The mechanism of intrusion of the Inyo Dike, Long Valley Caldera, California

The dike geometry of the 11-km-long Inyo Dike at the margins of the Long Valley calderas in eastern California is explained here in terms of the interaction between tectonic stresses and local variations in host rock rheology. Relationships between tectonic and magmatic stresses are evaluated, and the magnitude of magmatic pressure at the depth necessary to get the dike to the surface is estimated. The application of the model to other volcanoes is also discussed.