Large volume volcanic eruptions in the Basin and Range Province include Basin and Range eruptions in Utah, 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 Lineament; 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:

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).

Sources

Columbia River Basalt Province-sources

Peter W. Lipman – sources

Maps