Albuquerque volcanic field
Encyclopedia
Albuquerque volcanic field is a monogenetic
volcanic field
located in New Mexico
, USA. The Albuquerque volcanic field is made of monogenetic volcanoes that produced lava flows, cinder cones, and cinder and spatter cones. It is located about 11 km west-northwest of the city of Albuquerque, and is contained within the borders of Petroglyph National Monument
. The oldest lava flows cover about 60 square km. The cones are aligned and possibly formed above two roughly north-south trending fissures. J cone (also called Vulcan) is the highest feature. Its base is made of cinder but the crater contains a lava dome that was cut by an explosive eruption. The Albuquerque volcanic field was active from 170,000 to 70,000 years ago.
The largest of the cones in the Albuquerque volcanic field is Vulcan, named after the Roman god of fire. From a vantage point on top of the cone 200 feet above mesa, the alignment of the 5-mile-long chain of vents is particularly noticeable. Vulcan is a spatter cone, formed primarily by fire fountains that were active in the central vent and in smaller vents on flanks of the cone. Spatter forms when blobs of lava are emitted from a vent. The blobs cool as they fly through the air, and the partially molten blobs then land on the side of the cone to weld together to form a hard crust. Fragmental cinder and spatter material and lava flows dip at angles as high as 55° away from the central vent on the eastern and southern side of the Vulcan. The spatter material is thickest on the southeastern side of Vulcan, indicating that it was blown by the wind toward the south and east during the fountaining events. A solidified lava pond that consists of a massive gray basalt with weakly developed columnar jointing occupies the crater of Vulcan. Radial, sinuous lava tubes 8 to 20 inches across and 300 feet long are preserved on the northeast and northwest flanks of Vulcan.
Black Volcano is a inactive volcano located near Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Black Volcano is located directly north of JA volcano
. Black Volcano is the second of five volcanoes (traveling south to north) within the western boundary of Petroglyph National Monument
. North of Black Volcano are Vulcan, Bond and Butte volcanoes. The date of its last eruption is unknown, but is believed to have been more than 150,000 years ago.
Monogenetic volcanic field
A monogenetic volcanic field is a volcanic field of small, scattered volcanic vents. These volcanic fields, containing numerous monogenetic volcanoes, are noted for having only one short eruptive event at each volcano, as opposed to regular volcanoes that have several eruptions from the same vent...
volcanic field
Volcanic field
A volcanic field is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. They usually contain 10 to 100 volcanoes, such as cinder cones and are usually in clusters. Lava flows may also occur...
located in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, USA. The Albuquerque volcanic field is made of monogenetic volcanoes that produced lava flows, cinder cones, and cinder and spatter cones. It is located about 11 km west-northwest of the city of Albuquerque, and is contained within the borders of Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument stretches along Albuquerque, New Mexico's West Mesa, a volcanic basalt escarpment that dominates the city’s western horizon. Authorized June 27, 1990, the 7,236 acre monument is cooperatively managed by the National Park Service and the City of Albuquerque...
. The oldest lava flows cover about 60 square km. The cones are aligned and possibly formed above two roughly north-south trending fissures. J cone (also called Vulcan) is the highest feature. Its base is made of cinder but the crater contains a lava dome that was cut by an explosive eruption. The Albuquerque volcanic field was active from 170,000 to 70,000 years ago.
Notable vents
| Name | Elevation | Location | Last eruption | |
| meters | feet | Coordinates | ||
| J Cone | - | - | - | - |
The largest of the cones in the Albuquerque volcanic field is Vulcan, named after the Roman god of fire. From a vantage point on top of the cone 200 feet above mesa, the alignment of the 5-mile-long chain of vents is particularly noticeable. Vulcan is a spatter cone, formed primarily by fire fountains that were active in the central vent and in smaller vents on flanks of the cone. Spatter forms when blobs of lava are emitted from a vent. The blobs cool as they fly through the air, and the partially molten blobs then land on the side of the cone to weld together to form a hard crust. Fragmental cinder and spatter material and lava flows dip at angles as high as 55° away from the central vent on the eastern and southern side of the Vulcan. The spatter material is thickest on the southeastern side of Vulcan, indicating that it was blown by the wind toward the south and east during the fountaining events. A solidified lava pond that consists of a massive gray basalt with weakly developed columnar jointing occupies the crater of Vulcan. Radial, sinuous lava tubes 8 to 20 inches across and 300 feet long are preserved on the northeast and northwest flanks of Vulcan.
Black Volcano is a inactive volcano located near Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Black Volcano is located directly north of JA volcano
JA volcano
JA Volcano is an inactive volcano located near Albuquerque, New Mexico. JA Volcano is the southern most of 5 volcanoes in a 5-mile chain within the western boundary of Petroglyph National Monument. Directly north of JA is Black, followed by Vulcan, Bond and Butte volcanoes.The date of its last...
. Black Volcano is the second of five volcanoes (traveling south to north) within the western boundary of Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument stretches along Albuquerque, New Mexico's West Mesa, a volcanic basalt escarpment that dominates the city’s western horizon. Authorized June 27, 1990, the 7,236 acre monument is cooperatively managed by the National Park Service and the City of Albuquerque...
. North of Black Volcano are Vulcan, Bond and Butte volcanoes. The date of its last eruption is unknown, but is believed to have been more than 150,000 years ago.