Late Quaternary primary tephras in Sacred Lake sediments, northeast Mount Kenya, Kenya

Olago, D.O., Street-Perrott, F.A., Perrott, R.A., Ivanovich, M. and Harkness, D.D. (2000) Late Quaternary primary tephras in Sacred Lake sediments, northeast Mount Kenya, Kenya. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 30(4), pp. 957-969. (doi: 10.1016/S0899-5362(00)00063-4)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0899-5362(00)00063-4

Abstract

In this paper, a sequence of five Late Quaternary tephras occurring as discrete, well-preserved horizons in lake sediments on the northeastern flank of Mount Kenya are characterised and their ages determined by a combination of high-resolution indirect radiocarbon dating and direct U/Th dating. The grain size characteristics suggest that the tephras are of fairly local origin. These Na-K-rich alkali pyroclasts with a trachytic chemical composition have a highly correlated chemistry and mineralogy, suggesting that they were probably derived from the same genetic series and possibly erupted from a single source vent. Morphological differences are attributed to the peculiar characteristics of each eruption episode. The magma source was probably a small, highly differentiated magma chamber following the olivine basalt-trachyandesite-trachyte-phonolite series, which broadly reflects the Quaternary rock suite of Mount Kenya.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:UNSPECIFIED
Authors: Olago, D.O., Street-Perrott, F.A., Perrott, R.A., Ivanovich, M., and Harkness, D.D.
Subjects:Q Science > QE Geology
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Journal Name:Journal of African Earth Sciences
ISSN:0899-5362

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