RUI: Major Ignimbrites and Volcanic Centers of the Copper Canyon Area, Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico

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Swanson9909417This study seeks to understand the geology of a large region in the remote Sierra Madre mountains of western Mexico. Although south of the border, previous investigations have shown that volcanic rocks of the sierra are a manifestation of the same plate tectonic forces as those that triggered volcanism across the western United States. The volcanic record in the sierra, however, is much more voluminous and complete than in equivalent volcanic fields to the north. Although only about 5% of the Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic field has been mapped, a recently completed road to Mexico's famous Copper Canyon has opened the heart of the world's largest rhyolitic volcanic province to geologic exploration. The principal investigator and several undergraduate student researchers will map the volcanic centers and volcanic units of the 3,500 km2, Copper Canyon area. The result will be the largest mapped region in the central Sierra Madre Occidental. As with other "discovery phase" mapping projects, this research is expected to lay the groundwork for dozens of subsequent investigations of broader scientific and economic impact. In the process, a group of undergraduates, minority students underrepresented in the earth science field among them, will learn the practical skills they need to propel them toward a graduate education and productive careers in the United States - Mexico Border Region.