⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of alkali feldspar megacrysts from selected young volcanoes of the Newer Volcanic Province, Victoria

Abstract

The Newer Volcanic Province (NVP) in Victoria, with extension into south-eastern South Australia, represents the youngest chapter of Cenozoic volcanism in south-eastern Australia. However, most ages have been determined by the potassium–argon (K–Ar) method, and the age data are not comprehensive. In addition, few ages exist for the array of scoria cone volcanoes in the NVP. Seven alkali feldspar samples, mostly anorthoclase megacrysts, from volcanic centres in the NVP were used for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating in the present study. In geochronological order, with ages quoting 95% confidence limits, locations are Mount Franklin near Daylesford (0.110 ± 0.014 Ma), Red Rock near Alvie (0.116 ± 0.048 Ma), Lake Bullenmerri at Camperdown (0.116 ± 0.019 Ma), Ridge Road Quarry near Daylesford (2.01 ± 0.11 Ma) and Mount Kororoit near Diggers Rest (3.74 ± 0.26 Ma). Two samples from The Anakies, near Bacchus Marsh, produced discordant results suggesting a maximum age of ca. 1.9 Ma. The analyses and reported ages in the present study not only provide new geochronological data for the province, but also elucidate the difficulties in dating very young basalts using the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating method. These results are consistent with the erosion levels of the scoria volcanoes sampled, and indicate a major episode of explosive volcanic activity at ca. 100 ka. In contrast, the more eroded Mount Kororoit is considered to be ca. 3.7 Ma in age. The age of The Anakies is more equivocal owing to the indicated presence of excess argon and a maximum age of ca. 1.9 Ma is suggested for this locality. Given the latter results and lack of precision obtainable from the younger samples, the possibility remains that other samples contained extraneous argon and that the ages generated are thus maximum eruption ages. Analyses of additional samples from these and other localities will be required to further resolve this issue.