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Craters of the Moon

Volcanic field · United States · 2005m

The Craters of the Moon lava field covers 1600 km2 of the Snake River Plain with lava flows erupted from NW-SE-trending fissures and cinder cones. The northern part of the lava field, seen from Big Cinder Butte with the Pioneer Mountains in the background to the north, contains many flows and cinder cones formed during the most recent eruptions about 2300 to 2100 years ago.
The Craters of the Moon lava field covers 1600 km2 of the Snake River Plain with lava flows erupted from NW-SE-trending fissures and cinder cones. The northern part of the lava field, seen from Big Cinder Butte with the Pioneer Mountains in the background to the north, contains many flows and cinder cones formed during the most recent eruptions about 2300 to 2100 years ago. · Photo: Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Volcanic field
Country
United States
Region
North America Volcanic Regions / Yellowstone-Snake River Hotspot Volcano Group
Elevation
2005m
Coordinates
43.371, -113.493
Last eruption
-130
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Cluster
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

Craters of the Moon, the largest lava field of the Snake River Plain (SRP), covers about 1,600 km2 with more than 60 mapped lava flows erupted from eight fissure systems. About 25 cinder cones up to 250 m high formed primarily along a 45-km-long segment of the Great Rift, the principal 2-8 km wide fissure system that trends NW-SE through Craters of the Moon National Monument. Craters of the Moon lies at the NW part of the eastern SRP, with White Knob and the Pioneer Mountains along the northern boundary. The lava field was formed during eight eruptive episodes between about 15,000 and 2,000 years ago separated by quiescent periods up to about 3,000 years in duration. This contrasts with other SRP lava fields, which were formed during single eruptive episodes of relatively short duration. A complex assemblage of basaltic volcanic features is present, and cinder cones are common.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
10060 BCE~9729 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 09067 BCE~8736 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 08736 BCE~8405 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 08405 BCE~8074 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 06088 BCE~5757 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 05757 BCE~5426 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 04764 BCE~4433 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 04433 BCE~4102 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 04102 BCE~3771 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02778 BCE~2447 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01785 BCE~1454 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0461 BCE~130 BCE · 3 eruptions · max VEI 010060 BCE7743 BCE5095 BCE2778 BCE461 BCE

Detailed timeline

  1. 130 BCE (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 130 – Ongoing
    South of Big Craters, near Broken Top
  2. 260 BCE (±25 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 260 – Ongoing
    Big Craters, Trench Mortar Flat
  3. 350 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 350 – Ongoing
    North Crater
  4. 1680 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 1680 – Ongoing
    Vermillion Chasm to Minidoka-Larkspur
  5. 2560 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 2560 – Ongoing
    Black Top Butte
  6. 4070 BCE (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 4070 – Ongoing
    Big Cinder Butte and vents to the SE
  7. 4250 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 4250 – Ongoing
    Sentinel Cone
  8. 4600 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 4600 – Ongoing
    Silent Cone
  9. 5470 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 5470 – Ongoing
  10. 5890 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 5890 – Ongoing
    NW of Echo Crater
  11. 8290 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 8290 – Ongoing
  12. 8720 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 8720 – Ongoing
  13. 9050 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 9050 – Ongoing
  14. 10060 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 10060 – Ongoing
    Sunset cone

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.