With a Geological Twist Volcanic Petrology
Theory and Analysis
    Characterization of Volcanic Rocks
    Mass Balance Constraints
    Thermodaynamic Modeling
    Classification of Igneous Rocks
     Current SelectionStatistical Tests of Mass Balance Constraints
    Optical Mineralogy
Magmatic Histories
Computer Programs
Studies of Rock Suites
 Middle Butte Snake River Plain

Middle Butte

Middle Butte is one of three large buttes in the middle of the Snake River Plain, Idaho. Obsidian is the dominant rock type in Middle Butte. Theories to explain the origin of the obsidian buttes in the Snake River Plain include partial melting of crustal material and crystal fractionation from basaltic melts. The heat needed to produce meltsin the lower crust is postulated to come from the heat carried by basaltic melts and released in the crust.

Today, Middle Butte provides the site for many antennae that receive and transmit electro-magnetic signals.

Close
Statistical Tests of Mass Balance Constraints

Each of the subsections under theory and analysis gives you access to three electronic documents. These documents are Portable Document Format (*.pdf) files. The documents can be read on the screen or printed. To read and print the documents, your computer will have to have Adobe's Acrobat Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is furnished free of charge and you can obtain it by clicking on the following button:

Adobe Reader Link

The electronic documents can be downloaded to your computer by clicking the right mouse button when the cursor is over the underlined text fragments in the immediately following:
Text file describing statistical methods for testing the strength of mass balance constrains on petrologic hypotheses:
BAYES.pdf
Figures that accompany the statistics text:
BAYESFig.pdf
Tables that accompany the statistics text:
BAYESTab.pdf