Kaiser Peak Quadrangle, 

Central Sierra Nevada, 

California 

Analytic Data

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 644-C

Kaiser Peak Quadrangle, 

Central Sierra Nevada, 

California 

Analytic Data

By PAUL C. BATEMAN and JOHN P. LOCKWOOD

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 644-C

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1970
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

WALTER J. HICKEL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

William T. Pecora, Director

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 79-607854

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 30 cents (paper cover)
CONTENTS

Page 

Abstract ____________________________________________ Cl

Introduction _________________________________________ 1

General geology _______________________________________ 1

Analytic data _________________________________________ 1

References ___________________________________________ 2

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

FIGURE 1. Simplified geologic map of Kaiser Peak* 15-minute quadrangle showing locations of chemically analyzed

samples __________________________________________________________ C5

2-6. Bedrock map showing 

2. Volume percent quartz _______________________________________ ___ 6

3. Volume percent K-feldspar ___________________________________________ 7

4. Volume percent plagioclase ____________________________________________ 8

5. Volume percent mafic minerals _________________________________________ 9

6. Specific gravity .____.______________________________________________ 10

7. Simplified geologic map showing steeply dipping regional joints _ _______ __ _ 11

8. Modes and norms of granitic and volcanic rocks ______________________________-_____ 12

TABLE

Page 

1. Chemical analyses, norms, and modes of rocks.___________________ . C14

III

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, 

CALIFORNIA - ANALYTIC DATA

BY PAUL C. BATEMAN and JOHN P. LOCKWOOD

ABSTRACT

Model data on the granitic rocks and chemical data on the 

granitic and metamorphic rocks of the Kaiser Peak quadrangle 

are presented. A simplified geologic map showing steeply dipping regional joints is included.

INTRODUCTION

This paper was prepared for use with the "Geologic map of the Kaiser Peak quadrangle, central 

Sierra Nevada, California," U.S. Geological Survey 

Geologic Map GQ 894 (Bateman, P.O., Lockwood, 

J.P., and Lydon, P.A.). It summarizes results of 

laboratory investigations conducted in conjunction 

with geologic mapping of the quadrangle and is part 

of a continuing series of geologic investigations of 

bedrock geology of the central Sierra Nevada batholith and enclosing rocks (Bateman and others, 1963; 

Bateman and Eaton, 1967).

The Kaiser Peak quadrangle is approximately 60 

miles northeast of Fresno, Calif. It lies, for the most 

part, between 6,500 and 9,500 feet and is heavily 

forested only small areas of the quadrangle along 

its southern and northeastern boundaries are above 

timberline.

GENERAL GEOLOGY

The geologic history of the quadrangle is briefly 

summarized in a text that accompanies the geologic 

map (Bateman and others, 1970). A generalized, 

small-scale version of this map is shown in figure 1. 

The oldest rocks of the quadrangle are highly metamorphosed marine sedimentary and volcanic deposits of early Mesozoic and possibly Paleozoic age. 

They are intruded by Mesozoic granitic plutons of 

two and possibly three ages; these plutons range in 

composition from quartz diorite to alaskite. Granitic

rocks make up more than 90 percent of the bedrock 

in the quadrangle, and most of the analytic data 

pertain to them. The granitic and pregranitic ricks 

are overlain by volcanic flows of late Tertiary age 

and by unconsolidated glacial and alluvial deposits 

of Quaternary age.

ANALYTIC DATA

During the course of geologic mapping, about 300 

samples of representative rocks were collected from 

the quadrangle. Of these samples, the specific gravity and modal mineral composition of 247 samples of 

granitic rock were determined. For modal analyses, 

the samples were sawed to yield slabs with flat surfaces of at least 6 square inches; these slabs rrere 

then stained so that the two feldspars could readily 

be distinguished from each other and from qurrtz. 

The mineral constituents (quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, or mafic minerals) present at each of 1,000- 

2,000 regularly spaced points on each slab were then 

observed with a microscope and tabulated.1 The volume percentage of these minerals was then calculated for each sample locality; the values are showr on 

simplified bedrock maps of the quadrangle (figs. 

2-5). Using these data, contours were drawn by visual inspection wherever feasible to show the distribution patterns of each mineral. Specific gravities 

and a contour map of the specific-gravity data are 

given in figure 6. Figure 7 shows the patterr of 

steeply dipping regional joints.

In addition to the modal analyses of granitic recks, 

15 samples of granitic rocks from six different plutons, two samples of pregranitic volcanic rocks, and 

five samples of Tertiary volcanic rocks were anarjzed

1 Analysts: M. B. Norman and M. G. Hoerster.

Cl
C2 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

chemically. The locations of the chemically analyzed 

samples are shown in figure 1. All but one of the 

samples were analyzed by the rapid method of 

Shapiro and Brannock (1962); one sample of granitic rock was analyzed by standard chemical methods 

(Peck, 1964). These data, together with semiquantitative spectrographic analyses, CIPW norms, and 

modes of the granitic rocks are tabulated in table 1.

In figure 8, the modes of the granitic rocks, normalized to 100 percent, are plotted on triangular diagrams whose corners are quartz, plagioclase, and Kfeldspar. In addition, norms of the chemically analyzed samples are plotted on a triangular diagram

whose corners are normative quartz, plagioclase 

(albite plus anorthite), and orthoclase.

REFERENCES

Bateman, P. C., Clark, L. D., Huber, N. K., Moore, J. G., and 

Rinehart, C. D., 1963, The Sierra Nevada batholith a 

synthesis of recent work across the central part: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 414-D, 46 p.

Bateman, P. C., and Eaton, J. P., 1967, Sierra Nevada batholith: Science, v. 158, no. 3807, p. 1407-1417. 

Peck, L. C., 1964, Systematic analysis of silicates: U.S. Geol.

Survey Bull. 1170, 89 p.

Shapiro, Leonard, and Brannock, W. W., 1962, Rapid analyses 

of silicate, carbonate, and phosphate rocks: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 1144A, 56 p.
FIGURES 1-8 AND TABLE 1

KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA C5

Quartz monzonite Alaskite of 

of Sheep thief Graveyard 

Creek

Quartz monzonite of Rock 

Creek Lake

Fine- to medium-grained 

quartz monzonite and 

granodiorite

Granodiorite of 

Dinkey Creek

Porphyritic fades shtnm, by 

hachured pattern

Quartz diorite and other 

mafic plutonic rocks

Metavolcanic tuff

Mount Givens Granodiorite

feoww by 

hachured pattern Metasedimentary rocks

FIGURE 1. Simplified geologic map of Kaiser Peak 15-minute quadrangle showing locations of chemically analyzed samples.
SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

FIGURE 2. Bedrock map showing volume percent quartz.
KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA C7

FIGURE 3. Bedrock map showing volume percent K-feldspar.
C8 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERATE GEOLOGY

^«0>^^fS*rSK:V

37?y>Tx TY//^' ^.7^/^^M

^CSS.? s~7 s / -

\ /,\ /_\ /c/ ^i<r, -^

N' X /^, \,-T ---J\/:.- ^ -~' v /» i \ i^*'^/\

^'V^L^/>^,

>LO^ v r, l « 41 -4 / v -

%HH.

FIGURE 4. Bedrock map showing volume percent plagioclase.
KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA C9

5^Ccr,r:fcr#3£££<-; rU^ >>&y-X-&fi&>fa:fa>^K(- :l^'^xi^>^:'^feA%--'^

FIGURE 5. Bedrock map showing volume percent mafic materials.
CIO SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

FIGURE 6. Bedrock map showing specific gravity.
KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA Cll

m$mj& ^''-^%&&& '^m^1

FIGURE 7. Steeply dipping regional joints. Joints are not shown in areas covered by glacial deposits.
C12 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

PLOTS OF MODES

CLASSIFICATION PLAN 

Quartz

EXPLANATION

Alaskite of G 

Pea

K-feldspar

Mount Givens Granodiorite 

(nonporphyritic phase)

Mount Givens Granodiorite 

(porphyritic phase)

EXPLANATION

D

Quartz monzonite of 

Rock Creek Lake

+ 

Aplite

O

Quartz monzonite of 

Sheepthief Creek

Fine-to medium-grained 

quartz monzonite and 

granodiorite intrusive 

into the Mount Givens 

Granodiorite

Sheared and lineated 

quartz monzonite in 

north margin of granodiorite of Dinkey 

Creek

10

10

Granodiorite of Dinkey Creek

V."''X-: l-v" '

FIGURE 8. Modes and norms of granitic and volcanic rocks.
KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA

PLOTS OF MODES

Granodiorite of Lake Edison Granodiorite of Cow Meadow

CIS

Quartz diorite and othemafic plutonic rocks

PLOT OF NORMS

Quartz

EXPLANATION

x

Granodiorite of Lake 

Edison

+ 

Mount Givens Granodiorite

B

Quartz monzonite of 

Sheepthief Creek

A 

Alaskite of Graveyard Peak

A

Granodiorite of Margaret 

Lakes

0

Granodiorite of Dinkey 

Creek

O 

Metavolcanic tuff

 

Trachy basalt

Plagioclase

FIGURE 8. Continued
C14 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 1. Chemical analyses, norms, and modes of rocks

Alaskite of 

Graveyard Peak

Granodiorite of 

Margaret Lakes

Granodiorite of 

Lake Edison

Mount Givens Granodiorite

Porphyritic Eqrlgranular

KPb-83 KPb-53 KPb-74 KPb-34 KPb-10 KPa-11 KPa- KPc-26 KPb-59 KPc-42 KPd-61

Chemical analyses (weight percent) 

[Analysts: For rapid rock analyses, Paul Elmore, Sam Botts, and Lowell Artis ; for standard rock analyses (only sample KPc-138), George Riddle]

SiOs ______

AkOa ________

FeO __ ______

MgO __ ~ __

CaO _ ______

NasO ________

KaO _________

H20- ________

HiO* ________

Ti02 ___ __

PSO6 _______ _

MnO ____ __

CO2 ________ __

Cl __________

F _______ __

Sum ___

Powder density 

(gm per cc)_

76.3

13.4

.21

.22

.1

.34

4.3

4.5

.02

.27

.11

.00

.06

.08

100

2.64

76.6

12.9

.11

.22

.1

.42

3.5

4.9

.03

.96

.09

.02

.02

<.05

100

2.64

64.6

16.4

2.0

2.6

1.6

2.4

4.0

4.4

.04

.77

.68

.20

.22

<.05

100

2.76

67.3

16.2

1.6

1.5

1.1

3.4

3.6

3.6

.13

.60

.51

.16

.06

^ AP\

100

2.73

66.9

15.5

1.8

2.0

1.7

3.4

3.5

3.6

.04

.61

.48

.16

.08

.10

100

2.74

72.8

14.7

.51

.72

.5

1.7

3.6

4.1

.06

.60

.19

.05

.04

<.05

100

2.66

71.8

14.7

.89

1.1

1.1

1.9

3.2

4.0

.10

.59

.34

.08

.06

.05

100

2.68

71.2

14.8

.98

1.2

.8

2.1

3.2

4.2

.14

.76

.38

.09

.04

.05

100

2.69

68.2

15.5

1.2

2.3

1.6

3.3

2.9

3.6

.03

.56

.47

.11

.07

.09

100

2.74

70.4

15.1

1.2

1.5

.6

2.5

3.1

4.0

.05

.82

.45

.11

.05

.08

100

2.72

71.1

14.4

1.1

1.5

1.0

2.4

2.8

4.4

.05

.62

.38

.08

.07

<.05

100

2.72

Semiqnantitative spectrographic analyses

[Analyst: Marcelyn Cremer, except sample KPc-138 which was analyzed by A. L. Sutton. Jr. Looked for but not found: Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, 

Ge, Hf, Hg. In, Li. Mo, Pd, Pt, Re, Sb, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, U, W, Zn. Results reported in percent to the nearest number in the series 1, 0.7, 

0.5, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15, and 0.1, etc., which represents approximate midpoints of group data on a geometric scale. The assigned group for 

semiquantitative results will include the quantitative value about 30 percent of the time]

B _______

Ba ______

Be ______

Ce __ ___

Co __ ___

Cr _ __

Cu _____

Ga _____

La ______

Nb _____

Nd _____

Ni ___ _

Pb ______

Sc _ __ _

Sr ____

V __ _

Y ___ __

Yb _____

Zr ______

Q _

C __ _

or ______

ab ______

an ______

ne _ _ .

wo _.

en _ _____

fs ______

to - _.

fa ____ .

mt _ ____

hm __ _.

11 ____ .

ap .

CC . hi ____ .

fr ____ .

__ _ 0.03

 _ .0003

.0003

__ __ .0007

_ ___ .0015

__ _ .003

_ _ _ .0015

___ .002

___ .002

___ .0005

___ .003

___ .0003

.007

__ _ 33.34

___ _ 1.02

_____ 26.59

36.39

- __ 1.18

.25

- ___ 1.6

- __ .30

-__ .21

- ___ .18

0.03

.00015

.0001

.001

.003

.001

.005

.002

.0005

.0015

.00015

.007

36.41

1.12

28.96

29.62

1.95

.25

.20

.16

.17

.05

0.15

.0002

.001

.0005

.0005

.002

.001

.0007

.002

.001

.03

.01

.002

.0002

.015

16.44

1.17

26.00

33.85

10.60

3.99

2.41

2.90

1.29

.47

0.15

.00015

.0007

.0005

.0015

.0015

.001

.003

.0005

.05

.007

.0015

.00015

.015

CIPW

23.79

.58

21.27

30.46

15.82

2.74

.70

2.32

.97

.38

0.001

.1

.0002

.001

.001

.003

.0015

.001

.001

.005

.0007

.03

.01

.002

.0002

.01

0.15

.0002

.0003

.0002

.0015

.005

.02

.002

.001

.0001

.01

0.001

.1

.0002

.0005

.0005

.00015

.0015

.005

.001

.005

.03

.003

.0015

.00015

.01

0.15

.0001

.0005

.0007

.0002

.0015

.0005

.005

.0005

.02

.005

.0015

.00015

.01

0.001

.1

.00015

.015

.001

.0015

.0003

.0015

.01

.001

.001

.005

.001

.02

.01

.002

.0002

.01

0.001

.1

.00015

.0007

.001

.0003

.0015

.005

.001

.0007

.005

.0005

.03

.007

.0015

.00015

.015

0.001

.07

.0001

.0007

.0007

.00015

.0015

.0005

.005

.0007

.015

.007

.0015

.00015

.01

norms (weight percent)

22.97

.28

21.27

29.62

15.19

4.23

1.54

2.61

.91

.38

.23

31.62

1.37

24.23

30.46

8.11

1.25

.66

.74

.36

.12

32.15

1.96

23.64

27.08

8.59

2.74

.84

1.29

.65

.19

.11

30.83

1.50

24.82

27.08

9.51

1.99

.84

1.42

.72

.21

.11

27.48

1.31

21.27

24.54

15.08

3.99

2.59

1.74

.89

.26

.21

30.83

1.57

23.64

26.23

11.18

1.49

1.11

1.74

.86

.26

.18

30.95

.86

26.00

23.69

11.38

2.49

1.35

1.60

.72

.19

Total __ 99.62 98.89 99.12 99.03 99.23 98.92 99.24 99.03 99.36 99.09 99.23

Modes (volume percent)

[Analysts: M. B. Norman and M. G. Hoerster. 1,000-2,000 point counts on a stained slab of at least 6-square-irch area]

Quartz _ _____

K-feldspar __ 

Plagioelase ___ 

Mafic minerals _

Total __

36.8

37.9 

24.5

.8

100.0

29.3

42.2 

27.9 

.6

100.0

19.9

11.0 

59.6 

9.5

100.0

OJ. Q

20.7 

45.2 

9.3

100.0

o_t Q

20.4 

42.4 

12.3

100.0

30.5

29.1 

38.1 

2.3

100.0

O«J A

23.2 

37.5 

5.9

100.0

OA A

26.6 

35.9 

6.9

100.0

OK Q

21.3 

38.4 

13.4

100.0

on A

22.0 

39.2

8.4

100.0

OQ A

27.4 

35.1

8.5

100.0
KAISER PEAK QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA ANALYTIC DATA CIS

TABLE 1. Chemical analyses, norms, and modes of rocks Continued

Granodiorite of 

Dinkey Creek

Quartz monzonlte 

of Sheepthief Creek Metavolcanic tuff Trachybasalt and related volcanic rocks

KPc-30 KPc-138 KPc-9 KPc-1 KPb-39 KPb-37 KPa-85 KPb-18 KPa-52 KPb-14 KPb-1

Chemical analyses (weight percent) ,..., 

[Analysts: For rapid rock analyses, Paul Elmore, Sam Botts, and Lowell Artis; for standard rock analyses (only sample KPc-138), George Riddle]

68.6

15.5

.84

2.6

.9

3.1

3.7

3.0

.20

.60

.55

.11

.06

.05

70.64

14.74

.73

2.27

.80

2.66

3.71

3.42

.01

.41

.37

.10

.07

.01

.04

.06

67.0

15.7

1.2

2.7

1.4

3.6

3.4

3.0

.11

.89

.63

.11

.07

<.05

72.1

14.6

.75

1.5

.5

2.1

3.3

3.8

.06

.70

.32

.05

.05

<.05

67.1

14.7

2.9

1.6

1.0

7.8

2.8

.05

.28

.66

.62

.19

.13

<.05

51.9

17.6

3.6

4.9

5.9

7.4

4.0

1.8

.17

1.1

1.1

.34

.21

<.05

50.6

16.2

.37

7.3

9.2

7.7

3.9

2.1

.05

.41

1.4

.57

.15

<.05

48.7

15.9

3.0

5.1

9.8

8.4

3.5

2.5

.19

.69

1.4

.00

.14

.09

54.4

14.7

6.1

2.4

5.4

6.8

3.2

2.7

.74

1.1

1.4

.56

.12

.09

54.4

15.9

2.8

4.3

7.1

6.3

3.6

2.8

.34

.56

.97

.59

.12

.08

54,7

15.3

4.0

? 2

7.2

f.O

F5

4,0

.09

.41

T.O

.67

.09

.12

100 100.04 100 100 100 100 100 99 100 100 m

2.72 2.70 2.74 2.68 2.83 2.92 2.99 3.02 2.90 2.90 £.91

Semiqnantitative spectrographic analyses

[Analyst: Marcelyn Cremer, except sample KPc-138 which was analyzed by A. L. Sutton, Jr. Looked for but not found: Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, 

Ge, Hf, Hg, In, Li, Mo, Pd, Pt, Re, Sb, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, U, W, Zn. Results reported in percent to the nearest number in the series 1, 0.7, 

0.5, 0.3, 02., 0.15, and 0.1, etc., which represents approximate midpoints of group data on a geometric scale. The assigned group for 

semiquantitative results will include the quantitative value about 30 percent of the time]

0.07 

.00015

.001 

.0007 

.0003 

.0015 

.005

.001

.0007

.003 

.001 

.02 

.007 

.003 

.0003 

.015

26.57

.91

17.73 

31.31 

14.34

2.24 

3.28

1.22

1.05 

.26

.11

0.07

.0007 

.0007 

.0005 

.003

.001

.002 

.0005 

.05 

.007 

.0015 

.0002 

.007

28.36

.57

20.20 

31.09 

12.07

1.99 

3.08

1.06

.70 

.24

.02

.07

.11

0.07 

.00015

.001 

.001 

.0003 

.0015 

.005

.001

.0007

.003 

.001 

.02 

.01 

.003 

.0003 

.015

24.86

.58

17.73

28.77 

17.14

3.49 

3.06

1.74

1.20 

.26

0.15 

.00015

.0005 

.0005 

.0001 

.0015 

.005

.003 

.0007 

.015 

.003 

.002 

.0002 

.01

32.49

1.36

22.46 

27.92 

10.09

1.25 

1.70

1.09

.61 

.12

0.001

.015 

.00015

.001 

.005 

.00015 

.0015 

.003

.001

.002

.003 

.0015 

.03 

.01 

.003 

.0003 

.015

CIPW norms

35.13

.30 

23.69 

27.39

A. *>(\

2.49

3.78

9Q

1.18 

.45

0.07

.003 

.015 

.0001 

<.002

.001

.01

.005 

.003 

.05 

.05 

.005 

.0005 

.015

(weight

10.64 

33.85 

24.75

4.07

9.47 

2.96

3.67

1.26

5.22

2.09 

.81

0.15 

.00015

.005 

.07 

.005 

<.002 

.007

.0015

.05

.003 

.003 

.1 

.05 

.003 

.0003 

.02

percent)

12.41 

26.72 

20.50 

3.40

S fij.

3.69 

1.78

13.47

7.17

.54

2.66 

1.35

0.2 

.0002

.005 

.07 

.005 

<.002 

.01

.0015

.015 f»f?

.002 

.003 

.1 

.05 

.003 

.0003 

.02

14.77 

18.41 

20.29 

6.07

8.69

6.53 

1.29

12.53

9 7A

4.35

2.66

91

0.001

.15 

.00015

.003 

.05 

.005 

<.002 

.005

.0015

.015

.003 

.003 

.07 

.03 

.003 

.0003 

.015

7.19

15.96 

27.08 

17.77

4. on

13.45

4.07

0 OQ

2.66 

1.33

91

0.001

.2 

.00015

.003 

.05 

.005 

.0015 

.005

.02

.005 

.002 

.1 

.03 

.003 

.0003 

.015

0.35

16.55 

30.46 

18.96

9 QO

17.68 

4.20

4.06

1.84 

1.40 is

0.3 

.0002

.015

.003 

.05 

.005 

.0015 

.01

.015

.05

.005 

.002 

.15 

.03 

.002 

.0002 

.02

2364 

2962 

14.22

4.35

17.64

.21

4.49 01

1.90 

1.59

97

99.02 99.56 98.83 99.09 98.90 98.79 99.53 98.54 97.91 99.00 98.84

Modes (volume percent)

[Analysts: M. B. Norman and M. G. Hoerster. 1,000-2,000 point counts on a stained slab of at least 6-square-inch area]

27.7

12.8

45.3

14.2

100.0

31.3

18.4

41.3

9.0

100.0

27.8

12.7

44.7

14.8

100.0

32.7

20.0

38.6

8.7

100.0

# U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1970 O-387-<W9