Feldspar recycling across magma mush bodies during the voluminous Half Dome and Cathedral Peak stages of the Tuolumne intrusive complex, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Research reveals that the Tuolumne intrusive complex (TIC) in Yosemite National Park underwent significant feldspar recycling during its Half Dome and Cathedral Peak stages, indicating dynamic magma-mush interactions. The study found that contacts between major plutonic units are gradational zones up to 3 km thick, with distinct K-feldspar compositions in the equigranular Half Dome (eHD) and evidence of mixing between porphyritic Half Dome (pHD) and Cathedral Peak (CP) magmas. Plagioclase populations in eHD and CP suggest hybridization to form pHD, implying an evolving magmatic system with crystal-melt exchanges before final crystallization. Field mapping, petrographic analysis, and geochemical studies of feldspar populations provided these insights.

Oppenheim, L. F., Memeti, V., Barnes, C. G., Chambers, M., Krause, J., & Esposito, R. (2021). Feldspar recycling across magma mush bodies during the voluminous Half Dome and Cathedral Peak stages of the Tuolumne intrusive complex, Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Geosphere, 17(2), 322–351. https://doi.org/10.1130/ges02286.1