Volcanic Zones of the Western United States

These grids constrain the loci of volcanic centers active in the last 5 million years. Informal names for these zones are listed below. Detailed information about each zone is provided in Smith and Luedke (1984).

C Cascade zone
S Sevier rift
CL Clear Lake locus
SG St. George zone
SC Santa Clara locus
E Eagle locus
SS Salton Sea rift
RMH Rocky Mountain hinge zone
CZ California zone
SF San Francisco Mountains locus
WC Western Cordilleran rift
V Verde rift
B Brothers zone
MR Mogollon Rim lateral volcanic transgression
VV Virgin Valley zone
J Jemez zone
HR Humboldt River zone
RG Rio Grande rift
SR Snake River zone
TC Truth or Consequences zone
P Pancake zone
H Honeycomb Hills locus
LH Leucite Hills locus

The Western Cordilleran rift, Sevier rift, and Rio Grande rift are zones where the crust is undergoing east-west extension. Zones trending northeast and northwest are probably related to deeper tectonic control of melting in the mantle and may not be influenced by the upper-crust stress field.

Sources of Information

From Smith, R.L., and Luedke, R.G., 1984, Potentially active volcanic lineaments and loci in western conterminous United States, in Explosive Volcanism: Inception, Evolution, and hazards, National Academy Press, p. 47-66.


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