First Geological Investigations of the Most Isolated Island in the Gulf of California: Isla San Pedro Mártir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v19i38.354Keywords:
Gulf of California, volcanic island, subvolcanic rocks, Isla San Pedro MartirAbstract
Isla San Pedro-Mártir is located in the central part of the Gulf of California. This research presents the first-geological study of this rocky block, revealing that its predominant rocks are of subvolcanic origin. These rocks form tabular bodies with vitreous and brecciated edges, emplaced within the stratified of Surtseyan-type pyroclastic deposits. Petrographic analysis reveals a consistent mineral assemblage for all units, with the presence of amphibole, plagioclase, alkali feldspar phenocrysts, and, to a lesser extent, clinopyroxene, embedded in a trachytic matrix of plagioclase microlites. The most extensive unit, the San Pedro-Mártir Dacite, exhibits both physical and mineralogical evidence of magmatic immiscibility. The mineral assemblage indicates that the rocks are felsic in composition and classified as dacites. The first geological investigation on this island establishes that the island is composed of igneous rocks of similar composition. This uniformity attests to the presence of a subvolcanic-magmatic plumbing system related to the oblique-divergent-plate-boundary.
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