Geochemistry of the volcanics of central Mexico

Abstract

The Tertiary and Recent volcanics of Mexico occur in two provinces. The Cordillera Province is made up of about 1700 m of ignimbrite sheets overlain and intercalated in the upper part by olivine basalt and basaltic andesite. The Rio Lerma Province extends transversely across Mexico and in the Valley of Mexico the lavas consist mainly of andesite and dacite, 68 % of those analysed having 62 | 4.7 % SiO2. A total of 108 chemical analyses were made for the major elements, 90 of these including determinations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ba, Th and Pb for two areas, the Valley of Mexico in the Rio Lerma Province and the Guadalajara region which lies at the intersection of the two provinces. Computer constructions of normative components in the basalt tetrahedron and other projections support an origin of partial melting of tholeiitic to pyrolitic material for the production of andesite. The Guadalajara lavas have consistently higher K/SiO2 and K/Rb ratios and lower Mg/SiO2 ratio than the Valley of Mexico rocks suggesting generation at greater depth.