Geochemical analyses, age dates, and flow-volume estimates for quaternary volcanic rocks, Southern Cascade Mountains, Washington

Abstract

Data collected over the last three years as part of a continuing study of the Quaternary volcanic rocks of the southern Cascade Mountains are presented. Whole-rock chemical analyses, selected trace element geochemistry, volume approximations, specific gravity determinations, and locations are provided for most of the 103 samples collected, and 21 radiometric age dates are included. In addition, partial information, including names and flow-volumes, are presented for 98 additional samples, collected for related studies. The study extends from the Columbia River north to the Cowlitz River and Goat Rocks Wilderness area, and from the Klickitat River west to the Puget-Willamette Trough. The volcanic rocks are all younger than 3 million years and consist primarily of tholeiitic and high-alumina basalts and basaltic-andesites erupted from numerous shield volcanoes and cinder cones. A few analyses of more silicic rocks, including hornblende and/or pyroxene andesites and dacites characteristic of the stratovolcanoes of the region, are also presented. However, systematic sampling of the stratovolcanoes in the study area, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens, was not conducted. A map of the areal extent of Quaternary volcanic units and sample locations is included. It has been based on the 1:125,000 reconnaissance geologic map of the southern Cascade Range by Hammond (1980).