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R. S. Coe

Publications and source records attributed to R. S. Coe.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2012

The Steens Mountain (Oregon) geomagnetic polarity transition: 3. Its regional significance

Study of the variations of direction and intensity of the geomagnetic field as recorded by the Miocene lava flows on Steens Mountain, southeastern Oregon, has resulted in a detailed description of total field behavior during a reversal in polarity. In addition to information about the polarity reversal itself, the detailed paleomagnetic record includes several thousand years of geomagnetic history preceding and following the polarity transition at 15.5 Ma. In order to test the feasibility of using this record as a means of correlation in this part of the western United States, comparisons are made of reconnaissance and previously published paleomagnetic records obtained from what has been thought to be the Steens Basalt or rocks of equivalent age. Despite the fact that many of these earlier studies were not done in detail and were not intended for correlation purposes, convincing similarities among some of the records are evident. The Steens Basalt paleomagnetic record does, indeed, have potential as a correlation tool during this time of widespread basaltic volcanism. Additionally, paleomagnetic data from flows that were sampled in detail yield a middle Miocene paleomagnetic pole at 88.3°N, 209.0° (α 95 = 6.3°) for the High Lava Plains of Oregon. This pole position is statistically indistinguishable from the earth's rotational axis and implies that no tectonic rotation of this region has occurred since these lava flows were erupted. Data from selected sites within the coeval part of the Columbia River Basalt Group yield a paleomagnetic pole at 88.7°N, 171.6°E (α 95 = 4.0°). The Columbia River Basalt Group pole is statistically indistinguishable from either the rotational axis or from the High Lava Plains pole. These findings indicate no post‐20 Ma differential rotation between south‐eastern Washington and south‐central Oregon, in contrast to previous interpretations.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS2010

Cenozoic plate motions and the volcano-tectonic evolution of western Oregon and Washington

A refined northeast Pacific plate-motion model provides a framework for analysis of the Tertiary volcanic and tectonic history of western Oregon and Washington. We examine three possible models for the origin of the allochthonous Paleocene and Eocene oceanic basalt basement of the Coast Range: (1) accretion to the continent of hot spot generated linear seamount chains; (2) accretion of thick oceanic crust and seamounts generated during Farallon-Kula spreading reorganizations between 61 and 48 Ma; and (3) eruption of basalt during oblique rifting of the continental margin as it overrode an active Yellowstone hot spot on the Kula-Farallon ridge. The plate model suggests that microplate rotation and accretion of hot spot generated linear aseismic ridges cannot be easily reconciled with rapid northeast motion of the KuIa and Farallon plates and the well-established paleomagnetic rotations. Following emplacement of the Coast Range basement, changes in the character of forearc, back arc and Cascade arc volcanism correlate with a marked decrease in the rate of Farallon-North America convergence between 43 and and 28 Ma. This slowdown may be responsible for (1) westward stepping of the volcanic arc front from the Challis axis to a Cascade axis at about 42 Ma; (2) a subsequent episode of increased ash flow tuff volcanism and extension in the Cascade arc between 37 and 18 Ma that correlates with the “ignimbrite flare-up” in the Basin and Range; and (3) a period of extensional basaltic and alkalic volcanism and intrusion in the Coast Range between 44 and 28 Ma. Reduction of the convergence rate and westward stepping of the flexure in the subducted slab may have reduced the horizontal compressive stress on the continent, allowing increased injection of magma into the crust, development of large, shallow magma chambers, and the outbreak of extensional volcanism over a large area behind the Farallon-North America subduction zone.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS1985

How the geomagnetic field vector reverses polarity

A highly detailed record of both the direction and intensity of the Earth's magnetic field as it reverses has been obtained from a Miocene volcanic sequence. The transitional field is low in intensity and is typically non-axisymmetric. Geomagnetic impulses corresponding to astonishingly high rates of change of the field sometimes occur, suggesting that liquid velocity within the Earth's core increases during geomagnetic reversals. ?? 1985 Nature Publishing Group.

Nature↗
USGS1983

Palaeomagnetism of lower cretaceous tuffs from Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region, western Alaska

During the past decade, the prescient arguments1-3 for the allochthoneity of large portions of southern Alaska have been corroborated by detailed geological and palaeomagnetic studies in south-central Alaska 4-9 the Alaska Peninsula10, Kodiak Island11,12 and the Prince William Sound area13 (Fig. 1). These investigations have demonstrated sizeable northward displacements for rocks of late Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, and early Tertiary age in those regions, with northward motion at times culminating in collision of the allochthonous terranes against the backstop of 'nuclear' Alaska14,15. A fundamental question is which parts of Alaska underwent significantly less latitudinal translation relative to the 'stable' North American continent, thereby serving as the 'accretionary nucleus' into which the displaced 'microplates'16 were eventually incorporated17,18? Here we present new palaeomagnetic results from tuffs and associated volcaniclastic rocks of early Cretaceous age from the Yukon-Kuskokwin delta region in western Alaska. These rocks were probably overprinted during the Cretaceous long normal polarity interval, although a remagnetization event as recent as Palaeocene cannot be ruled out. This overprint direction is not appreciably discordant from the expected late Cretaceous direction for cratonal North America. The implied absence of appreciable northward displacement for this region is consistent with the general late Mesozoic-early Tertiary tectonic pattern for Alaska, based on more definitive studies: little to no poleward displacement for central Alaska, though substantially more northward drift for the 'southern Alaska terranes' (comprising Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Prince William Sound area, and Matunuska Valley) since late Cretaceous to Palaeocene time. ?? 1983 Nature Publishing Group.

Nature↗
USGS1975

The orthoenstatite to clinoenstatite transformation by shearing and reversion by annealing: Mechanism and potential applications

Clinoenstatite (CE) was produced by deforming single-crystal specimens of ortho-enstatite (OE) in several different sorta of experiments. Examination with light and trans-mission electron microscopes shows that the transformation is coherent and involves a macroscopic shear on (100) [001] through an angle of 12.8±1.3 °, in good agreement with the theoretically expected value of 13.3 °, and that the transformation is accomplished by glide on (100) of partial dislocations with b = 0.83[001]. Structural analysis provides further insight into the transformation mechanism. Reversion occurs in specimens annealed under a variety of conditions, and thin lamellae of CE in unconstrained, low-strain specimens recover their original shape during transformation back to OE. Our experiments and thermodynamic estimates both suggest that the equilibrium transition temperature is raised roughly 300 ° C per kilobar of shear stress on (100) [001]. This provides the basis of a method by which it may be possible to determine the magnitude as well as the orientation of the principal stresses that produce CE in nature during deformation of enstatite-bearing rocks.

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology↗