 m.y. for Necker, 11.7+0.4 m.y. for French Frigate, and 17.9+0.6 m.y. for Midway demonstrate that the ages of these volcanoes increase northwestward, continuing the trend of increasing age away from the active volcano of Kilauea shown by the main islands. The increase in age with distance along the chain, however, appear to be nonlinear. The results support the general hypothesis that the volcanoes of the Hawaiian chain have a common origin and were formed as the Pacific plate moved northwestward over a melting spot in the mantle.


ISSN: 0016-7606
EISSN: 1943-2674
Coden: BUGMAF
Serial Title: Geological Society of America Bulletin
Serial Volume: 85
Serial Issue: 5
Title: Contributions to the Petrography and Geochronology of Volcanic Rocks from the Leeward Hawaiian Islands
Pages: 727-738
Published: 1974
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United States
Accession Number: 1974-025046
Categories: Geochronology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. (incl. sketch maps)
N19°00'00" - N28°30'00", W179°00'00" - W155°00'00"
N28°15'00" - N28°15'00", W177°25'00" - W177°25'00"
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2019, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data from U. S. Geological Survey, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, , United States
Update Code: 1974
Close Modal

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal