Geology of the Western Snake River Plain

The Western Snake River Plain trends northwest and is considered to be a fault bounded depression with normal faults forming major segments along both edges of the plain. Lacustrine sediments occur above thick basaltic sequences with some inter-bedded sediments mixed with basalt flows. The Western Snake River Plain and the Nevada rift developed as a continuous rift 17 million years ago. The WSRP upper crust was thinned or pulled apart as major extension began about 17 million years ago and the resulting depression was filled with up welling basalt and debris from the adjoining highlands.Chapter 1 presents an overview of the Snake River Plain as a product of the Yellowstone Hot Spot Theory. Features of each segment are described. Chapter 2 discusses the geophysics and tectonics of the SRP providing an overview and geologic setting of the western, central, and eastern SRP. Chapter 3 begins the discussion of the Western Snake River Plain addressing the geologic setting of structure and tectonics, sedimentation, and lacustrine sequences. Chapter 4 discusses the origin and evolution of the WSRP dealing with stratigraphy and volcanic units, structural faulting, and geochemistry. Chapter 5 presents a field trip discussion involving a cross sectional trace through the WSRP starting in the Owyhee Mountains extending into the Boise foothills. Ten stops are included. Read more