1979 - The Record of Cenozoic Volcanism Around Tthe Gulf of California

The record of Cenozoic volcanism around the
Gulf of California
G O R D O N GAST1L Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182
DANIEL K R U M M E N A C H E R J i s > s
J O H N M I N C H Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California 92675
ABSTRACT O u r o b j e c t i v e has been to d a t e by J a c u m b a . Thus, since Dibblee (1954) and

p o t a s s i u m / a r g o n m e t h o d s the volcanic the authors of this paper agree that the
Potassium/argon dating and chemical rocks of this province, especially those strata at J a c u m b a are continuous with
analyses of m a j o r oxides of volcanic rocks which could be related to the m a r i n e those in Coyote M o u n t a i n , the deposition
in areas adjacent to the Gulf of California stratigraphic record. O u r investigation has of all of the volcanic strata of the west Im-
provide a stratigraphie record of tectonic been limited to areas southwest of the San perial Valley section may be limited to a
and magmatic evolution that has occurred Andreas fault. relatively short interval at a b o u t 19 m.y.
during the past 3 0 m.y. B.P.
The important volcanic provinces are: DISCUSSION OF THE GEOLOGIC T h i s p r e s e n t e d an e n i g m a . D i b b l e e
the Pliocene-Holocene Gulf of California HISTORY BY AREAS (1954) had shown the volcanic rocks of the
dacite; the Pliocene-Holocene west Baja Split M o u n t a i n area to overlie the Split
C a l i f o r n i a alkaline b a s a l t - a n d e s i t e ; the The Imperial Valley of California (United M o u n t a i n Formation. T h e Split M o u n t a i n
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt; the " p r o t o - States) and Adjacent Areas in Baja F o r m a t i o n includes thin m a r i n e shales
G u l f " basalt f r o m the coast of Nayarit; the California which contain a micro-fauna reported by
late Miocene alkaline basalt of the C o m - Tarbet and H o l m a n (in D u r h a m , 1950) as
m o n d û Formation found in the Peninsula; The marine fossils of the Imperial For- u p p e r M i o c e n e , a n d by D u r h a m a n d
the late Miocene basalt-andesite-rhyolite mation in the eastern foothills of the Penin- Allison (1960) as probably lower Pliocene.
rocks straddling the northern half of the sular Ranges have attracted many paleon- W e re-collected this shale and sent it to
Gulf; the 18- to 22-m.y.-old hornblende tologists. T o m Stump (1972) has provided a Mobil Oil Laboratory, which reported that
andesite belt in the Peninsula of Baja good review of early papers. The most im- it probably was of Pliocene age (A. D. W a r -
California and the central coast of Sonora; portant papers of recent years have been ren, 1972, written commun.). T o com-
and the Oligocene—early Miocene basalt- those by Dibblee (1954), w h o is the only p o u n d the problem, W o o d r i n g (1931) had
rhyolite belt, largely east of the Gulf. worker to have mapped the entire area; reported that the Imperial Formation
Tectonics interpretation suggests that the D u r h a m and Allison (1960); W o o d a r d (which he considered to be of Miocene age)
subduction plane moved westward between (1974), w h o mapped the Split M o u n t a i n was interbedded with the volcanic rocks in
Oligocene and middle Miocene time and area; and D o w n s and White (1968), w h o the P a i n t e d G o r g e a r e a of C o y o t e
that active calc-alkaline volcanism con- studied the vertebrate fauna of the Plio- M o u n t a i n . If the 19-m.y.-old volcanic rocks
tinued over a b r o a d area around the north- cene-Pleistocene Palm Spring Formation. are interbedded with, or overlay, marine
ern Gulf even after the trench west of Baja Andesite and basalt occur within the strata, then there appeared to be n o ques-
California had been annihilated. Anza Formation (Woodard, 1974) of the tion but that marine water reached this
Split M o u n t a i n area (Fig. 1, loc. 1), beneath northern end of the Gulf depression in early
INTRODUCTION the Imperial F o r m a t i o n in the C o y o t e o r middle Miocene time.
M o u n t a i n s (Christiansen, 1958; Dibblee, We believe that w e have laid this problem
The Gulf of California depression is one 1954), and in the Jacumba Volcanics (loc. to final rest. M a p p i n g by W o o d a r d (1974)
of the few places in the world where an ac- 2) (Miller, 1 9 3 5 ; Brooks and Roberts, and John Robinson (1973, unpub. data) in
tive plate b o u n d a r y involving the formation 1954; Dibblee, 1954; Minch and Abbott, the Split M o u n t a i n area shows that there is
of new crust occurs today within a conti- 1973). T. D o w n s and R. H . M e r r i a m no reason to place the volcanic rocks above
nent. The history of this plate boundary, the (1972, written commun.) obtained a K-Ar the Split M o u n t a i n Formation. They are
openings of the basins, and the evolution of age on an andesite block in the Anza For- restricted to the n o n m a r i n e Anza Forma-
volcanic m a g m a are recorded in the stratig- mation of 20 ± 2 m.y. H a w k i n s (1970) re- tion placed by W o o d a r d (1974) uncon-
raphy of the depression. However, the ported a K-Ar date of 18.7 ± 1 . 3 m.y. for a formably beneath the Split M o u n t a i n For-
endemic character of the marine fauna has basalt at J a c u m b a (see Table 1), and Minch mation. T. W . Dibblee, Jr. (1972, written
made it difficult to correlate strata with and Abbott (1973) report dates of 18.5 and commun.) found no evidence in the Coyote
other parts of western North America. 18.6 for an andesite underlying the basalt at M o u n t a i n area of the interbedding reported
Geological Society of America Bulletin, Part I, v. 90, p. 8 3 9 - 8 5 7 , 3 figs., 3 tables, September 1979, Doc. no. 90907.
839
Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf
by Univ de Sonora Biblioteca/CS Exactas Y Natura, Luis Alonso Velderrain rojas, Sr.
on 26 September 2018
840 GASTIL AND OTHERS
by W o o d r i n g , a l t h o u g h he l o o k e d carefully
f o r it. W e also tried to find the locality b u t
f o u n d only Imperial F o r m a t i o n overlying
the volcanic r o c k s o n a high-relief u n c o n -
formity. W o o d r i n g (1973, written com-
m u n . ) has since agreed t h a t the original re-
p o r t w a s in e r r o r .
T h u s (Fig. 2A), w e can read t h e f o l l o w i n g
geologic history f r o m the s t r a t a in the w e s t -
e r n s i d e of t h e I m p e r i a l V a l l e y . T h e
J a c u m b a G r a v e l s (Miller, 1 9 3 5 ; M i n c h ,
1 9 7 2 ) w e r e deposited m o r e t h a n 19 m.y.
ago. A t the time of their d e p o s i t i o n , s t r e a m
courses a p p a r e n t l y t r e n d e d s o u t h w e s t w a r d
across w h a t is n o w the Peninsular R a n g e s ;
thus there w a s n e i t h e r a Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a
depression nor a Peninsular mountain
range. M i n c h ( 1 9 7 2 ) stated t h a t these e x o -
tic clasts are f r o m S o n o r a a n d t h a t the de-
posit is of early C e n o z o i c age. T h e volcanic
strata (hornblende andesite and alkalic
b a s a l t ; H a w k i n s , 1 9 7 0 ) are f o u n d in the
n o r t h e r n m o s t e x t e n t of a volcanic belt t h a t
r u n s the entire length of the Peninsula of
Baja C a l i f o r n i a . T h e s e d i m e n t a r y r o c k s of
the A n z a F o r m a t i o n p r o b a b l y r e p r e s e n t
early n o n m a r i n e d e p o s i t i o n in a closed b a -
sin. T h e Split M o u n t a i n a n d Imperial For-
m a t i o n , including the spectacular g y p s u m
beds a n d megabreccias, m a r k the first a p -
p e a r a n c e of the sea in the depression some-
time in late M i o c e n e o r early Pliocene time
(by W e s t C o a s t megafossil s t r a t i g r a p h y ) . By
late Pliocene t i m e ( D o w n s a n d W h i t e ,
1 9 6 8 ) , the area w a s o n c e again the site of
nonmarine deposition.
T h e J a c u m b a Volcanics (Miller, 1 9 3 5 ;
M i n c h a n d A b b o t t , 1 9 7 3 ) can be traced
s o m e kilometres s o u t h of the b o r d e r a l o n g
the eastern e s c a r p m e n t of the Sierra J u a r e z .
It is also f o u n d o n o n e isolated hilltop o n
the p l a t e a u s o u t h of La R u m o r o s a (Gastil
a n d o t h e r s , 1 9 7 5 ) . B a r n a r d (1968) m a p p e d
an area of andesite (in the Sierra C u c a p a h
Figure 1. Index to volcanic rock localities. Subareas A through K are s h o w n . See Figure
s o u t h of Mexicali, loc. 4) a n d n u m e r o u s
2 for diagrammatic summaries. Numbered localities within the respective areas are indi-
andesite dikes, suggesting t h a t similar vol-
cated o n Tables 1 and 2. Longitude and latitude are corrected for relative displacement of
canic r o c k s w e r e o n c e extensive o v e r t h a t
the peninsula relative to Sonora since early M i o c e n e time but are n o t corrected for latitudi-
area. H e r e p o r t e d a single (whole rock?)
nal and longitudinal changes of the plates relative to the geoid. N o attempt has been made
d a t e of 15 ± 2 m.y. f o r an andesite.
to reconstruct strike-slip movements within the peninsula. O n the Pliocene to H o l o c e n e
map, the dashed line represents the spreading-transform divergent plate boundary respon-
Sierra Juarez, Sierra Tinaja,
sible for widening the Gulf of California.
and Sierra Pinta
A t latitude 3 1 ° 3 1 ' to 3 1 ° 5 0 ' N , there are lain by andesite tuff-breccia, rhyolite ig- are a d j a c e n t a n d the d i s t r i b u t i o n of
nearly c o n t i n u o u s e x p o s u r e s of volcanic nimbrite, a n d d i s c o n t i n u o u s basalt hori- C e n o z o i c s t r a t a a l m o s t c o n t i n u o u s , the sec-
rock f r o m the s o u t h e r n Sierra J u a r e z (loc. zons; the total section is n o m o r e t h a n a few tions a r e strikingly d i f f e r e n t . O n l y scattered
6), across the Sierra T i n a j a (loc. 7), to the h u n d r e d metres in thickness. T o the east, basalt flows in the Sierra J u a r e z are y o u n g e r
Sierra Pinta (loc. 5) n e a r t h e Gulf of the volcanic section thickens to 4 , 5 0 0 m than the w i d e s p r e a d lO-m.y.-old ignim-
C a l i f o r n i a coast. In the Sierra J u a r e z a n d (northern Sierra Pinta; M c E l d o w n e y , brite; in the Sierra Pinta, n o r o c k s d a t e d
n o r t h e r n Sierra T i n a j a , the C e n o z o i c sec- 1970). w e r e older t h a n 9 m.y.
tion lies h o r i z o n t a l a n d consists of discon- Figure 2B s h o w s three s t r a t i g r a p h i c sec- T h e oldest p o s t - b a t h o l i t h i c s t r a t a are the
t i n u o u s c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d s a n d s t o n e over- tions, because, a l t h o u g h the three ranges d i s c o n t i n u o u s c o n g l o m e r a t e s at the base of

CENOZOIC VOLCANISM AROUND THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA 841
ern Sierra Pinta, volcanic rocks (andesite to

MIDDLE T O rhyolite), d a t e d at 8.9 to 9.5 m.y., rest di-
PLIOCENE
rectly o n b a s e m e n t rocks.
LATE M I O C E N E T O PRESENT
N o m a r i n e s t r a t a have been e n c o u n t e r e d
5 M . Y . POSITION in the entire Sierra Juarez—Sierra Pinta area.
T h e San Felipe Area
R o b e r t A n d e r s o n (1972) m a p p e d the San

Felipe q u a d r a n g l e . W e a t t e m p t in this p a p e r
to s u m m a r i z e the r e p o r t e d scattered sedi-
m e n t a r y and volcanic s t r a t a of this area a n d
the Sierra S a n t a C l a r a immediately to the
south.
Anderson maintained that the oldest
post-batholithic s t r a t u m in the q u a d r a n g l e
w a s t h e highly i n d u r a t e d c r o s s - b e d d e d
s a n d s t o n e w h i c h resembles the E o c e n e -
Paleocene T e p e t a t e F o r m a t i o n f o u n d in the
s o u t h e r n p a r t of the state. M o s t of the clasts
in this deposit (loc. 12) are of granitic a n d
m e t a m o r p h i c rocks. W e d a t e d o n e of the
rare volcanic clasts a n d o b t a i n e d an age of
80 m.y. In the Sierra Santa C l a r a (loc. 13)
(Gastil and others, 1973) a c o n g l o m e r a t e
locally overlies the M e s o z o i c granitic rocks.
It consists of slightly m e t a m o r p h o s e d vol-
canic rocks, u n m e t a m o r p h o s e d P e r m i a n
limestone, and a variety of other clasts. T h e
Permian limestone clasts a l m o s t certainly
c a m e f r o m the State of Sonora. T h e freshest
a p p e a r i n g volcanic clast type, a q u a r t z
p o r p h y r y , y i e l d e d an age of 6 5 m . y .
T w e n t y - t w o k m n o r t h w e s t of San Felipe
and a b o u t 4 k m w e s t of the h i g h w a y (loc.
7-15 M.Y. 9), A n d e r s o n m a p p e d c o n g l o m e r a t e overly-
CIRCUM-GULF ing the b a s e m e n t rock a n d u n d e r l y i n g
PROVINCE h o r n b l e n d e andesite. A volcanic p o r p h y r y
clast f r o m this c o n g l o m e r a t e yielded an age
of 2 7 m.y. All three of these d a t e d clasts
100 200 p r e d a t e the oldest in situ volcanic rocks so
kilometers far discovered in n o r t h e r n Baja C a l i f o r n i a
CIRCA 10 M.Y.
o r coastal S o n o r a , w i t h the exception of one
Figure 1. (Continued). a n o m a l o u s basic alkaline rock collected
s o u t h of Los Angeles Bay (Gastil a n d
others, 1975). Since volcanic rocks of Late
the Sierra J u a r e z section. T h i s is a d i f f e r e n t T h e basalt w h i c h locally tops the ignimbrite Cretaceous, L a r a m i d e , a n d Oligocene ages
p o p u l a t i o n of clasts f r o m t h o s e in the w a s n o t d a t e d , b u t a basalt at R a n c h o Santa are all extensively e x p o s e d in S o n o r a , w e
J a c u m b a gravels. M i n c h (1972) stated t h a t C l a r a 35 k m to the west w a s d a t e d at 7.9 conclude t h a t these c o n g l o m e r a t e s w e r e de-
these rocks are also derived f r o m S o n o r a m.y. posited by rivers flowing f r o m S o n o r a
a n d t h a t their d e p o s i t i o n is a t least early In the s o u t h e r n Sierra T i n a j a , i m m e d i a t e - t o w a r d the Pacific O c e a n prior to the for-
Cenozoic in age. A n andesite clast f r o m the ly to the east, h o r n b l e n d e andesites yielded m a t i o n of the C a l i f o r n i a Gulf depression.
c o n g l o m e r a t e w a s d a t e d at 5 3 . 8 m.y. (bio- ages of 18.3 to 19.5 m.y. (see T a b l e 1). H e r e W h e t h e r all t h r e e c o n g l o m e r a t e s a r e
tite). If this d a t e is accurate, the d e p o s i t the andesites are interbedded w i t h a n d over- post-Oligocene o r are a variety of early
m u s t be at least t h a t y o u n g . T h e c o n g l o m - lain by a variety of tuffs a n d volcaniclastic Cenozoic ages is as yet u n d e t e r m i n e d .
erate is overlain by dacite, flow breccia, deposits, c a p p e d by basalt d a t e d at 6 . 4 m.y. T h e earliest volcanic rocks of the Sierra
flow c o n g l o m e r a t e , a n d lajar deposits. A J a m e s (1972) r e p o r t e d three sequences of San Felipe a r e 18- to 19-m.y.-old h o r n -
clast f r o m the flow c o n g l o m e r a t e yielded an volcanic rock in the s o u t h e r n Sierra Pinta, blende andesites, just as in the Sierra J u a r e z
age of 18.9 m.y. A small b o d y of basalt be- each sequence beginning w i t h basalt a n d and J a c u m b a a r e a s to the n o r t h . In the
tween the flow c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d t h e over- ending w i t h rhyolite (total section = 1 , 5 0 0 Sierra Santa C l a r a , the basal c o n g l o m e r a t e
lying ignimbrite yielded an age of 13 m.y., m). T h e only rock dated w a s a basal basalt (bearing clasts of Permian Limestone) is
a n d the c a p p i n g rhyolite ignimbrite, 10 m.y. w h i c h gave an age of 7.6 m.y. In the n o r t h - overlain by a b a s a l t d a t e d at 15 m.y. t h a t is

TABLE 1. K-Ar " A G E S " F O R C E N O Z O I C V O L C A N I C ROCKS A R O U N D T H E GULF O F C A L I F O R N I A
. radv,--10
Locality Lat. Long. Sample 40 Ar40 K - A r age
Reference Mineral % K Rock and s t r a t i g r a p h i c r e l a t i o n s
(Fig. 1) (N) (W) Number mol/gm (% rad) m.y.
A. Jacumba-Vallecitos Area
1 32°56'00" 116°02'00" 1 69,486 WR 0.6675 36.4 1.82 20.0 ± 2.0 Andesite from Anza Formation, basal strata in Vallecitos
Mountains, Imperial County, California
2 32°38'00" 116°11 '00" 2 — WR — — — 18.7± 1.3 Upper basalt, Jacumba Volcanics, Jacumba Peak
2 32°39'00" 1 16°08'00" 3 800 P 0.0956 24.89 .29 18.5 ± 1.3 Andesite, underlies upper basalt, J a c u m b a Volcanics, Table
801 H 0.1742 36.52 .52 18.6 ± 1.2 Mountain
2 32°47'54" 11 6 ° 0 1 ' 4 7 " 16 123 WR — — — 16 ± 1.0 Alverson Volcanics, overlain by basal Imperial Formation
4 32°23'00" 11 5 ° 3 9 ' 0 0 " 4 - WR - - - 15.0 ± 2.0 Andesite, northern Sierra C u c a p a h
B. Sierras Juarez, Tinaja, Pinta, and Cucapah
12 31°02'50" 1 15°01'15" 5 996 P 0.4542 48.49 .46 54.6 ± 1.2 Andesite porphyry cobble from conglomerate in c r o s s - b e d d e d
962 B 10.0672 78.87 7.18 81.7 ± 1.6 sandstone west of San Felipe
6 31 ° 3 7 ' 3 0 " 11 5 ° 3 6 ' 0 0 " 16 563 H 5.7743 42.39 .94 53.8 ± 1.5 Andesite clast from basal conglomerate, Jamau grade, Sierra
Juarez
7 31 ° 3 4 ' 4 5 " 115°26'20" 5 995 P 0.1 131 9.83 .32 19.5 ± 3.6 Hornblende andesite porphyry, pole road, west Sierra Tinaja
6 31 ° 3 6 ' 3 0 " 1 1 5°33'1 0 " 5 1,030 H 0.1984 28.73 .59 18.9± 1.0 Hornblende andesite, pole road, foot of Sierra Juarez
1,029 P 0.1220 30.32 .46 15.0 ± 0.7
7 31 ° 3 6 ' 5 0 " 115°20'40" 5 973 P 0.0792 13.13 .24 18.3± 2.4 Hornblende andesite dike, pole road, west Sierra Tinaja
7 31 ° 3 3 ' 3 0 " 115°26'30" 5 966 P 0.0721 11.53 .25 16.1 ± 2.5 Hornblende andesite tuff breccia
6 31 ° 3 7 ' 3 0 " 1 15°36'00" 5 985 H 0.1219 4.11 .24 21.6 ± 5.5 Hornblende andesite tuff breccia above basal conglomerate on
J a m a u grade, Sierra Juarez
6 31 ° 3 7 ' 3 0 " 115°36'00" 16 549 WR 0.3124 22.92 1.28 13.6 ± 0.4 Basalt overlying sample 9 8 5 and underlying sample 5 5 0
6 31 ° 3 7 ' 0 0 " 115°39'00" 16 550 B 1.0628 16.39 5.94 10.0 ± 0.5 Ash flow tuff rhyolite capping Sierra Juarez
8 31 ° 4 2 ' 0 0 " 116°07'00" 6 513 P 0.3053 34.28 2.0 7.9 ± 0.3 Basalt, Rancho Santa Rosa, west of Sierra Juarez, may
correlate with basalt capping southern Sierra Juarez
7 31 ° 3 6 ' 1 5 " 11 5°21 '1 5 " 5 1,001 WR 0.0843 14.96 .73 6.4 ± 0.7 Basalt capping Sierra Tinaja
1 1 31 °31 ' 0 0 " 11 5°11 ' 0 0 " 7 51 7 WR 0.1465 15.57 1.09 7.6 ± 0.4 Basalt, base of volcanic section, south end of Sierra Pinta
5 31 ° 4 4 ' 0 0 " 11 5 ° 0 6 ' 0 0 " 8 541 H 0.0654 8.53 .42 8.9 ± 0.6 Andesite below unconformity in volcanic sequence, northern
Sierra Pinta
12 31 ° 4 5 ' 0 0 " 115°05'00" 8 540 P 0.0550 6.68 .50 9.5 ± 1.0 ' Dacite above unconformity in volcanic sequence, northern
Sierra Pinta
C. Sierra Santa Rosa —Sierra San Felipe
13 30°51 '30" 114°59'10" 16 960 F 8.2689 75.56 7.13 64.0 ± 1.2 Quartz porphyry clast in basal (exotic) conglomerate of Sierra
Santa Rosa
9 31 °10'1 5 " 114°58'15" 5 958 H 0.2967 38.56 .68 24.3 ± 0.8 Quartz porphyry clast from basal (exotic) conglomerate, Campo
n
947 P 0.1 6 9 8 32.35 .45 ¿ j 1 <. 1 rtIT nU.» Moreno, northwest of San Felipe
13 30°51'30" 11 4 ° 5 9 ' 1 0 " 9 1,021 WR 0.2929 45.76 1.09 15.0 ± 0.4 Basalt immediately overlying basal conglomerate, Sierra Santa
Rosa
939 WR 0.3075 38.63 .91 (18.9 ± 0.6) Duplicate of 1,021
13 30°51'30" 114°59'10" 9 967 WR 0.7233 25.14 2.86 14.2 ± 0.9 Vitrophyre base of ash flow rhyolite immediately overlying 1,021
13 30°52'10" 115°00'05" 9 1,658 P 0.0653 15.35 .42 8.9 ± 1.2 Basalt, in section of nonmarine strata, above 9 6 7 , Sierra Santa
Rosa
10 31 °1 5 ' 2 5 " 115°09'40" 5 959 H 0.2045 17.21 .63 18.1 ± 1.8 Hornblende andesite, Sierra San Felipe, overlies 9 5 8 - 9 4 7
i 0 310 i 8 ' 3 5 " 11 5 ° 0 9 ' 2 0 " 5 971 WR 0.1 5 2 3 1 9.67 .58 14.8 ± 1.2 Basalt, Sierra San Felipe, unconforrrsably above 9 5 9
D. Isla Tiburón— Coastal Sonora
22 2 8 ° 5 4 ' 2 0 " 11 2 ° 3 2 ' 2 0 " 11 933 P 0.1443 29.44 .35 22.7 ± 1.1 Andesite underlying marine conglomerate southwest Isla
1,036 H 0.1935 13.48 .59 18.3 ± 2.4 Tiberon
26 28°59'20" 11 2 ° 0 2 ' 4 5 " 11 1,013 H 0.3322 35.28 .86 21.0 + 0.8 Hornblende andesite, north of Bahia Kino, Sonora
26 28°52'35" 112°00'05" 11 1,079 H 0.1863 31.67 .59 17.8 ± 0.8 Tilted dacite north of Bahia Kino
1,081 B 2.2656 6.88 6.09 20.8 ± 5.7
25 30°05'40" 112°37'50" 1 1 809 P 0.1444 7.66 .57 14.0 ± 3.0 Hornblende andesite, northeast of Libertad, Sonora
26 30°00'40" 11 2 ° 2 2 ' 0 0 " 11 810 F 0.8144 70.62 3.59 12.7 ± 0.4 Tilted dacite, Rancho Golendrina
27 29°13'20" 112°05'15" 11 934 P 0.1437 18.66 .63 12.7 ± 1.1 Tilted rhyolite, Pico Demere
28 29°06'05" 1 1 2°06'50" 11 975 P 0.1096 7.98 .50 12.3 ± 2.9 Tilted andesite, Sierra Seri

TABLE 1. (cont.)
. radv,„-10
Locality Lat. Long. Sample 40 Ar40 K-Ara{
Rock and s t r a t i g r a p h i e r e l a t i o n s
(Fig. 1) (N) (W) Number mol/gm (% rad) m.y.
29 29°44'55" 1 12°29'50" 11 815 WR 0.4375 41.72 2.06 11.9 ± 0.5 Tilted "rhyolite," Sierra Bacha
29 29°45'1 5" 112°48'20" 11 914 P 0.0761 17.75 .38 11.3 ± 1.2 Tilted andesite, Sierra Bacha
22 28°53'55" 11 2 ° 3 2 ' 0 5 " 11 1,011 F 0.9230 14.33 4.63 11.2 ± 1.3 Rhyolite overlies marine conglomerate, southwest Isla Tiburón
22 28°58'55" 11 2 ° 2 9 ' 1 5 " 11 1,014 P 0.0975 8.71 .50 10.9 ± 2.3 Andesite, west Isla Tiburón
28 29°30'25" 1 1 2°1 8 ' 4 0 " 11 1,095 F 0.9888 56.23 5.32 10.4 ± 0.2 Rhyolite, tilted, east of Desemboque
23 28°56'25" 112°26'45" 11 1,080 H 0.0513 12.84 .29 9.9 ± 1.3 Nearly flat-lying hornblende dacite, central Isla Tiburón
22 28°48'30" 1 12°24'50" 11 1,000 WR 0.5836 32.67 1.27 7.0 ± 0.3 Basalt, flat-lying, over lies marine conglomerate, southwestern
Tiburón
29 29°42'40" 1 12°23'35" 11 1,050 P 0.0351 6.19 .31 6.4 ± 1.9 Basalt, slightly tilted, Poso Coyote, south end of Sierra Bacha
22 28°56'00" 1 12°29'00" 11 1,012 F 0.2258 16.12 5.32 5.7 ± 0.6 Rhyolite, west Isla Tiburón
22 28°54'30" 112°31'10" 11 975 P 0.1096 7.98 .50 3.7 ± 0.9 Andesite dike, cuts marine conglomerate, southwest Isla
Tiburón
E. El Marmol — Puertecitos
18 ~ 2 9 ° 5 6 ' 0 0 " 1 1 4 ° 5 9 ' 0 0 " 5 535 H 0.1960 20.63 .67 16.3 ± 0.5 Hornblende andesite resting on bedrock, El Marmol
19 30°05'10" 1 14°32'05" 10 706 P 0.0585 5.76 .21 1 5 . 8 ± 5.2 Hypersthene andesite vitrophyre Isla El Muerto
16 20°23'20" 115°37'10" 5 1,009 F 0.8954 46.92 4.08 12.3 ± 0.3 Thin rhyolite ash overlying thin nonmarine desposits, capping
mesa north of El Cipris, western slope of peninsula
15 30°25'50" 1 1 4°44'40" 16 556 F 0.4198 66.62 2.98 8.1 ± 1.1 One of four dates on tilted ash flow rhyolite sequence west of
Puertecitos
1 5 30°26'00" 1 14°44'40" 16 560 F 0.2394 43.1 1 2.29 5.9 ± 0.2 Flat-lying rhyolite ash overlying 5 5 5 - 5 5 9
15 30°26'10" 1 14°44'40" 16 561 F 0.1161 32.28 .36 3.1 ± 0.5 Rhyolite ash overlying 5 6 0
F. San Boria —Bahia Las Animas Area
30 28°39'30" 1 13°59'20" 16 552 WR 0.1380 46.1 7 2.92 2.6 ± 0.5 Undissected alkali basalt flow east of Rosarita
31 28°58'05" 1 14°03'35" 5 767 B 1.3526 16.70 7.12 10.6 ± 1.1 Weathered rhyolite tuff, Mesa capping north of Punta Prieta
768 P 0.2296 6.93 .94 13.6 ± 3.7
32 28°45'10" 1 13°45'1 5" 16 554 B 1.2738 48.93 5.07 14.1 ± 0.5 Rhyolite tuff locality immediately northwest of Misión San Borja
32 ~ 2 8 ° 4 6 ' 0 0 " 113°42'00" 16 546 B 1.5653 66.61 6.26 14.0 ± 0.2 Rhyolite tuff 5km northeast of Misión San Borja
32 28°45'1 0 " 113°45'15" 16 553 WR 0.1089 43.50 .51 12.0 ± 0.4 Basalt overlies 5 4 6
33 28°39'30" 1 13°26'40" 5 523 H 0.2149 30.89 .71 1 7.0 ± 0.5 Andesite b o u l d e r f r o m basal conglomerate, southwest of Bahia
An11i1m
ni ac
1 Ido
33 28°42'00" 113°26'50" 16 525 B 1.2329 29.29 5.42 12.7 ± 0.5 Rhyolite tuff overlying conglomerate
33 28°42'00" 1 13°26'50" 16 526 WR 0.2628 28.16 1.23 11.9 ± 0.5 Basalt above 5 2 5
33 28°42'00" 1 13°27'00" 16 527 WR 0.3145 15.45 1.24 10.5 ± 0.4 Basalt above 5 2 6
33 28°41'25" 113°42'30" 16 522 WR 0.1930 15.56 1.08 10.0± 0.5 Basalt, no stratigraphic relation to above section, same area
34 28°37'25" 113°17'35" 16 531 P 0.1190 30.97 1.32 5.1 ± 0.4 Andesite, Llano San Pedro, south of Bahia Animas
35 ~ 2 8 ° 1 2 ' 0 0 " 113°19'00" 5 999 WR 0.3236 29.44 1.6 10.8± 0.5 Basalt, Rancho la Union, northeast of El Arco
35 ~ 2 8 ° 1 2 ' 0 0 " 113°19'00" 5 998 WR 0.2033 23.51 2.11 5.4 ± 0.4 Basalt, Rancho la Union, northeast of El Arco, above 9 9 9
36 28°02'00" 113°05'00" 16 518 B 2.3323 45.87 6.61 19.8 ± 0.5 Rhyolite tuff, basal volcanic unit, Misión Santa Gertrudis
G. Sierra Giga'ntia —Loreto and Bahia Concepción
46 26°42'20" 1 11°45'40" 12 80,489 F — — 28.1 ± 0.9 Rhyolite tuff, Salto Formation, east of Bahia Concepción
37 25°59'00" 1 11°23'00" 5 1,035 H 0 1412 14.50 .34 22.9 ± 2.7 Hornblende andesite dike, old Loreto grade, cuts much of
section
46 26°52'00" 1 15°00'50" 12 80,436 — _ 20.0 ± 2.0 Tonalite, east of Bahia C o n c e p c i ó n
37 25°58'00" 110°23'00" 5 1,005 H 0 2884 46.56 93 17.3 ± 0.4 Hornblende andesite dike, old Loreto grade
37 25°59'00" 111°22'00" 5 1,034 H 0.0931 13.98 .32 16.0 ± 2.0 Hornblende andesite dike, old Loreto grade
38 25°44'00" 112°14'00" 5 1,003 WR 0.5159 23.47 1.40 20.6 ± 1.4 Hornblende andesite, new Loreto grade
38 25°42'00" 11 2 ° 1 5 ' 0 0 " 5 917 P 0.2140 42.87 .66 18.2 ± 0.5 Hornblende andesite, new Loreto grade
38 25°44'00" 112°14'00" 5 770 P 0.921 7 13.62 .31 17.3 ± 2.2 Hornblende andesite, possibly intrusive, new Loreto grade
46 12 — — — — — 20.0 ± 2.0 Tonalite, in fault contact, east of Bahia Concepción
39 26°54'00" 112°58'00" 5 929 P 0.1839 27.65 .72 14.3 ± 0.8 Hornblende andesite intrusive, Mulage estuary
37 25°58'00" 1 11°24'00" 920 P 0.1488 28.78 .54 15.4 ± 0.8 Basalt, interbedded with nonmarine clastics near top of grade
40 26°17'00" 112°10'00" 5 1,004 WR 0.2640 12.53 1.12 13.2 ± 1.9 Basalt Comondú Formation, Purísimo Viejo
756R WR 0.2006 6.30 1.18 ( 9.5 ± 2.8) Duplicate of 1,004
TABLE 1. (cont.)
.
A r
radyin-10
Locality Lat. Long. „ . Sample ... 40 Ar40 „, „ K - A r a9g e _ . . . .. .. ...
(Fig. 1 ) (N) (W) Reference Numger Mineral ^ ^ (%ra(J) %K m y Rock and strat,graph,c r e l a t i o n s
41 27°18'00" 112°56'00" 5 938 WR 0.051 4 21.05 .26 11.1 ± 0.8 Basalt capping mesa north of San Ignacio, overlies San Ignacio
Formation
42 25°59'00" 111°53'00" 5 760 WR 0.3010 1 1.73 1.88 8.7 ± 1.3 Basalt, type area of Comondú Formation, west of Comondú
43 26°23'00" 11 2 ° 3 1 ' 0 0 " 5 970 WR 0.0203 6.34 .17 6.6 ± 2.0 Basalt, Caije, Comondú Formation
44 26°49'00" 111°53'00" 5 930 P 0.0556 10.90 .32 9.8 ± 1.6 Andesite, Ricason Formation, north of Bahia San Sipac
46 26°37'00" 111°42'00" 5 937 WR 0.0206 4.18 .14 8.0 ± 3.7 Basalt, east of Bahia C o n c e p c i ó n
45 26° 1 3 ' 0 0 " 111 ° 2 8 ' 0 0 " 5 946 WR 0.0538 10.41 .42 6.7 ± 1.2 Dacite porphyry, intrudes, and possibly extrudes onto late
Miocene-early Pliocene marine Salada Group
H. Area North of La Paz
49 — 2 4 ° 2 8 ' 0 0 " 1 1 0 ° 4 4 ' 0 0 " 5 974 P 0.3454 40.08 .70 27.5 ± 0.8 Basalt, associated with red beds below fossiliferous Miocene,
Rancho Sausoso
47 ~ 2 4 ° 5 0 ' 0 0 " 110°40'00" 5 1,008 P 0.7722 5.26 .17 22.8 ± 4.9 Andesite, Punta M e c h u d o
1,008 P 0.6703 8.27 .19 19.8 ± 4.4 Duplicate of 1,008
48 ~ 2 4 ° 2 6 ' 0 0 "
1 10°00'00" 5 1,216 B 1.9097 26.80 6.2 20.6 ± 1.1 Tuff containing marine fossils, east of Pilar
49 ~ 2 4 ° 2 8 ' 0 0 "
1 10°44'00" 5 945 P 0.3303 46.11 1.0 18.3 ± 0.4 Basalt in marine Miocene section near Rancho San Juan
47 ~ 2 4 ° 5 0 ' 0 0 "
110°45'00" 5 944 P 0.4223 43.87 2.3 10.1 ± 0.3 Basalt, caps Mesa, above Punta Mechudo
1. Empalme, Sonora
73 27°59'00" 110°49'05" 5 1,064 P 0.2332 27.81 .55 23.8 ± 1.3 Basalt, overlying granophyric rock north of Empalme
J. Topolobampo
51 25=07'30" 109°05'00" 5 922 P 0.0322 9.0 .20 9.1 ± 1.9 Andesite porphyry
13 — — 11.0 Latite
13 - - 0.7 Basalt, on alluvial plain
K. Nayarit
52 21°1 8 ' 5 0 " 1 04°36'35" 14 246 P 0.4313 33.08 1.13 21.3 ± 0.9 Rhyolite, Zapotanito, south of Santa Maria del Oro
53 21 °1 2'1 5 " 105°04'50" 14 165 P 0.2803 35.85 .85 18.5 ± 0.7 Rhyolite conglomerate, east of Las Várias
54 21 ° 2 2 ' 5 5 " 1 04°58'50" 14 393 P 0.1169 1 2.46 .32 20.4 ± 2.9 Andesite, east of Marienal
54 21 °1 5 ' 1 0 " 104°55'27" 14 404 F 0.9466 31.11 2.92 18.1 ± 0.8 Rhyolite, northwest of Com postela
54 21 ° 1 9 ' 0 0 " 1 05°00'1 5" 14 369 P 0.1829 34.00 .64 16.0 ± 0.7 Basalt porphyry, east of La Cumbre de Huicicila
55 21 °21 ' 2 5 " 1 04°54'50" 14 188 P 0.3010 8.3 1.22 13.8 ± 3.1 Basalt, Emiliano Zapato, southeast of Tepic
56 20°57'50" 105° 1 2 ' 2 0 " 15 1,156 P 0.1242 14.1 .52 13.3 ± 2.0 Gabbro, Sierra Vallejo
56 20°55'00" 105°24'50" 15 1,153 P 0.4206 49.2 1.86 12.6 ± 0.4 Basalt dike, Sierra Vallejo
57 20°55'00" 105°32'00" 15 1,155 F 1.01 31 62.0 5.10 11.1 ± 0.2 Rhyolite welded tuff, Punta Mita, southwest Nayarit
57 20°47'20" 105°30'25" 15 1,151 0.0288 22.8 .16 10.2 ± 0.8 Basalt, Punta Mita
56 ?0°57'00" 105°22'55" 15 1.150 P 0.3585 66.8 1.99 10.1 ± 0.3 Basalt, Sierra Vallejo
58 21 °41 ' 2 0 " 1 05°05'40" 14 193 WR 0.1580 39.98 .89 9.9 ± 0.3 Basalt, Cinco de Mayo, northwest of Tepic
59 21°01'45" 1 05°1 6 ' 4 0 " 15 1,152 P 0.0859 26.0 .58 8.3 ± 0.6 Basalt, Punta Rosa, southwest Nayarit
60 21 ° 4 3 ' 2 5 " 1 0 5 ° 0 2 ' 1 0" 14 421 F 0.2845 19.25 2.03 7.8 ± 0.6 Rhyolite, east of El Higole
52 21°1 9'45" 104°24'25" 14 284 F 0.3619 36.19 4.40 4.6 ± 0.2 Rhyolite, east of Santa Maria del Oro
12.39 3.9 4.0 ± 0.6 Duplicate run
61 21°27'20" 1 04°32'1 5" 14 231 P 0.0273 4.69 .36 4.3 ± 1.7 Basalt on Rio Santiago east of Mojarras
14 7 dates ranging from 1.2 to 2.3 with large experimental error Andesite, dacite, rhyolite, t r a n s - M e x i c a n volcanic belt
Dredge Sample Gulfmat
15°40'00" 98°00'00" WR .93 9.3 ± 0.2 Basalt, 41 4-1,1 01 7°; 4 , 2 0 0 meters depth by Edwin C. Allison
and David Moore
* decay constants used: X(40Kg-) = 4 . 9 6 2 x 1 0 " 1 0 / y r

others (1973). 4. Barnard (1968). 5. Previously unreported. 6. Robert Burke (unpub. Senior Re-
at San Diego State University: x ( 4 0 K e ) + \ ' ( 4 0 K e ) = 3.581 x 1 0 ~ 1 0 / y r port, San Diego State University, 1969). 8. McEldowney (1970). 9. Keith Valdez (unpub. Senior
Report, San Diego State University, 1977). 10. Rossetter (1974). 11. Gastil and Krummenacher
REFERENCES: (1977). 12. McFall (1968). 13. Kenneth Clark (1976). 14. Gastil and others (1978). 15. Jensky
1. T . Downs, and R. H . Merriam (written commun., 1972). 2. H a w k i n s (1970). 3. Minch and (1975). 16. Eberly and Stanley (1978).

overlain in t u r n by a rhyolite ignimbrite

d a t e d at 14 m.y. T h e s e are overlain by vol-
canic ash and breccia (undated), followed
by a thick sequence of cross-bedded fluvial
s a n d s t o n e , siltstone, a n d c o n g l o m e r a t e .
T h i s sequence includes a single h o r i z o n of
r h y o l i t e i m m e d i a t e l y o v e r l a i n by a 9 -
m.y.-old basalt (see T a b l e 1). Stratigraphi-
cally just b e l o w the 9-m.y.-old volcanic
horizon, there is a d r a m a t i c change in the
p r o v e n a n c e of the basin. Instead of the re-
w o r k e d , fairly w e l l - r o u n d e d clasts f r o m the
east, w e d i s c o v e r e d d e p o s i t s in w h i c h
almost all of the clasts are granitic a n d
m e t a m o r p h i c rocks typical of the deeply
dissected Sierra San P e d r o M a r t i r to the
west. T h u s w i t h i n w h a t a p p e a r s to have
been a c o n t i n u o u s sequence of fluvial dep-
osition, there is a c h a n g e of p r o v e n a n c e
caused w h e n the p e n i n s u l a r ranges began to
rise. T h e sequence in the Sierra Santa C l a r a
does n o t include m a r i n e strata, and it has so
far proven impossible to directly correlate
this stratigraphic section to the m a r i n e de-
posits f o u n d to the n o r t h w e s t (Iocs. 9, 10,
12) (Anderson, 1973).
A b o u t 4 0 k m (by r o a d ) due w e s t of San
Felipe, a pair of t r a c k s turn n o r t h f r o m the
San Felipe-Valle San Felipe r o a d . In a b o u t
2 k m , o n e reaches e x p o s u r e s of M o h n i a n
d i a t o m i t e (loc. 12) first described by Ander-
son (1969). T h e m i c r o p a l e o n t o l o g y has
been reported by M a n d r a a n d M a n d r a
(1972) and Ingle (1974). This w a s the first
m a r i n e s t r a t a of u n d i s p u t e d M i o c e n e age
discovered in the n o r t h e r n p a r t of the Gulf
of C a l i f o r n i a depression. T h e d i a t o m i t e
grades u p w a r d into d i a t o m a c e o u s shale a n d
is overlain by beds of p u m i c e lapillae, w h i c h
u n f o r t u n a t e l y p r o v e d u n d a t a b l e by potassi-
u m - a r g o n . A b o v e the lapillae, there are
highly fossiliferous beds of Imperial For-
m a t i o n (believed by E d w i n Allison, 1 9 7 0 ,
oral c o m m u n . , to be lower Imperial For-
mation) a n d t h e r e f o r e , according to recent
w o r k e r s (Stump, 1972), of early Pliocene
age. A l t h o u g h the M i o c e n e and Pliocene
beds at this p a r t i c u l a r locality (on the axis
of an anticline) are inclined less than 10°,
folded lower Pliocene strata a few
kilometres s o u t h w e s t s h o w dips of as m u c h
as 45°. T h e m a r i n e Pliocene beds c o n t a i n
megabreccias of tonalite identical to those
exposed in the n o n m a r i n e strata of the ad-
jacent Sierra San Felipe and Sierra Santa
Clara. T h u s it seems reasonable to say t h a t
the initial uplift of the peninsular ranges
Figure 2. Diagrammatic summaries of I.w.I andesite- began just p r i o r to the deposition of the
Ej b a s a l t l'.*'.':l d a c i t e
the Cenozoic stratigraphy in subareas A rhyolite-basalt h o r i z o n of the Sierra Santa
through G, H , and K. For the areas repre- rhyolite lood megabreccia Clara 9 m.y-. ago, and folding did n o t cease
sented in each summary, see index to vol- until a f t e r the d e p o s i t i o n of the l o w e r
¿'¿'I s a n d s t o n e —t] shale Pliocene Imperial F o r m a t i o n . As in the
canic rock localities, Figure 1. Small num- o I conglomerate
bers on the horizon represent K-Ar rock r^J pre-Cenozoic I, . I ... .
w e s t e r n Imperial Valley a n d the Sierra
¿-fl 1I**- -»I g r a n i t i c r o c k s Juarez—Sierra Pinta areas, n o s t r a t i g r a p h i c
ages in millions of years; see Table 1. fed s t r a t a • -f
volcanic rocks w e r e f o u n d overlying m a r i n e El Marmol-Isla Encantada Angeles Bay (Table 1). T h e bulk of the vol-
strata. canic ages in this area range f r o m 10 to 14
This area includes the large volcanic field m.y. (Table 1). T h e s e rocks are largely
Isla Tiburón and Adjacent Coastal Sonora w h i c h e x t e n d s f r o m the Gulf C o a s t , n o r t h rhyolite a n d dacite, b u t they include a n d e -
a n d s o u t h of Puertecitos, across the desert site a n d basalt. T h e r e are also y o u n g e r
T h e C e n o z o i c r o c k s of this area (area D) foothills to the s o u t h e r n end of the Sierra b a s a l t a n d b a s a l t i c a n d e s i t e (Table 1).
have been divided into five sequences (Gas- San Pedro M a r t i r (loc. 15). A l o n g the coast s o u t h of Bahia de Las
til a n d K r u m m e n a c h e r , 1977). T h e oldest T h e oldest C e n o z o i c volcanic r o c k s in A n i m a s , and b o t h n o r t h a n d s o u t h of San
sequence consists of ash flow tuffs, basalt, this region a r e f o u n d in andesitic p e a k s such F r a n c i s q u i t o s (east of loc. 3 5 ) , m a r i n e
cross-laminated red beds, lacustrine lime- as P i c o M a t a m i ( l o n g 1 1 5 ° 0 4 ' W , l a t P l i o c e n e s t r a t a lie u n c o n f o r m a b l y o n
stone a n d c h e r t , a n d volcaniclastic s t r a t a . It 2 9 ° 2 0 ' N ) , w h i c h a p p e a r to be the cores of C e n o z o i c v o l c a n i c s t r a t a . O n Isla San
has n o t been d a t e d b u t is a p p a r e n t l y older old volcanic centers that were deeply L o r e n z o (loc. 21), basalt is i n t e r b e d d e d
than 2 2 m.y. a n d m a y correlate w i t h the e r o d e d a n d then largely buried by later suc- w i t h the Pliocene s t r a t a , b u t w e w e r e u n a b l e
t h i c k s e c t i o n of i g n i m b r i t e a n d m i n o r cessions of volcanic r o c k . R o c k s believed to t o date it by the p o t a s s i u m - a r g o n m e t h o d .
basalts in the Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l (loc. be of this older sequence are dated at 17
76) ( M c D o w e l l a n d Keizer, 1 9 7 7 ) a n d the m.y. n e a r El M a r m o l (loc. 18). T h e b u l k of T h e Sierra Gigántia
Salto F o r m a t i o n of Bahia C o n c e p c i ó n (loc. the volcanic section consists of rhyolite a n d
46) (McFall, 1 9 6 8 ) . T h e second s e q u e n c e ash-flow tuffs. A sequence of f o u r dates T h e Sierra G i g á n t i a f o r m s the ridge of the
ranges in age f r o m 16 to 2 2 m.y. a n d is were o b t a i n e d from this unit (long peninsula f r o m S a n t a Rosalia (loc. 50) to
largely dacite to andesite in c o m p o s i t i o n . 1 1 4 ° 4 5 ' W , lat 3 0 ° 2 8 ' N ) . W i t h i n a tilted Bahia La Paz (loc. 49). T h e w e s t e r n slopes
T h i s a p p e a r s to c o r r e l a t e w i t h the similarly s t r a t i g r a p h i c section of a few h u n d r e d of this r a n g e w a s the location of the C o -
aged, p r e d o m i n a n t l y andesite belt in Baja metres, the d a t e s range f r o m 7.5 to 9 . 0 m.y. m o n d ú F o r m a t i o n first w r i t t e n a b o u t by
C a l i f o r n i a . T h e third sequence consists of a n d d o n o t fall in s t r a t i g r a p h i c sequence. H e i m ( 1 9 1 5 ) ; t h a t n a m e w a s later applied
c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d i n t e r b e d d e d ash a n d C o n s i d e r i n g the e x p e r i m e n t a l e r r o r , it is n o t by Beal (1948) to all middle C e n o z o i c vol-
breccia. M o s t of this c o n g l o m e r a t e is red, u n r e a s o n a b l e to say that this sequence in- canic rocks in the p e n i n s u l a . M c F a l l (1968)
unfossiliferous, a n d a p p a r e n t l y n o n m a r i n e . cludes rock in the interval b o u n d e d by these m a p p e d the Bahia C o n c e p c i ó n area (Iocs.
H o w e v e r , o n the s o u t h w e s t e r n c o r n e r of n u m b e r s . In the s o u t h end of Valle C h i c o 3 9 t h r o u g h 46) a n d i n t r o d u c e d the n a m e
Isla T i b u r ó n (loc. 23), there is at least 1 , 0 0 0 (long 1 1 5 ° 0 4 ' W , lat 3 0 ° 3 1 ' N ) , rock of this " C o m o n d ú G r o u p . " Schmidt and others
m of fossiliferous c o n g l o m e r a t e , c o n t a i n i n g sequence is s t a n d i n g on end. A t the d a t e d (1977) have r e p o r t e d the volcanic-tectonic
a f a u n a u n i q u e to this locality (T. S t u m p , locality, the o l d e r tilted a n d folded sequence history of the S a n t a Rosalia area. O u r first
1 9 7 5 , w r i t t e n c o m m u n . ) . T h e f o u r t h se- is overlain by nearly flat-lying rhyolitic objective in this p a r t of the peninsula w a s to
quence is rhyolite to andesite volcanic s t r a t a s t r a t a w i t h sequential dates of 5 . 9 ± 0 . 2 relate the volcanic r o c k s of the w e s t e r n
10 to 12 m.y. in age. Sequences 1 t h r o u g h 4 a n d 3 . 1 ± 0 . 5 m.y. M a r i n e " P l i o c e n e " slope, w h i c h are i n t e r b e d d e d w i t h the n o n -
are folded a n d extensively faulted, w h e r e a s s t r a t a might be expected to occur in the m a r i n e C o m o n d ú F o r m a t i o n of H e i m , to
the overlying fifth sequence, ash flow tuff stratigraphic g a p between the older a n d t h e volcanic a n d volcaniclastic d e p o s i t s
a n d basalt 3 to 9 m.y. old, is flat-lying a n d y o u n g e r rhyolite sequences of the Puer- a l o n g the axis of the range, a n d t h e r o c k s in
less faulted. tecitos area. H o w e v e r , the m a r i n e (Plio- the d o w n t h r o w n desert blocks to the east
In s u m m a r y , the i m p o r t a n t folding in the cene?) strata m a p p e d n e a r the coast to the m a p p e d by M c F a l l (Fig. 2) and S c h m i d t .
Isla T i b u r ó n a r e a occurred a b o u t 9 m.y. n o r t h of Puertecitos are nearly flat-lying T o the w e s t of the range, the oldest
ago, p e r h a p s 3 m.y. earlier t h a n in Baja a n d a p p e a r to p o s t - d a t e b o t h of the vol- C e n o z o i c r o c k s are Eocene and Paleocene
C a l i f o r n i a . T h e T i b u r ó n fossiliferous c o n - canic sequences. E d w i n E. Larson ( 1 9 7 2 , T e p a t a t e F o r m a t i o n (Beal, 1 9 4 8 ) u n c o n -
g l o m e r a t e , b r a c k e t e d p e r h a p s b e t w e e n 12 w r i t t e n c o m m u n . ) r e p o r t e d the discovery of f o r m a b l y overlain by siliceous shales a n d
a n d 16 m.y., is the oldest m a r i n e s t r a t u m so m a r i n e Pliocene s t r a t a i n t e r b e d d e d w i t h s a n d s t o n e s of late Oligocene to m i d d l e
far discovered in the n o r t h e r n p a r t of the volcanic s t r a t a n e a r Puertecitos. M i o c e n e age. Locally these have a variety of
Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a depression. f o r m a t i o n n a m e s : M o n t e r e y , San Ysidro,
Drill-hole d a t a f r o m the S o n o r a m a i n l a n d San Borja-Las Animas Area San R a y m u n d o , Z o r r a , a n d so o n . T h e old-
s h o w t h a t a l l u v i a t e d valleys b e t w e e n est are f o u n d to the s o u t h (loc. 49), w h e r e
latitudes 28° a n d 3 1 ° are underlain by thick This area includes rocks f r o m Bahia de they a p p e a r to be late Oligocene o r early
sections of M i o c e n e m a r i n e s t r a t a ( G o m e z , Las Animas—Llano San Pedro area ( a p p r o x - M i o c e n e and are i n t e r b e d d e d w i t h volcanic
1 9 7 1 ; T e o d o r o Diaz, 1 9 7 4 , w r i t t e n c o m - imately long 1 1 3 ° 1 5 ' to 1 1 3 ° 2 5 ' W , lat ash as old as 2 8 m.y. S o u t h w e s t of San Ig-
m u n . ) . G o m e z suggested t h a t b o t h u p p e r 2 8 ° 3 5 ' to 2 8 ° 4 0 ' N ) (Iocs. 3 3 and 34), the nacio (loc. 41), the oldest p o s t - E o c e n e
a n d lower M i o c e n e s t r a t a w e r e present. Sierra San B o r j a (loc. 31), a n d the Sierra s t r a t a a p p e a r to be of middle M i o c e n e age.
H o w e v e r , since n o o n e has ever f o u n d these Santa G e r t r u d i s (Iocs. 35 a n d 36). T h e old- At Bahia San J u a n i c o a n d in A r r o y o San
s t r a t a in o u t c r o p , it seems very p r o b a b l e est C e n o z o i c volcanic rock d a t e in Baja R a y m u n d o (loc. 43), pillow basalts are in-
t h a t they are p o s t - d e f o r m a t i o n a l (less t h a n C a l i f o r n i a is a basic alkaline l a m p r o i t e at terbedded w i t h m a r i n e strata of m i d d l e
9 m.y. old) a n d c o u l d n o t be older than late the base of the section (loc. 3 2 ; Gastil a n d M i o c e n e age. F a r t h e r n o r t h , t o n g u e s of
M i o c e n e . J. C . Ingle, J r . ( 1 9 7 3 , w r i t t e n others, 1 9 7 5 , p. 5 8 ) . This date of 59 m.y. andesite breccia (San Z a c a r í a s F o r m a t i o n of
c o m m u n . ) has re-evaluated the r e p o r t e d m a y be of little significance, b u t rocks in M i n a , 1957) a p p e a r w i t h i n the m a r i n e
f a u n a , a n d believes t h a t all of the s t r a t a this age range are f o u n d in Soriora a n d M i o c e n e section. A b o v e the middle and
could be of late M i o c e n e age. Eberly a n d Sinaloa. T h e interval between 17 a n d 19 o l d e r M i o c e n e s t r a t a , the volcaniclastic
Stanley (1978) place the pre-Bouse m a r i n e m.y. a g o is represented by a rhyolite tuff at s a n d s t o n e , coarse, r o u n d e d c o n g l o m e r a t e s ,
s t r a t a of e x t r e m e s o u t h w e s t e r n A r i z o n a be- S a n t a G e r t r u d i s a n d a b o u l d e r in the c o n - a n d scattered ash beds of the type area
tween 7 a n d 10 m.y. B.P. g l o m e r a t e a b o v e the l a m p r o i t e s o u t h of Los C o m o n d ú F o r m a t i o n rest w i t h a n g u l a r un-

c o n f o r m i t y . T h e type area C o m o n d u For- M c F a l l ' s sequence c o m e the M i n i t a s a n d covered by G o r d o n a n d G a r t h Gastil, using

m a t i o n c o n t a i n s flows of basalt ranging in Hornillas F o r m a t i o n s ; they are c o m p o s e d a small b o a t . M o s t of the o f f s h o r e islands
age f r o m 13.3 to 6.6 m.y. T h e u p p e r of c o n g l o m e r a t e w h i c h could correlate w i t h w e r e visited by J o h n M i n c h and his stu-
M i o c e n e San Ignacio F o r m a t i o n ( M i n a , the thick m a r i n e a n d n o n m a r i n e c o n g l o m - dents. F r o m the n e w L o r e t o G r a d e (loc. 38)
1957) e x t e n d i n g s o u t h w e s t f r o m San Ig- erate sequence o n the s o u t h e r n half of Isla s o u t h to a p o i n t a few kilometres n o r t h of
nacio a p p e a r s to be the m a r i n e c o n t e m p o r - T i b u r ó n (Gastil a n d K r u m m e n a c h e r , 1977). T a m b o b i c h e , the eastern e s c a r p m e n t ex-
ary of the C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n . T h e T h e highest s t r a t a in M c F a l l ' s C o m o n d u poses only the andesite breccia, volcanic
m a r i n e Pliocene w e s t of San Ignacio is dis- sequence is the Ricason F o r m a t i o n . A n s a n d s t o n e s and c o n g l o m e r a t e , and inter-
tinctly u n c o n f o r m a b l e o n the San Ignacio andesite f r o m this f o r m a t i o n n o r t h of Bahia bedded ash, yielding ages of 17.3 to 2 0 . 6
F o r m a t i o n . T h e C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n is San Sipac (loc. 44) yielded an age of 9.8 m.y. Beneath this m o n o t o n o u s sequence are
typically c a p p e d by basalt. Some of these m.y.; a basalt at the s o u t h e a s t c o r n e r of the m a r i n e s t r a t a f r o m w h i c h V a n d e r h o o f
basalts are stratigraphically within the Bahia C o n c e p c i ó n w a s d a t e d at 8.0 m.y. ( 1 9 4 2 ) d e s c r i b e d t e e t h of t h e S i r e n i a n
C o m o n d u section a n d yield ages of ~ 10 (Table 1). C o r n w a l l i u s , t h e n believed to be of
m.y. (La Union, loc. 3 5 ; San Ignacio, n o r t h U n c o n f o r m a b l y a b o v e the Ricason For- Oligocene age. T h e age of this fossil has
of La Paz, loc. 49), o t h e r s are in the o r d e r of mation are the marine Pliocene rocks subsequently been c h a n g e d to early M i o -
5 m.y. (La U n i o n ; t o p of the n e w L o r e t o (McFall, 1 9 6 8 ; D u r h a m , 1950). An a n d e - cene. T h e senior a u t h o r of this p a p e r visited
G r a d e , loc. 38). In o t h e r areas, as n e a r La site overlying (or possibly interbedded w i t h this locality, a n d t h r o u g h c o r r e s p o n d e n c e
Purisima (loc. 40), the C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n the u p p e r exposures) of the Pliocene s t r a t a w i t h J. W y a t t D u r h a m (1973) c o n f i r m e d
is overlain by basalt believed to be of Pleis- just n o r t h of L o r e t o (loc. 37) w a s d a t e d at t h a t he had revisited the site of the original
tocene age (Heim, 1 9 2 1 ) . 6 . 7 m.y. This m a r i n e Pliocene section is Sirenian discovery. M i c r o - and m e g a - f a u n a
T h e M i o c e n e m a r i n e strata d o n o t a p p e a r m o r e t h a n 1 , 2 0 0 m thick (according to f r o m this locality did n o t shed a d d i t i o n a l
within o r east of the Sierra Gigantia n o r t h Beal, 1948), a n d it m a y (T. S t u m p , 1 9 7 5 , light o n the age of the f o r m a t i o n . Beneath
of lat 2 5 ° 2 0 ' . O n the old Loreto g r a d e (loc. oral c o m m u n . ) be as old as late M i o c e n e in the fossiliferous m a r i n e horizon are giant
45), the crystalline b a s e m e n t rocks are over- its lowest p a r t . channel cross-beds of red s a n d s t o n e a n d in-
lain by cross-bedded red s a n d s t o n e of un- F r o m t h e e a s t e r n f o o t of t h e Sierra terbedded pink ash beds. T h e s t r a t a , di-
k n o w n age w h i c h in turn is overlain by Gigántia to the Pacific C o a s t , strata as old rectly overlying the b a s e m e n t n o r t h of
h o r n b l e n d e andesite breccias of 17 to 2 3 as Paleocene are, in general, only slightly T a m b o b i c h e , m a y correlate w i t h the red
m . y . T h e s e in t u r n a r e o v e r l a i n b y tilted. H o w e v e r , a l o n g zones of p r e - u p p e r beds of the L o r e t o area a n d the Salto For-
Comondu-type sandstone, including a M i o c e n e ( p r e - C o m o n d ú ) faulting, strata are m a t i o n of Bahia C o n c e p c i o n .
basalt dated at 15 m.y. W e a s s u m e t h a t locally highly d i s t u r b e d . W i n d o w s t h r o u g h T h e P u n t a San T e l m o area, just n o r t h of
these are the n o n m a r i n e eastern c o n t e m - the u p p e r M i o c e n e f o r m a t i o n s e x p o s e such T a m b o b i c h e , is significant because it ex-
poraries of the m a r i n e section f o u n d o n the d e f o r m a t i o n s o u t h w e s t of San Ignacio (loc. poses the high-relief u n c o n f o r m i t y b e t w e e n
western slope of the range. A similar section 41), near La Purisima (loc. 40), a n d near El the M e s o z o i c b a s e m e n t r o c k s a n d t h e
of h o r n b l e n d e andesite breccia o n the n e w Platino south of Misión San Luis G o n z a g a Oligocene(P) red beds. In late Oligocene
Loreto g r a d e d a t e d 17 to 2 0 m.y. ( n o r t h of loc. 48). This d e f o r m a t i o n m a y be time, the present w e s t s h o r e of the Gulf of
W h e r e a s the s t r a t a of the Sierra Gigantia related to m a j o r t r a n s - p e n i n s u l a r strike-slip California w a s the w e s t coast of N o r t h
are nearly horizontal, the strata east of the faults w h i c h are largely obscured by the America. Crystalline b a s e m e n t rocks w e r e
range are tilted, folded, a n d b r o k e n by younger C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n ( M i n c h and exposed a l o n g the sea cliffs, and there w a s a
m a n y faults. A l t h o u g h M i n a (1957) as- J a m e s , 1974). thickening s e d i m e n t a r y a p r o n to the west.
sumed an estimated 1 , 2 0 0 m of s t r a t a in the East of the range, all Cenozoic strata, in- T o d a y the crystalline b a s e m e n t is e x p o s e d
Sierra Gigantia to be the m a x i m u m thick- cluding the m a r i n e Pliocene, are faulted, only on a few p o i n t s and the o f f s h o r e is-
ness of the C e n o z o i c section, M c F a l l f o u n d tilted, and folded. T h e Pliocene beds, h o w - lands. M i n c h and J a m e s (1974) have
t h a t there w a s 4 , 5 0 0 m of strata within the ever, are distinctly less folded and in s o m e suggested t h a t this is the s a m e f a u l t -
depression immediately to the east. This is a areas are only gently tilted. Basaltic vol- controlled west-coastal lineament first de-
s t r u c t u r a l - s t r a t i g r a p h i c relationship similar canism of p r o b a b l e Pleistocene age has oc- scribed by Gastil a n d Allison (1966), a n d
to that in the Sierra Pinta a n d Bahia de Los curred locally a l o n g the w e s t flank of the referred to by Gastil and o t h e r s (1975) as
Angeles areas to the n o r t h . McFall n a m e d Sierra G i g á n t i a (as n e a r San Isidro; H e i m , the "Santillan y Barrera l i n e a m e n t . " East of
the red s a n d s t o n e s a n d ash beds " t h e Salto 1921). this l i n e a m e n t , t h e r e a r e n o C e n o z o i c
F o r m a t i o n . " A biotite ash near the base of marine s t r a t a k n o w n to be older t h a n 10
his section yielded an age of 2 8 m.y. (loc. North of La Paz m.y.; the middle M i o c e n e and older vol-
46). W e have o b s e r v e d similar strata near canic a n d volcaniclastic strata dip steeply
Loreto (loc. 45) and below the m a r i n e sec- South of the Sierra Gigántia and n o r t h of and are c u t by n u m e r o u s faults; and the
tion n o r t h of T a m b o b i c h e (between Iocs. 3 8 La Paz, the peninsula is a simple tilted block marine Pliocene is slightly inclined over a
and 47). W e believe these are late Oligocene w i t h an even slope t o w a r d the Pacific O c e a n surface of high relief.
stream deposits derived f r o m the Sierra a n d a rugged scarp d r o p p i n g d o w n directly J o h n M i n c h a n d R o b e r t D o w l e n , using a
M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l of Sinaloa. T h e y m a y to the Gulf of California. T h e C e n o z o i c helicopter m a d e available by the M e x i c a n
also correlate w i t h the old cross-bedded section is e x p o s e d continuously a l o n g this C o n s e j o de Recursos Minerales, investi-
s a n d s t o n e s of Isla T i b u r o n a n d the Sierra e s c a r p m e n t a n d discontinuously in the ar- gated three sections cut t h r o u g h the
San Felipe. T h e v o l c a n i c P e l o n e s For- royos w h i c h drain s o u t h w e s t t o w a r d the C e n o z o i c strata e x p o s e d in the eastern es-
m a t i o n lies over the Salto F o r m a t i o n . A Pacific. T h e r e is no r o a d access to the Gulf c a r p m e n t of the Peninsula n o r t h of La Paz.
tonalite intrusion p r o b a b l y belonging to coast along this stretch and n o road con- T h e m o s t southerly of these w a s at R a n c h o
this volcanic interval w a s dated at 2 0 ± 2 necting p o i n t s o n the coast w i t h the interior Sausoso (loc. 49), ~ 5 0 k m n o r t h of La Paz.
m.y. (loc. 46) (McFall, 1968). N e x t in of the peninsula. T h e n o r t h e r n stretch w a s T h e lowest 1 0 0 m of this section consists of

p i n k tuff a n d t u f f a c e o u s s a n d s t o n e a n d cene(?) San R a y m u n d o F o r m a t i o n f o u n d in to find ages in t h e o r d e r of 2 3 to 3 2 m.y.

greenish to b r o w n volcaniclastic s a n d s t o n e A r r o y o San R a y m u n d o . (M.acDowell a n d C l a b a u g h , 1 9 7 2 ) a n d
a n d c o n g l o m e r a t e . A basalt in the u p p e r s a m p l e d r o c k s w h i c h w e t h o u g h t w o u l d re-
half of this section yielded a d a t e of 2 7 . 5 Western Nayarit and Northwest Jalisco veal this age, n o t one rock age b e t w e e n 2 2
m.y. Similar basalt o c c u r s in t h e cross- a n d 5 3 m.y. w a s o b t a i n e d . Since the 14- to
bedded red s t r a t a n e a r the base of the In 1 9 7 2 - 1 9 7 3 , the senior a u t h o r s p e n t 21-m.y.-old r o c k s rest o n M e s o z o i c (and
C e n o z o i c section s o u t h w e s t of L o r e t o , b u t t w o a n d one-half m o n t h s m a p p i n g in t h e early C e n o z o i c ) s t r a t a , w e c o n c l u d e d t h a t
w e w e r e unsuccessful in d a t i n g it. T h i s unit west-central p a r t of the State of N a y a r i t ; the Oligocene Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l se-
p r o b a b l y correlates w i t h the basal C e n o z o i c W a l l a c e J e n s k y (1975), then a s t u d e n t a t q u e n c e either w a s never deposited, o r w a s
r o c k s at P u n t a San T e l m o . T h e red s t r a t a a t t h e University of C a l i f o r n i a at Santa Bar- r e m o v e d d u r i n g the early stage of t h e " b a -
San T e l m o is u n c o n f o r m a b l y overlain by in- b a r a , m a p p e d in e x t r e m e s o u t h e r n N a y a r i t sin a n d r a n g e " d e f o r m a t i o n . A small b o d y
t e r b e d d e d green a n d b r o w n volcaniclastic a n d the n o r t h e r n coastal p a r t of the State of of diorite c u t t i n g p r e - C e n o z o i c r o c k w a s
s a n d s t o n e s a n d p i n k tuffs similar to t h o s e Jalisco. d a t e d at 2 7 m.y. (Gastil a n d o t h e r s , 1 9 7 7 ) .
n o t e d at R a n c h o S a u s o s o . General Framework. In c o m p a r i s o n t o Ten-m.y.-old Basalt. T h e area b e t w e e n
Fifty kilometres f a r t h e r n o r t h , n e a r R a n - Baja C a l i f o r n i a a n d w e s t e r n S o n o r a , the T e p i c a n d San Bias is covered by nearly
c h o San J u a n , a n anticlinal cross section is geology of this region is p o o r l y ex posed a n d c o n t i n u o u s e x p o s u r e s of b a s a l t . F o r a
e x p o s e d . H e r e 7 5 m of fossiliferous m a r i n e the over-all s t r u c t u r a l f r a m e w o r k is n o t yet greater distance to the n o r t h , there a r e iso-
s t r a t a of M i o c e n e age are overlain by a understood. lated hills of b a s a l t e x p o s e d w i t h i n the gen-
1 , 0 0 0 - m c o m p o s i t e section of p i n k tuff a n d In n o r t h e a s t e r n N a y a r i t (east of Iocs. 6 0 erally alluviated coastal floodplain. W i t h
greenish-brown volcaniclastic sandstone a n d 61), the Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l ex- the e x c e p t i o n of s o m e obviously very y o u n g
a n d c o n g l o m e r a t e . A h y p e r s t h e n e andesite poses a sequence of siliceous volcanic r o c k s basalts, the d a t e of 9.9 ± 0.3 m.y. at C i n c o
1 5 0 m a b o v e the e x p o s e d base of this sec- a n d i n t e r b e d d e d fluvial deposits believed to de M a y o p r o b a b l y represents the m a j o r i t y
tion yielded a n age of 19.8 m.y., corre- correlate w i t h t h o s e e x p o s e d o n the g r a d e of the basalt in t h a t a r e a . Similar basalt ap-
s p o n d i n g in age to the andesitic sequence b e t w e e n M a z a t l a n and D u r a n g o [ M c D o w - p e a r s as o u t c r o p s a l o n g the w e s t c o a s t as far
d a t e d o n b o t h of t h e L o r e t o grades a n d ell a n d Keizer, 1977). W e s t of t h e n o r t h - s o u t h e a s t as P u n t a R a z a . Jensky (1975) w a s
f a r t h e r n o r t h in t h e peninsula. T h e basalt flowing s e g m e n t of the Rio Santiago, the successful in finding f o r a m - b e a r i n g volcanic
w h i c h caps the m e s a here, a n d a t P u n t a Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l sequence is tilted, sandstone interbedded with lO-m.y.-old
M e c h u d o (loc. 47), w a s d a t e d at 10 m . y . faulted, a n d i n t r u d e d by h y p a b y s s a l rocks. basalt in e x t r e m e s o u t h w e s t e r n N a y a r i t .
(Table 1). T h e andesitic units can be traced A few k i l o m e t r e s f a r t h e r s o u t h w e s t , it is T h e f o r a m s w e r e identified as late M i o c e n e
w e s t w a r d to the Pacific slope w h e r e they in- nearly buried by the basalts, andesites, d a - ( D e l m o n t i a n o r M o h n i a n of Kleinpell).
terfinger w i t h t h e m a r i n e M i o c e n e s t r a t a . cites, a n d rhyolites of the T r a n s - M e x i c a n J e n s k y r e p o r t e d basalt dates of 10.1 a n d 8.3
Fifty kilometres still f a r t h e r n o r t h , at Volcanic Belt. m.y., a basic dike of 12.6 m.v., a n d g a b b r o
P u n t a C a b e s a M e c h u d o , a synclinal section T h e T r a n s - M e x i c a n Belt at its w e s t e r n of 13.3 m.y. A b o u t 10 m.y. a g o m a y be an
is e x p o s e d . T h i s is the u p p e r p a r t of the end t r e n d s a b o u t N 4 5 ° W . It t e r m i n a t e s i m p o r t a n t d a t e in the history of t h e Gulf of
1 , 0 0 0 - m c o m p o s i t e section of p i n k tuff, a b r u p t l y in the vicinity of T e p i c (loc. 54). California, because similar o r slightly
andesite, a n d g r e e n i s h - b r o w n volcaniclastic T h e rocks of the belt p r o p e r a p p e a r to b e n o y o u n g e r ages have been d e t e r m i n e d for the
s a n d s t o n e a n d c o n g l o m e r a t e . A rhyolite ~ older t h a n a b o u t 4 . 5 m.y., b u t they are d i a t o m i t e s n o r t h w e s t of San Felipe (Ingle,
3 0 0 m a b o v e the base of the e x p o s e d sec- s u p e r i m p o s e d u p o n a m o r e w i d e s p r e a d vol- 1 9 7 4 ) , for the m a r i n e M i o c e n e f o u n d in t h e
tion yielded a d a t e of 18 m.y. canic t e r r a n e t h a t is f r o m 8 to 2 1 rn.y. old. w a t e r wells of w e s t e r n S o n o r a ( G o m e z ,
T o the w e s t , a l o n g the m a i n h i g h w a y This p r e - T r a n s - M e x i c a n volcanic t e r r a n e 1971), a n d f o r s u b s u r f a c e m a r i n e s t r a t a in
(loc. 48), the O l i g o c e n e - M i o c e n e s t r a t a can can be divided i n t o t w o sequences: basalts the Y u m a basin (Eberly and Stanley, 1 9 7 8 ) .
be o b s e r v e d r e s t i n g o n t h e P a l e o c e n e - a n d a few rhyolites of a b o u t 8 to 10 m.y. in It is also the a p p r o x i m a t e age of block tilt-
Eocene Tepatate Formation. The lower age, f o u n d in the n o r t h w e s t e r n p a r t of ing in w e s t e r n S o n o r a (Gastil a n d K r u m -
beds a r e p r e d o m i n a n t l y m a r i n e s a n d s t o n e N a y a r i t (loc. 58) a n d a l o n g the w e s t c o a s t m e n a c h e r , 1 9 7 7 ) . W e t h i n k it is the time
a n d shale. U p w a r d they interbed w i t h p r o - (Iocs. 5 3 t h r o u g h 5 7 ) ; and a m i x e d as- w h e n the first extensive Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a
gressively larger p r o p o r t i o n s of volcanic- semblage d a t i n g 14 to 2 1 m.y. t h a t is ex- was formed.
fluvatile c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d tuff. T o t h e p o s e d f a r t h e r inland (Iocs. 5 4 t h r o u g h 61). Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. M o s t of
n o r t h e a s t , the m a r i n e s t r a t a are o v e r l a p p e d W e h y p o t h e s i z e t h a t the 14- to 21-rn.y.-old the craters a n d flows of this belt are so o b -
by entirely n o n m a r i n e c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d r o c k s c o r r e s p o n d w i t h volcanic rocks of viously y o u n g t h a t w e did n o t a t t e m p t to
tuff. N e a r El Pilar (loc. 48), a fossiliferous a b o u t the s a m e age in Baja C a l i f o r n i a a n d d a t e t h e m . M a n y of w h a t a p p e a r e d to us,
b i o t i t e ash h i g h in t h e m a r i n e section w e s t e r n S o n o r a . T h e 8- to l O - m . y . - o l d o n the basis of e r o s i o n a n d d e p o s i t i o n a l
yielded a n age of 2 1 m.y. (Table 1). T h u s basalt-rhyolite sequence is believed t o relate position, to be " o l d e r " also proved to be
the bulk of t h e p o s t - E o c e n e m a r i n e s t r a t a , to the o p e n i n g of the " p r o t o - G u l f " (Karig t o o y o u n g for d a t i n g by o u r e q u i p m e n t .
long believed to be l o w e r M i o c e n e o r a n d Jensky, 1 9 7 2 ) . O u r oldest dates f o r this sequence are 4 . 3
Oligocene (Beal, 1 9 4 8 ; M i n a , 1 9 5 7 ) ap- Older Pre-Trans-Mexican Volcanic Ter- m.y. for the b a s a l t w h i c h flowed into t h e
pears to be at least 2 0 m.y. old. T h e n a m e s rane. Five rocks, ranging in c o m p o s i t i o n original valley of the Rio Santiago, a n d 4 . 0
" S a n I g n a c i o " a n d " S a n R a y m u n d o For- f r o m rhyolite to basalt, w i t h ages of 13.5, m.y. for the very extensive p u m i c e a n d
m a t i o n " ( M i n a , 1 9 5 7 ) have been used for 16, 18, 18.5, a n d 2 1 m.y., r e p r e s e n t the vitrophyre deposits b e t w e e n V o l c a n C e b o -
these beds, b u t they are a p p a r e n t l y m u c h C e n o z o i c t e r r a n e b e n e a t h the 0 to 4 m.y. r u c o a n d S a n t a M a r i a de O r o . T h e 4 m.y. to
older t h a n the late M i o c e n e San Ignacio T r a n s - M e x i c a n Volcanic Belt in w e s t e r n 4.3 m.y. dates f o r initial volcanism m a y re-
F o r m a t i o n in the type area of San Ignacio, N a y a r i t t h a t ranges f r o m recent d e p o s i t s to late to the latest o p e n i n g of the Gulf of
and probably older than the middle Mio- 4-m.y.-old deposits. A l t h o u g h w e e x p e c t e d California ( A t w a t e r , 1970). T h e t r a n s f o r m

m o t i o n a n d s p r e a d i n g w i t h i n the Gulf of cise locations m a k e s it impossible to inter- range of 17 to 2 4 . Plotting these against av-
California a n d the e r u p t i o n of the T r a n s - pret their stratigraphic position. Gastil a n d erage C a O ( c o m p a r e o u r Fig. 3 w i t h K u n o ' s
M e x i c a n Volcanic Belt c o n t i n u e to the pres- o t h e r s (1975) s u m m a r i z e d d a t a o n volcanic Fig. 3) confirms the alkalinity of the w e s t
ent day. rocks for the n o r t h e r n half of Baja Califor- coast Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic rocks at
nia. M c D o w e l l a n d Keizer (1977) presented San Q u i n t i n (Table 3, III-D) a n d the Co-
Other Volcanic Areas around the Gulf ages a n d chemistry for volcanic rocks be- m o n d u F o r m a t i o n (V). G r o u p s I, II, IV,
tween M a z a t l a n a n d D u r a n g o . D a m o n a n d and VII clearly fall in K u n o ' s calc-alkaline
O n the index to volcanic rock localities o t h e r s (1964) and D a m o n a n d M a u g e r field, w h e r e a s G r o u p VII falls between the
(Fig. 1), w e identify a n u m b e r of a d d i t i o n a l (1966) s u m m a r i z e d Cenozoic volcanism in a l k a l i n e a n d c a l c - a l k a l i n e fields. T h e
localities n o t specifically discussed in this the s o u t h e r n Basin a n d R a n g e , and L i p m a n Peacock Index (Peacock, 1931) classifies
text. Beginning in the n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r of a n d o t h e r s (1972) s u m m a r i z e d C e n o z o i c the San Q u i n t i n rocks as alkaline, the C o -
the area s h o w n in Figure 1 (loc. 62) are the volcanism f o r all of the western United m o n d u F o r m a t i o n as near-alkaline, and all
late Miocene(?) andesite plugs a n d d o m e s States. T h e present study a d d s chemical of t h e o t h e r s as calc-alkaline.
just east of T i j u a n a (Larry Strong, 1 9 7 1 , analyses of d a t e d rocks for Baja C a l i f o r n i a , A c o m p a r i s o n of Alkali-Lime Index a n d
u n p u b . data). Locality 6 3 is the area of the coastal S o n o r a , a n d western N a y a r i t . C a O = ( N a 2 0 + K 2 0 ) values allows us to
middle M i o c e n e R o s a r i t a Beach b a s a l t s In T a b l e 2, w e r e p o r t the m a j o r o x i d e c o m p a r e the circum-Gulf provinces w i t h
(Minch, 1967). T h e middle M i o c e n e La analyses for 80 rocks, a r r a n g e d according o t h e r provinces a r o u n d the w o r l d ( K u n o ,
M i s i ó n basalt a n d andesite are f o u n d in to area. T a b l e 2 also indicates the age (see 1959). T h e Oligocene Province (VIII), the
locality 6 4 ( M i n c h a n d others, 1970). Lo- T a b l e 1 for K-Ar d a t a ) , the locality, the ~ 1 0 - m . y . - o l d r o c k s of w e s t e r n N a y a r i t
cality 6 5 is the San Q u i n t í n (Pleistocene to principal p h e n o c r y s t minerals, the Potas- (IV), the 7- to 14-m.y.-old rocks f r o m
Holocene) alkaline basalt (Stroh, 1975). sium Index % ( S i 0 2 - 4 5 ) / % ( K 2 0 ) , a n d the a r o u n d the n o r t h e r n p a r t of the Gulf (VI),
Locality 66 is M e s a San C a r l o s (Pliocene- Solidification Index ( K u n o , 1959). In T a b l e the Pliocene-Pleistocene rocks of the west-
Pleistocene) b a s a l t . L o c a l i t y 6 8 is t h e 3, w e c o m p a r e the provinces, s h o w i n g the ern end of the T r a n s - M e x i c a n Belt (II), a n d
J a r a q u a y field (Pleistocene to H o l o c e n e average P o t a s s i u m Indexes, the range of the Pleistocene rocks a r o u n d the Gulf of
basalts and associated andesite; Stroh, Solidification Indexes, the Alkali-Lime California (I) are typical of circum-Pacific
1975). Locality 3 0 is the San B o r j a field Index (Kuno, 1 9 5 9 ) , the % C a ) = % ( N a 2 0 arc rocks built o n older continental crust.
(Pleistocene b a s a l t ; Stroh, 1975). Locality + K 2 0 ) value, a n d the % S i 0 2 range. Figure C o m p a r a b l e suites are reported f r o m
69 is o n the Vizcaino Peninsula (middle to 3 plots ( K 2 0 + N a 2 0 ) / S i 0 2 a n d c o m p a r e s K r a k a t a u ; the n o r t h e r n and central C a s -
late M i o c e n e b a s a l t ; M i n c h and others, the provinces according to average C a O I c a d e s ; Q u a t e r n a r y v o l c a n i c r o c k s of
1976). Locality 7 1 is M a g d a l e n a Island Alkali-Lime I n d e x (Kuno, 1 9 5 9 ) . S u m a t r a ; and f r o m t h e H u t a g o , Aso, and
w h e r e J o h n M i n c h collected 5.5 ± .03 da- K 2 0 / S i 0 2 plots have been p o p u l a r i z e d by O s i m a - O s i m a volcanoes, J a p a n . T h e ~ 1 8
cite ash ( u n p u b . plagioclase d a t e by D . D i c k i n s o n a n d H a t h e r t o n ( 1 9 6 7 ) as a m.y.-old andesite province (VII) is n o t c o m -
K r u m m e n a c h e r ) . Locality 7 3 is the Pinne- tectonic indicator. By applying the e q u a t i o n p a r a b l e to any suit reported by K u n o . T h e
cate Volcanic Field (Donnelly, 1 9 7 4 ; G u t - ( S i 0 2 — 4 5 ) / K 2 0 , w e can analyze individual rocks of the C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n (V) are
m a n n , 1976). Area I is the San C a r l o s samples in t e r m s of their S i 0 2 / K 2 0 sig- similar to the Scottish C a r b o n i f e r o u s
Bay—Guaymas-Empalme area (undated nificance. L o w n u m b e r s ( < 4 ) belong to teschenite series, Saisyu Island, Korea, a n d
M i o c e n e basalt to rhyolitic volcanic se- high potassium associations. N u m b e r s in G o u g h Island in the South Atlantic. T h e
quences; J o h n p e e r , 1978). Area J is the the range 5 to 8 are typical of island-arc Pliocene-Pleistocene Province of the w e s t
Topolobampo—Los M o c h i s area; it con- calc-alkaline suites. Higher n u m b e r s indi- coast (III) c o m p a r e s to the leucite basalts of
tains a large pile of ~ 10-m.y.-old inter- cate p o t a s s i u m - p o o r (tholeiitic) rocks. north-central M a n c h u r i a .
mediate volcanic rocks, n o w largely buried By this analysis, most of the w e s t coast Plate-tectonics theory (Atwater, 1 9 7 0 )
beneath deltaic deposits and small bodies of Pliocene-Pleistocene r o c k s a n d t h e C o - indicates t h a t s u b d u c t i o n w a s going on
Pleistocene basalt (Clark, 1976). Locality m o n d u F o r m a t i o n rocks are relatively alka- continuously o p p o s i t e Baja California f r o m
75 is s h o w n o n the geologic section across line; the balance of the provinces are calc- M e s o z o i c time until a b o u t 10 m.y. ago. Fol-
Sierra O c c i d e n t a l in C l a r k (1976). Locality alkaline w i t h a few individual analyzed lowing L a r a m i d e plutonic-volcanic activity
76 is on the geologic section across the rocks either alkaline o r tholeiitic. T h e r e is (75 to 5 5 m.y. ago), there w a s a 20-m.y. in-
Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l by M c D o w e l l a n d no clear relationship between distance f r o m terval for w h i c h there has until recently
Kiezer (1977). Locality 7 7 is the Islas Tres the trench a n d K 2 0 / S i 0 2 for C e n o z o i c vol- been little e v i d e n c e of m a g m a t i s m in
M a r i a s (Miocene volcanic rocks; C h i n a s , canic rocks of Baja California and western M e x i c o . Beginning a b o u t 3 5 m.y. ago, a
1963). Mexico. b i m o d a l suite of basalt a n d high-silica ash-
H i g h Solidification Index n u m b e r s indi- flow tuffs e r u p t e d over a b r o a d belt t h a t ex-
Chemistry of the Volcanic Rocks around cate lack of crystal f r a c t i o n a t i o n (Kuno, tended f r o m N e v a d a to Sinaloa. Recent
the Gulf 1959). T h e w e s t coast Pliocene-Pleistocene w o r k in the Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l a n d
rocks, for e x a m p l e , lack highly f r a c t i o n a t e d a d j a c e n t areas, h o w e v e r , has revealed ex-
D e m a n t (1975) has contributed new rocks, w h e r e a s the Oligocene rocks, a n d the tensive and varied m a g m a t i c rocks in this
chemical analyses o n the volcanic rocks of Pliocene-Pleistocene rocks of the west end interval (Henry, 1 9 7 5 ; Gastil and o t h e r s ,
the southern half of Baja C a l i f o r n i a . De- of the T r a n s - M e x i c a n belt include no un- 1 9 7 6 ; C l a r k and o t h e r s , 1 9 7 7 ; C l a r k and
m a n t and R o b i n (1975) have s u m m a r i z e d fractionated e x a m p l e s . D a m o n , 1977). T h e r o c k s studied in the
m u c h of w h a t is k n o w n a b o u t the chemistry A c o m p a r i s o n w i t h K u n o (1959) s h o w s s o u t h e r n Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l (Mc-
of Cenozoic volcanic rocks in M e x i c o . Un- t h a t the Provinces a r o u n d the Gulf of Dowell a n d Keizer, 1 9 7 7 ) s h o w an east-
fortunately, m o s t of these rocks h a v e n o t California include only intermediate to high w a r d i n c r e a s e in a l k a l i n i t y a n d p r o -
been d a t e d ; in m a n y cases, the lack of pre- alkali-lime indexes, all falling in the n a r r o w gressively y o u n g e r ages to the west. R o c k s

TABLE 2. C H E M I C A L ANALYSES O F C I R C U M - G U L F O F CALIFORNIA V O L C A N I C ROCKS
S i 0 2 - 4 5 Solidifi-
F e - 0 - (or Total Locality Ana- cation
£ A Miner-
Si02 FeO MGO CaO KJO TI02 MnO H2O CO Number Total lyst K2O Index Age* Location t
Sample 2 ° 3 t o t a l Fe) NazO alogy
W P 2
2°3
1. Pleistocene Gulf of California

B4P-23 5 6 . 0 9 16.91 6.90 4.02 .70 .64 17 2 17 Pleistocene Cerro de León £
Y
531 5 8 . 1 5 18.24 4.78 1.64 2.32 5 . 9 8 3.90 1.97 .89 .1 1 .22 1.07 .20 34 99.47 1 6.7 16 5.1 ± .4 Animas PY
B2R-2 61.04 15.56 2.16 1.27 2.03 .01 4.60 1.61 .57 .06 .31 3.43 19 99.43 1 10 12 Pleistocene Isla La Encantada PL
IV-6 6 1 . 5 8 16.55 2.41 2.42 2.90 6.33 3.99 2.04 1.38 .09 .29 50 99.98 8 8.0 21 Pleistocene Tres Virgines
B5G-583 6 5 . 3 2 1 5.84 2.67 1.87 1.72 4.00 5.14 1.96 .76 .08 .20 1.16 .10 50 100.82 1 10.4 14 Holocene Tres Virgines PYL
HQ-134 6 5 . 6 8 14.71 1.12 3.30 1.58 3 . 1 2 3.52 2.95 .67 ,04 .00 .50 34 99.72 4 5.9 13 Pliocene? Bahia Animas PYHB
B2R-1 4 6 5 . 9 1 1 4.01 4.82 .47 1.66 3.06 4.08 2.56 .85 .05 .31 1.66 19 99.95 1 8.2 14 Pleistocene to Holocene Isla la Encantada P^
IV-5 6 6 . 6 4 14.84 1.95 2.37 1.62 4.43 5.10 2.09 .69 .08 .20 50 100.00 8 10.4 12 Holocene Tres Virgines
HQ-133 6 7 . 5 0 1 4.27 1.05 2.05 1.02 2.59 3.37 3.36 .58 .04 .03 3.82 34 100.09 4 6.8 9 Pliocene? Valle de Animas PHB
Avg of 2 68.45 15.60 5.59 .86 3.90 5.45 1.29 .54 .08 31 6 18.5 7 Pleistocene Cerro Prieta
561
Adjusted 68.8 14.67 1.42 .47 .83 3 . 0 5 3.10 3.34 .25 .04 .04 1.70 .94 20 1 6.7 9 3.1 ± .5 Puertecitos
"P
IV-1 7 1 . 0 3 13.48 1.00 3.44 .77 .50 5.27 4.27 .25 .07 .08 50 100.16 8 9.1 5 Pleistocene T r e s Virgines
Avg of 4 72 14.0 3.1 1.2 1.9 5.3 2.9 19 97.55 7 9.8 10 Holocene Isla la Encantada =
1 70-4A
Avg of 3 73.6 13.5 2.8 .21 .9 4.5 4.1 .24 .05 .02 72 98.77 6 6.9 2 Holocene Obsidian Butte
II. Western End of the Trans- Mexican Volcanic Belt

231 48.07 15.50 14.08 4.50 8.55 .3.51 1.38 3.16 .28 .83 61 99.86 1 2.2 19 4.3 ± 1.7 Rio Santiago, Nayarit O
PC
447 59.41 1 /.1 9 7.44 2.76 5.51 4.18 2.13 1.28 .12 78 100.02 1 6.8 17 Historic Ceboruco, Nayarit PYC
136 6 2 . 4 9 16.52 5.25 1.72 3.86 4.17 2.70 .90 .07 .20 55 99.03 1 6.5 12 Pleistocene Tepic, Nayarit PÓC
269 6 8 . 4 2 16.15 3.03 1.46 3.26 4.28 2.53 .41 .07 .10 52 100.40 1 9.3 13 0 . 1 6 ± .4 Lagunilla, Nayarit PLB
284 7 2 . 6 8 1 2.71 3.31 .04 .24 4 . 0 9 4.44 .24 .06 .02 52 99.63 1 6.3 0 4.6 ± .2 Santa María, Nayarit K
QAB
267 7 4 . 6 4 1 3.9Ü .89 .26 .97 3.95 3.95 .17 .06 .01 52 100.38 1 7.5 3 2.3 ± .5 Lagunilla, Nayarit PB
S2G-369 5 3 . 4 7 17.65 8.99 2.94 7.64 3.05 2.73 1.49 .11 .64 54 99.75 3.1 17 16.0 ± .7 Central Nayarit P
CR
S2G-469 5 9 . 3 1 1 5.01 5.70 2.61 4.03 1.39 .66 .07 .15 55 99.23 10.3 19 19.9 ± 8.5 Central Nayarit PY
III. West Coast Pliocene-Pleistocene

AOW-
1123A 4 6 . 5 1 14.97 6.27 6.63 11.05 8 . 4 0 2.20 .74 .36 .96 .52 1.47 65 100.08 3 1.8 41 Late Pleistocene— San Quintin POC
Holocene

Table 2. (cont.)
S i 0 2 - 4 5 Sonditi-
Fe..0.>
O(or Total Locality Ana- Miner-
Sample s¡o 2 AI2O3 t o t a l Fe) FeO MgO CaO Na20 K2O TiOj MnO P
2°3 H2O co 2 Number Total lyst K2O Index Age • Location t alogy
B6G-49 46.57 15.70 8.42 3.75 1.80 2.82 65 2 .9 Pleistocene — Holocene San Quintin CO
p
B4F-62 48.67 16.22 8.90 3.56 .52 2.89 66 2 7.0 Post-Pliocene San Carlos OC
D
r
AOW-
1126C 49.43 16.36 5.67 5.60 8.31 8.64 3.24 .87 .22 1.19 .21 .12 65 99.86 3 3.1 34 Pleistocene—Holocene San Quintin POC
552 51.16 13.20 5.63 .92 8.88 7.86 2.82 3.93 1.55 .10 .95 2.45 .47 30 99.92 1 1.6 42 2.6 ± .5 Rosarito OCB
PK
B5G-158 51.83 15.04 10.76 3.64 2.76 2.69 68 2 2.4 .43 ± .2 P. Canoas O
PC
B5W-1006 54.4 15.76 8.60 4.33 1.81 1.14 68 2 5.2 Holocene A. San Jose PC
B5C-85 54.5 1 4.01 3.99 3.10 6.72 7.83 3.30 2.30 2.26 .09 1.00 .74 .55 35 99.95 'l 3.0 31 5.4 .4 La Union CO
P
S2B-3 48.95 14.95 3.50 4.49 10.09 9.05 3.44 1.48 1.08 .12 .54 2.05 .31 23 99.92 1 0.8 44 9.0 ± .3 Tiburón 0
PC
B8B-1 5a 47.1 2 15.41 9.84 4.13 .19 1.35 10 2 11.0 Late Miocene NW of San Felipe CN
553 49.73 1 5.19 5.98 2.71 8.94 1 0.1 1 3.61 .63 .88 .15 .20 1.75 .53 32 100.41 1 7.5 41 12.0 ± .4 San Borja OC
P
B2G-207 54.57 16.74 5.99 3.59 3.24 7.02 4.18 .78 1.89 .15 .31 1.06 .27 6 99.79 1 12.0 17 6.4 ± .7 Sierra Tinaja PC
B8B-67 55.58 1 5.41 6.58 7.50 7.58 3.03 1.84 .79 .08
u
oiooi
10 98.39 2 8.6 40 Miocene San Felipe
|Q- ol
B9B-55 57.32 15.48 7.22 3.34 1.43 .95 10 2 8.6 Miocene San Felipe
517 57.84 15.48 2.95 6.46 2.09 6.07 4.23 1.35 1.59 .15 .49 1.28 .22 8 99.70 1 9.5 12 7.6 ± .4 Sierra Pinta OP
c
SOH-
21-5b 59.19 17.01 6.43 .42 1.54 4.07 5.08 2.47 1.20 .09 .44 1.95 .35 29 100.24 1 5.7 10 11.3 ± 1.2 S. Bacha, Sonora PCO
B2M-109 59.40 16.68 2.95 2.79 3.32 6.27 4.09 1.48 .78 .08 .21 1.50 .21 44 100.26 1 9.7 23 9.8 ± 1.6 San Sipec PL
541 61.31 16.29 2.08 1.89 2.37 5.46 4.35 1.11 .68 .07 .18 3.00 5 99.17 1 14.7 20 8.9 ± .6 Sierra Pinta PB
922 61.67 16.97 2.09 2.52 2.75 5.89 4.02 2.03 .61 .08 .13 1.62
.39 51 100.77 1 7.7 18 9.1 ± 1.9 Sinaloa
B5F-85 62.21 16.71 4.56 4.78 1.37 1.05 21 2 12.6 Pliocene or Miocene Isla Lobos
PC
540 63.02 15.53 3.74 .48 2.45 4.89 5.19 1.71 .69 .07 .18 1.79
5 100.09 1 10.6 18 9.5 ± 1.0 Sierra Pinta P^
536-714 63.11 17.13 3.20 2.36 5.43 4.34 1.40 .45 .05 .14
22 99.23 1 13 21 9.9 ± 1.3 Tiburón BLC
B2D-84 63.19 16.00 2.40 1.85 2.73 5.10 4.76 1.47 .56 .10 .16 1.42
.22 45 99.96 1 12.4 21 6.7 ± 1.2 Loreto
S2G-21 65.49 15.41 5.05 1.45 3.57 3.54 3.40 1.11 .11 .32
27 100.65 1 6.1 9 1 2.7 ± 1.1 S. Seri, Sonora P
1.97 1.04 C
B2G-103 67.63 16.08 .98 3.38 4.64 2.97 .60 .06 .21 .88 .00 100.44 1
13 7.6 9 14.2 ± .9 Santa Rosa PKC
559 70.96 12.72 3.28 .25 .20 1.92 5.32 3.45 .39 .09 .06 .84 .60 21 100.08 1 7.5 2 8.3 ± .8 Puertecitos PC
S2B-27 71.15 12.54 2.04 .39 1.33 3.98 4.61 .33 .04 .06 22 99.35 1 5.7 4 11.2 ± 1.3 Tiburón PYC
Table 2. (cont.)
S i 0 2 - 4 5 Solidifi-
F e 2 0 3 (or Total Locality Ana- Miner-
Sample Si02 AljOg t o t a l Fe) FeO MgO CAO Na20 K2O Ti02 MnO P H2O co2 Number Total lyst co Index Age • Location t alogy
2°3
550 73.87 12.96 .79 .20 .15 1.24 4.35 4.60 .15 .02 .05 .91 6 99.49 1 6.3 1 10.1 ± .5 Sierra Juarez
B4J-57B 75.31 11.98 1.11 .36 .0 •34 4.13 4.32 .14 .02 .0 .59 2.01 16 100.30 1 6.9 0 1 2.3 ± .3 El Cipres K
SOG-4 76.10 12.89 1.58 .15 .59 3.61 4.92 .15 .03 .01 26 100.78 1 6.3 1 12.7 ± .2 Goldendrina, Sonora KOP
B3M-3 53.76 14.61 11.26 5.49 9.02 3.17 .31 1.79 .13 .19 41 99.73 28 27 11.1 ± .8 San Ignacio 0
PC
VII. About 18 m.y. B.P. Andesite Belt
B6G-1 1 58.17 15.65 5.79 3.64 6.94 3.39 2.14 .94 .07 10 97.73 1 8.0 24 1 8 . i ± 1.8 San Felipe _L
n
R
S2K-31 61.42 15.90 4.45 4.05 5.68 3.32 3.31 .70 .06 .27 1.44 28 100.60 1 4.95 24 2 1 . 0 ± .8 S. Seri LS
D
R
B2G-35 61.63 17.78 4.07 .40 1.11 4.77 5.67 2.49 .56 .07 .25 .77 .27 38 99.84 1 6.7 8 18.2 ± .5 Loreto PLC
S2G-12 61.66 15.78 2.09 2.62 3.54 5.31 4.25 2.03 .60 .07 .20 2.02 .22 22 100.39 1 8.2 24 22.7 ± 1.1 Tiburón PLY
IV. Western N a y a r i t — 1 0 m.y. old Volcanic Rocks

1151 50.32 15.10 5.96 3.82 5.38 10.17 3.15 .21 1.64 .12 .46 3.22 .59 57 100.89 1 25 29 10.2 ± .8 Punta Mita, Nayarit
1152 51.55 16.97 6.35 3.62 4.42 8.86 3.58 1.03 1.65 .12 .38 .38 .44 59 100.14 1 6.3 29 8.3 ± .6 Punta Rasa, Nayarit
193 51.70 16.98 10.28 6.16 8.78 3.11 1.16 1.43 .14 .44 58 100.18 1 5.8 30 9.9 ± .3 Nayarit P
OC
421 67.55 16.97 3.20 .34 .68 4.82 5.27 .68 .07 .07 60 100.80 1 4.3 2 7.8 ± .6 Nayarit KP
1155 71.42 14.50 2.84 .25 .15 < . 1 0 2.05 7.91 .29 .05 .02 1.21 <.10 57 100.72 1 3.3 1 11.1 ± .2 Punta Mita, Nayarit
V. Comondu Formation and Other Late Miocene Basalts

Baja 7 47.60 16.39 4.91 3.18 8.59 8.15 3.01 .63 1.27 .12 .18 3.64 nd 30 100.03 9 4.1 42 Middle Miocene Rosarita Beach
B9B-15 47.72 15.03 9.03 11.40 9.68 2.39 1.68 1.14 .11 10 98.46 1 1.5 46 Miocene San Felipe OC
D
r
â r\ ~r<~\ e co oc O C"7 -TA O 7 On O 7Û
B2G-46 H5J./ S 1 J.JU .OU U.w»/ / . 1 «J 1 .UU u . / u i .OC
\J 1i .OQ
T-\J 13 .35 2 63 •4 CO
1. SJV
A R\
i nuu.uc.
•I n on A
1 O uE
o. 33 • ¡ 3 2 + 1.9 Pu risima Vieio o
PC
Baja 6 50.33 14.90 4.90 3.55 8.71 7.76 3.36 .92 1.26 .11 .88 2.40 nd 63 100.03 9 5.8 40 Middle Miocene Rosarita Beach
B8B-66 50.56 15.53 8.25 9.19 8.87 2.56 2.08 1.16 .10 10 98.20 1 2.7 41 Miocene San Felipe 0
PC
B3G-141 50.79 16.52 8.80 2.30 4.66 7.85 3.84 1.56 1.98 .12 .56 1.00 7.9 ± .2 R. Santa Clara
p
.71 8 100.69 1 3.7 22
oc
B2G-45 y -41 L~T-R
.5?/ ^ Ort
1A H.OO Í? Ort •I
1 R\.UM
A
7.29 .Ut 4.27 2.25
T O A
1
•t1 c e r»Q ÖQ 2 19 .35 42 100.44 i 3.1 34 8.7 ± 1.3 Comondü o
PC
Avg of 5 54.00 18.12 5.20 2.63 4.25 7.06 4.95 2.23 1.16 .13 .24 42-43 8 4.0 27 Comondu Formation Baja California Sur
VI. Late Miocene Volcanic Rocks Around the Gulf of California

B2G-120 46.30 14.24 3.70 4.52 10.5210.33 3.69 .57 1.12 .14 1.15 3.26 .39 10 99.99 1 2.3 45 1 4 . 8 + 1.4 San Felipe
B2G-102 47.13 14.35 3.42 4.55 10.8910.64 2.17 1.28 .96 .14 .41 3.10 .25 13 99.59 1 1.6 49 15.0 ± .4 Santa Rosa 0
PC
S3G-764 63.22 16.13 3.43 1.64 3.33 3.88 2.36 .48 .04 .16 .65 26 100.82 1 7.7 15 17.8 ± .8 S. Seri PHB

Table 2. (cont.)
S i 0 2 - 4 5 Sol id if i -
F e 2 0 3 (or Total Locality Ana- cation Miner-
Sample s¡o2 Al203 total Fe) FeO MGO CaO Na20 K2O TiOj MnO P
2°3 H2O co 2 Number Total lyst K20 Index Age * Location t alogy
B2G-205 63.44 16.23 2.89 1.09 2.41 4.28 4.05 2.23 .67 .05 .25 2.75 .09 6 100.43 1 8.3 19 18.3 ± 2.4 S. Tinaja PHB
B2G-117 64.42 15.28 3.47 .11 2.38 4.79 3.66 2.44 .66 .05 .18 1.67 .69 10 99.74 1 8.0 20 18.1 ± 1.8 S. Felipe _L
S2G-165 66.99 13.97 3.92 .43 1.33 3 . 9 2 4.69 .62 .04 .12 1.26 53 99.29 1 4.7 3 18.5 ± .7 Varias, Nayarit P
518 71.26 13.19 1.80 .25 .44 1.58 4.14 4.93 .30 .12 .06 1.28 .22 36 99.44 1 5.3 4 19.8 ± .5 Santa Gertrudis PQB
B2M-39 75.12 12.66 1.44 .27 .13 1.00 3.62 4.60 .22 .04 .10 .96 .1 5 47 100.31 1 6.3 1 1 8.3 ± .4 Cabezo de Mechudo
Vili. Oligo-Miocene Rhyolite-Basalt Province

B2M-58 54.24 17.26 8.60 3.03 7.32 3.29 1.83 1.35 .12 .39 1.80 49 99.23 1 5.1 21 27.5 ± .8 Rancho Sansoso PYO
* For more complete data, see Table 1.

t For locations, see index map, Figure 1 ; longitude and latitude and stratigraphie position are given in Table 1.
P Plagioclase L Lamprobolite C Clinopyroxene R Chlorite Vitrophyric groundmass

Q Quartz H Hornblende V Hypersthene Fine-grained-groundmass
Letters above t h e line
K Potassium Feldspar A Blue Amphibole T Titanaugite Welded tuff
represent p h e n o c r y s t s ;
N Natrolite B Biotite O Olivine
Fragmental tuff those below the line,
groundmass.
Source of analyses:
1. Michel Delaloye, Institut de Mineralogie, University of Geneva
2. Japan Analytical Chemistry Institute, Tokyo
3. K . W i l m a n (Woodford, 1928)
4. Hirschi and de Quervain ( 1 9 2 7 - 1 9 3 3 )
5. John M inch (1970, written commun.)
6. Robinson (1973)
7. Rossetter (1974)
8. Demant (1975)
9. Hawkins (1970)

! i i 1 I I
OUGOCENE-EARLY MIOCENE MIDDLE TO LATE MIOCENE
/ *
*
> A . * o
e* un*
X
O
IM
<
z
6«
5 / '
«
h1 oh
« *
1Hov.E>m
c A--- ~~~ T nOU\l" c
C O M O N D U 6-15 M.Y. BASALT PROVINCE *

1 7 - 2 2 M . Y . ANDESITE PROVINCE • C I R C U M - G U L F 7-15 M.Y. PROVINCE •
% SI02 2 3 - 3 5 M . Y . RHYOLITE-BASALT PROVINCE % SI02 NAYARIT CIRCA 10 M.Y. •
60 60
-L. . . . 1 . . . . t . . . . » . • • • • • • •
PLIOCENE TO RECENT A L K A l l-LIME INDEX
/
(KUNO)
_..-' WEST COAST ""
PUpCEÑE* TO RECENT
-^.--r-r .vil
H,GH a i t i n o W 11
s / * l' CALC-ALKALINE
\/ vin« IV
~~~ 1H0lE»1IC
S U M M A T I O N S F R O M DEMENT
WESTERN END T R A N S - M E X I C A N PROVINCE
PLIOCENE-PLEISTOCENE CIRCA OULF OF CALIFORNIA S O L I D I F I C A T I O N INDEX
10 IS 20
_1_
Figure 3. T h e alkaline, high-aluminum, and tholeiitic rock association boundaries are those used by Kuno ( 1 9 5 9 ) . T h e alkaline, calc-
alkaline, and tholeiitic field portrayed on Kuno's alkaline-lime index are from the same paper. Under Pliocene to H o l o c e n e analyses,
summations by D e m e n t (1975) are s h o w n for (1) Paracutin Michoacan, and (2) Tres Virgines, Baja California. Under alkali-lime index,
the volcanic provinces are (I) Pleistocene Gulf of California, (II) western end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, (III) West Coast
Pliocene-Pleistocene, (IV) western Nayarit ~ 1 0 - m . y . - o l d volcanic rocks, (V) C o m o n d u Formation and other late Miocene basalt, and (VI)
late Miocene volcanic rocks around the Gulf of California, Oligocene-Miocene rhyolite-basalt province.
of this p r o v i n c e p r o b a b l y f o r m the basal se- andesite w i t h a p o t a s s i u m index of 6 . 4 ± this age have been divided into three p r o v -
q u e n c e as far w e s t as Isla T i b u r ó n (Gastil 1.8 and a C a O = ( K 2 0 + N a 2 0 ) value of inces: to t h e w e s t , t h e p r e d o m i n a n t l y
a n d K r u m m e n a c h e r , 1 9 7 7 ) , the siliceous 6.1, typical of c o n t i n e n t a l arc andesite belts. alkaline basalts of t h e C o m o n d u F o r m a t i o n
ash beds of the Salto F o r m a t i o n (McFall, A c c o r d i n g to A t w a t e r ' s m o d e l ( 1 9 7 0 ) (Potassium Index 3 . 4 ± 1.5); to the east, the
1 9 6 8 ) , a n d volcanic a n a l o g u e s to the Salto a n d Pilger a n d H e n y e y (1979), the progres- basalt-andesite-rhyolite volcanic piles, vary-
F o r m a t i o n f o u n d f a r t h e r s o u t h in the p e n i n - sive s o u t h w a r d extinction of t h e trench ing considerably in alkalinity, b u t p r e d o m i -
sula n e a r L o r e t o a n d R a n c h o Sausoso (Ta- began off s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a a b o u t 2 8 nantly calc-alkaline (Potassium Index is 7.1
ble 2, VIII, B 2 M - 5 8 ) . m.y. ago a n d h a d reached the tip of Baja to 12.9); a n d a t the e x t r e m e s o u t h w e s t e r n
Between 17 a n d 2 2 m.y. B.P., h o r n b l e n d e C a l i f o r n i a by a b o u t 10 m.y. ago. T h i s ex- c o r n e r of the G u l f , the ~ l ( ) - m . y . - o l d r o c k s
andesite, associated w i t h smaller a m o u n t s tinction should have t e r m i n a t e d s u b d u c t i o n of w e s t e r n N a y a r i t , w i t h i n t e r m e d i a t e
of basalt a n d rhyolite, f o r m e d a chain of b e n e a t h the n o r t h e r n half of the peninsula p o t a s s i u m indices. M i n e r a l o g i c a l l y , t h e
elevated volcanic centers f r o m Vallecitos, by a b o u t 16 m.y. ago. H o w e v e r , n o consis- i n t e r m e d i a t e - c o m p o s i t i o n rocks of this age
C a l i f o r n i a , to s o u t h e r n Baja C a l i f o r n i a , in- tent s o u t h w a r d progression of volcanic ex- differ f r o m those of the 17- to 2 2 - m . y . - o l d
cluding the then a d j a c e n t coast of S o n o r a . tinction is o b s e r v e d . rocks by the absence of a m p h i b o l e . T h e
Plutonic rocks of similar age have been Between a b o u t 14 and 8 m.y. ago, vol- e r u p t i o n s 8 to 14 m.y. a g o p r o d u c e d piles as
found near Bahia Concepción (McFall, canic rocks r a n g i n g f r o m low-silica basalt m u c h as 4 km in thickness. R o c k s of this
1 9 6 8 ) and in Sinaloa ( H e n r y , 1975). In time to rhyolite e r u p t e d f r o m the Sierra Pin tas o n age f r o m t h r o u g h o u t the circum-Gulf prov-
a n d space, this belt could be considered the the n o r t h , t h r o u g h the n o r t h e r n half of the ince p l o t o n a tight d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n t r e n d
western sequel to t h e Sierra M a d r e Occi- peninsula, a n d w e s t e r n S o n o r a , as far s o u t h (Fig. 3).
dental volcanism, b u t there are p e t r o c h e m i - as T o p o l o b a m p o in Sinaloa. T h e i r e x t e n t It is possible t h a : while the C o m o n d u
cal contrasts. In the 17- to 22-m.y.-old belt, s o u t h e a s t of t h e Gulf has n o t been ade- b a s a l t w a s e r u p t i n g o n the n o r t h w e s t -
the m o s t a b u n d a n t rock is h o r n b l e n d e quately investigated. Chemically, r o c k s of w a r d - m i g r a t i n g p e n i n s u l a , the ~ 1 0 - m . y . -

TABLE 3. CHEMICAL SUMMARY FOR GULF OF CALIFORNIA RELATED PROVINCES
Range of
Solidification Alkalai-Lime Alkalai
Number o f Potassium Standard Index Index Range of Index
Volcanic province analyses index deviation (Kuno) (Kuno) CaO = N a 2 0 + K j O Si02 (Peacock)
I a Pleistocene Gulf of California 13 8 . 0 + 1.9 2-33 19 5.7 52-74 59.8

2 18
II b Pliocene-Pleistocene western end of 5 7.2 ± 1.4 0-17 18 5.9 48-74 56.7
the Trans-Mexican Belt 1 2.2
I l i e Pliocene-Pleistocene, west coast of
Baja California, total area
(71 by Stroh) 82 24-45 5.3-7.6 45-60
d San Quintin basalt, Stroh 15 0.9 + 0.4 27-43 24.5 7.0 48.3
e Chapala basalt, Stroh 13 3.1 ± 1.2 unplottable
f andesite, Stroh 26 7.4 ± 2.4 unplottable
g San Borja basalt, Stroh 11 1.8+ 0.6 unplottable
h andesite, Stroh 8 5.3 ± 2.4 unplottable
IV i 10-m y.-old volcanic rocks of 4 4.9+ 1.8 1-30 19 6.0 50-71 56.7
western Nayarit 1 25
V j 8- to 1 3-m.y.-old Comondu
Formation and similar age rocks,
Baja California 7 3.5 ± 1.5 23-46 21 7.6 48-62 52.8
VI k 7- to 14-m.y. volcanic rocks adjacent 3 1.6 ± 0.8 0-49 19 5.9 46-76 59.1
to the Gulf of California north of 1 1 7.0 ± 1.2
26° latitude 9 11.7± 2.7
VII About 18-m.y.-old andesite belt
I Analyses reported here 11 6.4 ± 1.8 1-39 24 6.1 51-74 59.8
m Jacumba alkalai basalt, Hawkins 4 3.3 ± 0.1
n Jacumba andesite, Hawkins 7 8.0 ± 1.8
VIII o Oligocene-Miocene rhyolite-basalt 1 5.1
Province, Baja California. From 22 6.8 ± 0 . 8 27 17 5.6 52-74 60.6
Swanson and others, Sinaloa
References
1. Downs and Merriam (1972, written commun.) 9. Keithe Valdez (1977, unpub. data)
2. Hawkins (1970) 10. Rossetter (1 974, unpub. data)
3. Minch and others (1967) 11. Gastil and Krummenacher (1977)
4. Barnard (1 968) 12. McFall (1968)
5. Previously unreported 13. Clark (1976)
6. Robert Burke (1969, unpub. data) 14. Gastil and others (1978)
7. James (1973) 15. Jensky (1975, unpub. data)
8. McEldowney (1970, unpub. data) 16. Gastil and others (1975)
old basalt of w e s t e r n N a y a r i t w a s being Index typically 3 . 1 o r less), b u t the andesite areas n o w east of the Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a .
e r u p t e d o n t o an area of p r o t o - G u l f exten- is n o t . T h e y o u n g e r rocks of this association Streams d r a i n i n g this area flowed w e s t a t
sion (Jensky, 1975) a n d is representative of n o r t h of the 2 8 t h parallel have been de- least as far as w h a t is n o w the peninsula of
extensive basalt e m p l a c e d b e n e a t h m a r i n e scribed by Stroh (1975). Y o u n g volcanic Baja C a l i f o r n i a , laying d o w n cross-bedded
w a t e r (for e x a m p l e , the G u l f m a t locality off rocks near the Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a are pre- s a n d s t o n e , i n t e r b e d d e d w i t h layers of rhyo-
the w e s t coast of M e x i c o ; see T a b l e 1). d o m i n a n t l y rhyodacite-dacite. Some, a n d litic ash and scattered flows of basalt. In the
E x t e n s i v e i n t e r m e d i a t e to felsic vol- possibly all, of t h e latter are related to s o u t h e r n p a r t of the peninsula, the Pacific
canism ceased in w e s t e r n S o n o r a a b o u t 10 t r a n s f o r m fault tectonics. coast w a s located close to w h a t is n o w the
m.y. ago, and o n the east coast of Baja T h e Pliocene to H o l o c e n e volcanic rocks w e s t coast of the Gulf.
C a l i f o r n i a , a b o u t 8 m.y. ago. In the Puer- s a m p l e d n e a r t h e w e s t e r n e n d of t h e D u r i n g the interval 17 to 2 2 m.y. ago, a
tecitos area of Baja C a l i f o r n i a , h o w e v e r , T r a n s - M e x i c a n Volcanic Belt a p p e a r to be belt of p r e d o m i n a n t l y andesitic volcanic
there w e r e extensive rhyolite-dacite e r u p - chemically similar to volcanic rocks of simi- rocks e x t e n d e d f r o m n o r t h of the Interna-
tions only 3 m.y. ago. lar age t h a t have been described f a r t h e r east tional Border, s o u t h to the latitude of La
D u r i n g late Pliocene to H o l o c e n e time, a l o n g t h a t belt (as f o r e x a m p l e , n e a r Paz. T h e axis of this volcanism lay close to
volcanism has been w i d e s p r e a d but, exclud- P a r a c u t i n ; s u m m a r i z e d by D e m a n t a n d the eastern edge of the present p e n i n s u l a ; in
ing the deep basins of the Gulf of Califor- R o b i n , 1975). W e assume these rocks to be the n o r t h , volcanic centers are f o u n d o n
nia, has p r o d u c e d relatively small volumes p a r t of an active arc related to the M i d d l e b o t h sides of the Gulf.
of volcanic r o c k . F r o m San Q u i n t í n o n the America T r e n c h . F r o m 15 to 7 m.y. ago, volcanic rock
n o r t h (lat 3 0 ° 3 0 ' N ) to Villa C o n s t i t u c i ó n ranging in c o m p o s i t i o n f r o m rhyolite to
SUMMARY OF CENOZOIC
o n the s o u t h (lat 2 5 ° N ) , the stable w e s t e r n basalt w a s deposited o n b o t h sides of w h a t
VOLCANIC HISTORY A R O U N D THE
p o r t i o n of the Peninsula of Baja C a l i f o r n i a is n o w the n o r t h e r n p a r t of the Gulf of
GULF O F CALIFORNIA
is dotted w i t h e r u p t i o n s ranging in c o m p o - C a l i f o r n i a a n d the islands within it. Except
sition f r o m low-silica basalt to andesite. D u r i n g late Oligocene a n d early M i o c e n e for a small area n o r t h of Loreto, only
T h e basaltic rocks are alkaline (Potassium time, volcanic activity w a s centered in the basaltic rocks of this age are f o u n d in the

s o u t h e r n p a r t of the peninsula. Both basalt siliceous volcanism has c o n t i n u e d into his- zation epoch in relation to Cenozoic igne-
a n d rhyolite w e r e deposited a l o n g the coast toric time. F a r t h e r s o u t h e a s t , at the e x t r e m e ous activity, Sinaloa, Mexico: Geological
Society of America Abstracts with Programs
of N a y a r i t . southestern c o r n e r of the Gulf of C a l i f o r - (South-Central Sec.): v. 9, no. 1, p. 1 1 - 1 2 .
Basin and Range—type d e f o r m a t i o n nia, basalt-andesite-rhyolite volcanism Clark, K. F., 1976, Geologic section across Sierra
began o n the S o n o r a side a b o u t 10 m.y. continues, p r e s u m a b l y in response to t h e M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l , C h i h u a h u a to T o -
a g o , coincident w i t h the f o r m a t i o n of the still active M i d d l e America Trertch s u b d u c - polobampo, Mexico: N e w Mexico Geolog-
" p r o t o - G u l f , " w h i c h w a s t h e first invasion tion. ical Society Special Publication N o . 6,
p. 2 6 - 3 8 .
of m a r i n e w a t e r . Extensive tilting, g r a b e n - Clark, K. F., and others, 1977, Posición estatig-
ing, a n d u p l i f t r e a c h e d the Baja C a l i f o r n i a ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ráfica entiempo y" espacio de mineralizac-
side of the Gulf a b o u t 3 m.y. later. M a r i n e tión en la provencia de la Sierra M a d r e Oc-
strata of late M i o c e n e age are largely re- Financial s u p p o r t w a s p r o v i d e d by the cidental, en Durango, México: Asociación
Minera Metalúrgico y Geología México,
stricted to t h e e a s t e r n Gulf a n d a d j a c e n t N a t i o n a l Science F o u n d a t i o n a n d the N a - C o n v e n c i ó n N a c i o n a l , 12, M e m o r i a ,
c o a s t a l a r e a s , w h e r e a s m a r i n e Pliocene tional G e o g r a p h i c a l Society. T h e use of a p. 1 9 7 - 2 4 4 .
s t r a t a are c o n c e n t r a t e d in the w e s t e r n Gulf helicopter in the s o u t h e r n p a r t of t h e penin- D a m o n , P. A., a n d M a u g e r , R. L., 1 9 6 6 ,
a n d coastal B a j a C a l i f o r n i a . sula of Baja California w a s p r o v i d e d by Epeirogeny-orogeny viewed from the Basin
and Range Province: Society of Mining En-
V o l c a n i s m at the w e s t e r n e n d of the G u i l l e r m o Salas, Sr. a n d the C o n s e j o de Re-
gineers Transactions, v. 235, p. 99—112.
T r a n s - M e x i c a n V o l c a n i c Belt b e g a n a b o u t cursos N a t u r a l e s . Field w o r k w a s assisted D a m o n , P. A., Mauger, R. L., and Bikerman, M.,
4.3 m.y. ago, c o i n c i d e n t w i t h the initiation by E d w i n C. Allison, R o b e r t D o w l e n , a n d a 1964, K-Ar dating of a Laramide plutonic
of the m o d e r n Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a . Pliocene n u m b e r of g r a d u a t e a n d u n d e r g r a d u a t e and volcanic rocks within the Basin and
to H o l o c e n e v o l c a n i s m w i t h i n the s p r e a d i n g s t u d e n t s at San Diego State University. Range province of Arizona and Sonora: In-
ternational Geological Congress, 22nd, In-
centers of the Gulf has been r e p o r t e d to be W o r k in M e x i c o w a s also assisted by the
dia, Report, Pt. 3, Proceedings, sec. 3.
of tholeiitic c o m p o s i t i o n (Batiza, 1 9 7 7 ) , b u t close c o o p e r a t i o n of G u i l l e r m o Salas, Jr., Demant, A., 1975, Caracteres Químicos Prin-
t h a t a d j a c e n t to the Gulf is calc-alkaline, University of S o n o r a ; Diego C o r d o b a , In- cipales del Vulcanismo Terciario y Cuater-
a n d that o n the stable p o r t i o n s of t h e penin- stituto d e G e o l o g i a ; Federica M o o s e r ; a n d nário de Baja California Sur. Relaciones con
sula is alkaline. Subaerial volcanism of m a n y others. la Evolución del Margen Continentál Pac-
ífico de México: Revisto Instituto Geolog-
p o s t - M i o c e n e age is small in volume.
ico Universidad Nacional A u t ó n o m a de
REFERENCES CITED México, 75 (1), p. 1 9 - 6 9 .
CONCLUSIONS Demant, A., and Robin, C., 1975, Las Faces del
Anderson, R. L., 1969, Geology of the Playa San Volcanismo en Mexico; Una Síntesis en Re-
T o see t h e origin of the Basin a n d R a n g e Felipe 3 0 x 4 0 minute quadrangle Baja lación con la Evolución Geodinámica Desde
California, Mexico [abs.]: Geological Soci- el Cretácico: Revista Instituto Geología,
Province, a n d of t h e Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a in
ety of America Special Paper 121, p. 479. Universidad A u t ó n o m a de México, 75 (1),
perspective, o n e m u s t view the d e f o r m a - 1973, Geology of the Playa San Felipe quad- p. 7 0 - 8 3 .
tion, the p a l i n s p a s t i c c h a n g e s , a n d t h e rangle, Baja California, Mexico [M.S. the- Dibblee, T. W . , Jr., 1954, Geology of the Impe-
m a g m a t i s m of the entire w e s t e r n p o r t i o n of sis]: San Diego, California, San Diego State rial Valley region., California, in Jahns,
the c o n t i n e n t as an evolving response to at University, 2 1 4 p. R. H., ed., Geology of Southern California:
Atwater, T., 1970, Implications of plate tectonics California Division o í Mines Bulletin 170,
least 1 5 0 m.y. of s u b d u c t i o n . T h e early
for the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of west- Chap. 2, contr. 2, p. 2 1 - 2 8 .
phase e n d e d a b o u t 3 5 m.y. ago, w i t h m a g - ern N o r t h America: Geological Society of Dickinson, W . F., and H a t h e r t o n , T., 1967, An-
m a t i s m r e a c h i n g its farthest inland pene- America Bulletin, v. 81, p. 3 5 1 3 - 3 5 3 6 . desitic volcanism and seismicity around the
t r a t i o n . T h e p r o l o n g e d interval of m a g - Barnard, F. L., 1968, Structural geology of the Pacific: Science, v. 157, p. 8 0 1 - 8 0 3 .
m a t i c e m p l a c e m e n t caused the t o t a l emer- Sierra de los Cucapas, northeastern Baja Donnelly, M . F., 1974, Geology of the Sierra del
California, Mexico and Imperial County, Pinacate volcanic field, northern Sonora,
gence of the w e s t e r n c o n t i n e n t a n d p r o - California [Ph.D. dissert.]: Boulder, Uni- Mexico, and southern Arizona [Ph.D dis-
d u c e d high p l a t e a u s in the w e s t e r n interior. versity of Colorado, 157 p. (University Mi- sert.]: Stanford, California, Stanford Uni-
T h e Sierra M a d r e O c c i d e n t a l phase (35 crofilm, Inc., n. 69-4326). versity, 722 p.
Batiza, Rudie, 1978, Geology, petrology, and Downs, T., and White, ] . A., 1968, A vertebrate
to 2 3 m.y. ago) b e g a n coincident w i t h t h e
geochemistry of Isla Tortuga, a recently faunal succession in superposed sediments
first dilation of the Basin a n d R a n g e Prov- formed thoeliitic island in the Gulf of from late Pliocene to middle Pleistocene in
ince, issuing basalt a n d ash-flow tuffs over California: Geological Society of America California: International Geological Con-
b r o a d areas. D u r i n g the early M i o c e n e , vol- Bulletin, v. 89, p. 1 3 0 9 - 1 3 2 4 . gress, 23rd, Prague, 1968, Tertiary-Quater-
canism m i g r a t e d w e s t w a r d , c u l m i n a t i n g in Beal, C. H., 1948, Reconnaissance of the geology nary b o u n d a r y , Académica, sec. 10, p.
and oil possibilities of Baja California, 41-47.
a chain of andesite centers w h i c h e x t e n d e d
Mexico: Geological Society of America D u r h a m , J. W., 1950, Megascopic paleontology
the length of w h a t w a s to b e c o m e the Memoir 31, 138 p. and marine stratigraphy, pt. 2 of 1940
peninsula of Baja C a l i f o r n i a . Brooks, B., and Roberts, E., 1954, Geology of the E. W. Scripps cruise to the Gulf of Califor-
T h e e x t i n c t i o n of s u b d u c t i o n did n o t Jacumba area, San Diego and Imperial nia: Geological Society of America M e m o i r
bring an a b r u p t halt to arc-type volcanism. Counties: California Division of Mines Bul- 43, 216 p .
letin 170, M a p Sheet 23. D u r h a m , J. W . , and Allison, E. C., 1960, T h e
T h e d e t a c h e d b u t still s u b d u c t i n g plate Chinas, R., 1963. Geologia de las Ties Marias: geologic history of Baja California and its
c o n t i n u e d to feed volcanic centers t h r o u g h - Tesis Profesional, Instituto Politécnico Na- marine faunas, in T h e biogeography of Baja
o u t the b a l a n c e of M i o c e n e time. cional, México. California and adjacent seas, Pt. 1, Geologic
T h e stable w e s t e r n p a r t of the p e n i n s u l a Christiansen, A. D., 1957, Part of the geology of history: Systematic Zoology, v. 9, p. 4 7 -
the Coyote M o u n t a i n area, Imperial C o u n - 91.
of Baja C a l i f o r n i a h a s e r u p t e d alkaline
ty, California [M.S. thesis]: Los Angeles, Eberly, L. D., and Stanley, T. B., Jr., 1978,
basalt and basalt-related andesite from University of California, Los Angeles, 188 Cenozoic stratigraphy and geologic history
middle M i o c e n e to near-historic time. N e a r P- of southwestern Arizona: Geological Soci-
the Gulf of C a l i f o r n i a , the e r u p t i o n of Clark, D. K., and D a m o n , P. E., 1977, Metalli- ety of America Bulletin, v. 89, p. 9 2 1 - 9 4 0 .

CENOZOIC VOLCANISM A R O U N D THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA 857
Gastil, R. G., and Allison, E. C., 1966, An Upper James, A. H., 1973, Structure and stratigraphy of Abstracts with Programs (Cordilleran Sec.),
Cretaceous faultline coast [abs.]: American the southern Sierra de Pintas, Baja Califor- v. 6, no. 3, p. 2 2 1 - 2 2 2 .
Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulle- nia, M e x i c o [M.S. thesis]: San Diego, Minch, J. A., Schulte, K. C., and H o f m a n , G.,
tin, v. 50, p. 6 4 7 - 6 4 8 . California, San Diego State University, 1 9 7 0 , A middle M i o c e n e age for the
Gastil, R. G., LeMone, D. V., and Stewart, W . J., 5 6 p. Rosarito Beach Formation in northwestern
1973, Permian fusulinids from near San Jensky, W . A., 1975, Reconnaissance geology Baja California, Mexico: Geological Society
Felipe, Baja California: American Associa- and geochronology of the Bahia de Ban- of America Bulletin, v. 81, p. 3 1 4 9 - 3 1 5 4 .
tion of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 57, deras area, Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico Minch, J. C., and others, 1976, Geology of the
p. 7 4 6 - 7 4 7 . [M.S. thesis]: Santa Barbara, California, Vizcaino Peninsula, in Howell, D. G., ed.,
Gastil, R. G., Phillips, R. P., and Allison, E. C., University of California, Santa Barbara, Aspects of the geologic history of the conti-
1975, Reconnaissance geology of the State 80 p. nental borderland: American Association of
of Baja California: Geological Society of Johnpeer, G. D., 1978, Reconnaissance geology Petroleum Geologists, Pacific Section, Mis-
America M e m o i r 140, 170 p. and petrology of the Guaymas area, Sonora, cellaneous Publication 24, p. 136 — 195.
Gastil, R. G., and Krummenacher, D., 1977, Re- Mexico: Geological Society of America Peacock, M . A., 1931, Classification of igneous
connaissance geology of coastal Sonora be- Abstracts with Programs, v. 60, no. 3, p. rock series: Journal of Geology, v. 39, p.
tween Puerto L o b o s and Bahia Kino: 110. 54-67.
Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. Karig, D. E., and Jensky, W., 1972, The Proto- Pilger, R. H., Jr., and Henyey, T. L., 1969,
88, p. 1 8 9 - 1 9 8 . Gulf of California: Earth and Planetary Sci- Mutual constraints on Neogene volcanism
Gastil, R. G., and others, 1976, La Z o n a ence Letters, v. 17, p. 1 6 9 - 1 7 4 . in coastal California and the continental
Batolitica del sur de California y el Oc- Kuno, H., 1959, Origin of Cenozoic petro- borderland, Pacific-North American Plate
cidente de México: Boletín Societe Geológ- graphic provinces of Japan and surrounding interaction, and the development of the San
ica Mexicana, v. 37, p. 8 4 - 9 0 . areas: Bulletin Volcanologique, ser. 11, Andreas fault system: Tectonophysics (in
Gastil, R. G., Krummenacher, D., and Jensky, no. 20, p. 3 8 - 7 5 . press).
W . A., 1979, Reconnaissance geology of Lipman, P. W., Prostka, H. J., and Christiansen, Robinson, P. T., Elders, W. A., and Muffler,
west-central Nayarit, Mexico: Geological R. L., 1972, Cenozoic volcanism and plate- L.J.P., 1976, Quaternary volcanism in the
Society of America M a p and C h a r t Series tectonic evolution of the western United Salton geothermal field, Imperial Valley,
M C - 2 4 , scale 1:200,000. States; I. Early and middle Cenozoic: Royal California: Geological Society of America
1979, Reconnaissance geology of west- Society of London Philosophical Transac- Bulletin, v. 87, p. 3 4 7 - 3 6 0 .
central Nayarit, Mexico: Summary: tions, ser. A-271, p. 2 1 7 - 2 4 8 . Rossetter, R. J., 1974, Geology of the small is-
Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. M a n d r a , Y. T . , a n d M a n d r a , H . 1 9 7 2 , lands of the Guaymas lineament [M.S. the-
80, p. 1 5 - 1 8 . Paleoecology and taxonomy of silicoflagel- sis]: San Diego, California, San Diego State
Gomez, M., 1971, Sobre la presencia de estratos lates from an upper Miocene diatomite near University, 92 p.
marinos del Mioceno en el Estado de So- San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico: Cali- Schmidt, E. K., Guilbert, J. M., and D a m o n , P.
nora, México: Revista del Institúto Mexi- fornia Academy of Science Occasional E., 1977, Structural evolution of the Santa
cano de Petróleo, v. 3, no. 4, p. 7 7 - 7 8 . Paper 99, 35 p. Rosalia area, Baja California, Mexico:
Gunn, B. M., and Mooser, F., 1971, Geochemis- McDowell, F. W., and Keizer, R. P., 1977, Tim- Geological Society of America Abstracts
try of the volcanics of central Mexico: Bul- ing of mid-Tertiary volcanism in the Sierra with Programs, v. 9, no. 7, p. 1 1 6 0 - 1 1 6 1 .
letin Volcanologique, v. 34, no. 2, p. 577— M a d r e Occidental between Durango City Stroh, J. M., 1975, Latest Cenozoic volcanism in
616. and Mazatlan, Mexico: Geological Society Baja California Norte, Mexico [Ph.D. dis-
G u t m a n n , J. T., 1976, Geology of Crater Ele- of America Bulletin, v. 88, p. 1 4 7 9 - 1 4 8 7 . sert.]: Seattle, Washington, University of
gante, Sonora, México: Geological Society McEldowney, R. C., 1970, Geology of the north- Washington.
of America Bulletin, v. 87, p. 1 7 1 8 - 1 7 2 9 . ern Sierra Pinta, Baja California, Mexico Stump, T. E., 1972, Stratigraphy and paleontol-
Hawkins, J. W., 1970, Petrology and possible [M.S. thesis]: San Diego, California, San ogy of the Imperial Formation in the west-
tectonic significance of late Cenozoic vol- Diego State Univeristy, 78 p. ern Colorado Desert [M.S. thesis]: San
canic rocks, southern California and Baja McFall, C. C., 1968, Reconnaissance geology of Diego, California, San Diego State Univer-
California: Geological Society of America the Concepción bay area, Baja California, sity, 132 p.
Bulletin, v. 81, p. 3 3 2 3 - 3 3 3 8 . Mexico: Stanford University Publications, Tarbett, L. A., and H o l m a n , W . H., 1944,
Heim, A., 1915, Sur la geologie de la partie Geological Sciences, v. 10, no. 5, 25 p. Stratigraphy and micropaleontology of the
meridionale de la Basse California: Acad- Miller, W. J., 1935, A geologic section across the west side of Imperial Valley, California
emie des Sciences Paris, Comptes Rendus southern Peninsular Ranges of California: [abs.]: American Association of Petroleum
161, p. 4 1 9 - 4 2 2 . California Journal of Mines and Geology, Geologists Bulletin, v. 28, p. 1781.
1921, Vulkane in der Ungebung der Oase la v. 31, p. 1 1 5 - 1 4 2 . Vanderhoof, V. L., 1942, An occurrence of the
Purísima auf des Halbinsel Nieder Kalifor- Mina, Uhink, F., 1957, Bosquejo geologico del Tertiary marine mammal Cornwallius in
nia: Zeitschrift für Vulkanologie, bd. 6, h. T e r r i o t r i o Sur de la Baja C a l i f o r n i a : Lower California: American Journal of Sci-
' 1, p. 1 5 - 2 1 . Asociación Mexicana Geólogos Petroleros ence, v. 240, p. 2 9 8 - 3 0 1 .
Henry, C. D., 1975, Geology and geochemistry Boletín, v. 9, p. 1 3 9 - 2 6 9 . W o o d a r d , G. D., 1974, Redefinition of Cenozoic
of the granitic batholith complex, Sinaloa Minch, J. A., 1967, Stratigraphy and structure of stratigraphic column in Split M o u n t a i n
Mexico [Ph.D. dissert.]: Austin, Texas, the Tijuana—Rosarito Beach area, north- gorge, Imperial Valley, California: Ameri-
University of Texas at Austin, 158 p. western Baja California, Mexico: Geologi- can Association of Petroleum Geologists
Hirschi, H., and de Quervain, F., 1 9 2 7 - 1 9 3 3 , cal Society of America Bulletin, v. 78, p. Bulletin, v. 58, p. 5 2 1 - 5 2 6 .
Beitrage zur P e t r o g r a p h i e von Baja, 1155-1178. W o o d f o r d , A. O., 1928, The San Quintin vol-
California: Schweizerische Mineralogische 1972, The late Mesozoic-early Tertiary canic field, Lower California: American
und Petrographische Mitteilungen, v. 7 framework of continental sedimentation, Journal of Science, ser. 5, v. 15, p. 3 3 7 -
[1927], p. 1 4 2 - 1 6 4 ; v. 8 [1928], p. 3 2 3 - northern peninsular ranges, Baja California, 345.
3 2 6 ; v. 10 [1930], p. 2 2 8 - 2 7 2 , v. 13 Mexico [Ph.D. dissert.]: Riverside, Cali- Woodring, W . P., 1931, Distribution and age of
[1933], p. 2 3 2 - 2 7 7 . fornia, University of California, Riverside. the marine Tertiary deposits of the Col-
Ingle, J. C., Jr. 1974, Paleobathymetric history of Minch, J. C., and Abbott, P. L., 1973, Post- o r a d o Desert: Carnegie Institute of Wash-
Neogene marine sediments, northern Gulf batholithic geology of the Jacumba area, ington Publication 418, Contributions to
of California, in Geology of peninsular southeastern San Diego County, California: Paleontology, p. 1 - 2 5 .
California: American Association of Petro- San Diego Society of N a t u r a l History
leum Geologists, Society of E c o n o m i c Transactions, v. 17, no. 11, p. 1 2 9 - 1 3 5 . MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED BY THE SOCIETY DE-
Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Society Minch, J. C., and James, A. H., 1974, Evidence CEMBER 2 8 , 1977
of Exploration Geophysicists, Pacific Sec- for a major fault parallel to the Gulf of REVISED MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED JULY 3 , 1978
tion, Guidebook for field trip, p. 1 2 1 - 1 3 8 . California: Geological Society of America MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED JULY 18, 1978
Primed in U.S A.


1979 - The Record of Cenozoic Volcanism Around Tthe Gulf of California

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1979 - The Record of Cenozoic Volcanism Around Tthe Gulf of California

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The record of Cenozoic volcanism around the

ABSTRACT O u r o b j e c t i v e has been to d a t e by J a c u m b a . Thus, since Dibblee (1954) and

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

ern Sierra Pinta, volcanic rocks (andesite to

T h e San Felipe Area

R o b e r t A n d e r s o n (1972) m a p p e d the San

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

* decay constants used: X(40Kg-) = 4 . 9 6 2 x 1 0 " 1 0 / y r

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

overlain in t u r n by a rhyolite ignimbrite

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

c o n f o r m i t y . T h e type area C o m o n d u For- M c F a l l ' s sequence c o m e the M i n i t a s a n d covered by G o r d o n a n d G a r t h Gastil, using

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

p i n k tuff a n d t u f f a c e o u s s a n d s t o n e a n d cene(?) San R a y m u n d o F o r m a t i o n f o u n d in to find ages in t h e o r d e r of 2 3 to 3 2 m.y.

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

1. Pleistocene Gulf of California

II. Western End of the Trans- Mexican Volcanic Belt

III. West Coast Pliocene-Pleistocene

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

IV. Western N a y a r i t — 1 0 m.y. old Volcanic Rocks

V. Comondu Formation and Other Late Miocene Basalts

VI. Late Miocene Volcanic Rocks Around the Gulf of California

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

Vili. Oligo-Miocene Rhyolite-Basalt Province

* For more complete data, see Table 1.

P Plagioclase L Lamprobolite C Clinopyroxene R Chlorite Vitrophyric groundmass

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

C O M O N D U 6-15 M.Y. BASALT PROVINCE *

_..-' WEST COAST ""

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

TABLE 3. CHEMICAL SUMMARY FOR GULF OF CALIFORNIA RELATED PROVINCES

I a Pleistocene Gulf of California 13 8 . 0 + 1.9 2-33 19 5.7 52-74 59.8

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/90/9/839/3434090/i0016-7606-90-9-839.pdf

You might also like