Volcanic evolution of the southern Quinn Canyon Range: Implications for regional correlation of volcanic units

The southern Quinn Canyon Range lies in an area of the Great Basin subjected to large-volume Oligocene-Miocene silicic volcanism and smaller volume basaltic volcanism during the Pliocene. Three major ash-flow tuff units were correlated in the southern Quinn Canyon Range (the Pahranagat Tuff, Clifford Spring Tuff, and the Cow Canyon Tuff) with regional units by utilizing U/Pb and 40 Ar/ 39Ar geochronology, geochemical correlation, and field mapping. Isotopic analysis suggests that basalt in the southern Quinn Canyon Range is part of the Death Valley-Pancake Range Basalt Zone and is similar to Reveille Range Episode 1 and 2 basalts. Further comparison of geochemical data from samples within the Death Valley-Pancake Range Basalt Zone show isotopic differences between the northern and southern end of the Death Valley-Pancake Range Basalt Zone with the northern end having an asthenospheric derived signature. Depth of melting calculations of basalt samples also suggest an asthenospheric source.