CAREER: Building a Holistic Record of Upper Crustal Pluton Emplacement, Associated Deformation, and Volcanism From a Fossil Magmatic System

Volcanoes may cause hazards to society, making eruption forecasting important. Forecasting often uses observations from the Earth’s surface to understand the state of magma. This approach requires assumptions about how magmas accumulate beneath the volcano. This project will study an ancient volcano that has been deeply eroded to expose the ancient magma plumbing system. By making direct field observations, the research team will learn more about how the Earth’s surface would have deformed as the magmatic system developed. The project will contribute to workforce development by training graduate students in field safety skills for doing geologic research in remote areas. The Eocene Monument Peak and Lost Peak plutons are exposed in the Pasayten Wilderness (Washington, USA). They represent an exhumed magmatic system interpreted as the roots of a volcano that fed the nearby Island Mountain volcanics. Existing geochronologic and geochemical data are consistent with this interpretation. Research will focus on mapping both plutons and their surrounding host rocks to better understand how they were emplaced. A key outcome of this effort will be to determine whether the emplacement mechanism(s) would have led to observable deformation at the Earth’s surface. A major component of this effort will be to determine the spatial and temporal extent of the fossil magma reservoirs using geologic mapping and U-Pb zircon geochronology. Geochemical data will be used to further assess whether these reservoirs differentiated within the upper crust. The intrusive record will be paired with measured sections, U-Pb zircon geochronology, and geochemical data from the associated volcanic rocks. This paired record of intrusive and extrusive activity will provide a holistic view of upper-crustal magmatism at a volcanic center, better constraining the significance of intrusive activity within the context of volcanic hazards. Additionally, the project aims to help train the next generation of field geologists to work in a safe and effective manner by developing a two-week workshop for graduate students. During this workshop the students will become certified as Wilderness First Responders, learn how to plan and lead field-based research projects, and discuss the best ways to incorporate field experiences into their future educational activities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2539386 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01003031DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Michael Eddy | Institution: Purdue University, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | Award Amount: $426,153 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2539386 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2539386.html