El Malpais National Monument
Encyclopedia
El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument
located in western New Mexico
, in the Southwestern United States
. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpaís
, meaning badlands
, due to the extremely barren and dramatic volcanic field
that covers much of the park's area.
The El Malpais is part of the Zuni-Bandera volcanic field
, the second largest volcanic field in the Basin and Range Province. The rugged Pahoehoe lava
flow filled a large basin rimmed by higher sandstone
bluff
s, now large wind and water rounded and lighter colored contrasting landform
s that surround much of the darker malpais. The park has many inactive volcano
es, some potentially active volcanoes, and in the area geothermal
activity.
, are living in El Malpais Monument.
, Native Americans
, and Spanish colonial and pioneer exploration. Archaeological sites remain in the park.
In the 1940s the malpais lava field was one of the eight candidate sites considered by the Manhattan Project
to test detonate the first atomic bomb, the Trinity nuclear test, which did occur to the south at White Sands Proving Ground.
caves previously open to explore (unguided), but as of 6 December 2010 are now closed to recreational use. The La Ventana Arch is an easily accessible huge sandstone natural arch
. A scenic overlook on the park's eastern high bluffs have panoramic views over the El Malpais lava field.
In the area known as "the Narrows" the cliffs rise up as a fortress, then around the bend have cracks and fissures formed by water that have calved off chunks that lie on the ground or propped against the walls. Further on the road opens to the more weathered ancient lava, that now can support small trees and shrubs.
A hiking trail leads from the Narrows picnic area leads to the rim of the mesa bluffs and another panoramic view. The Cerro Encierro is a hill with hiking and climbing routes that provide more spectacular views. Where the terrain is predominantly bedrock and large rock formations trails cannot be defined in the usual ways, so sequences of stone cairn
s are used to indicate the route.
and historic Route 66
, southeast of Gallup, New Mexico
.
The U.S. National Park Service
protects and manages, and interprets El Malpais National Monument. They operate two Visitor Centers and a ranger station with natural history displays, literature, maps, and staff with helpful information.
The adjacent El Malpais National Conservation Area
is protected and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
. The Cibola National Forest
conserves large natural areas, wildlife, and habitat
s in the surrounding region also.
National monument
A National monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of national importance such as a war or the country's founding. The term may also refer to a specific monument status, such as a National Heritage Site, which most national monuments are by reason of their cultural...
located in western 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...
, in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpaís
Malpaís (landform)
A malpaís is a landform characterized by eroded rocks of volcanic origin in an arid environment. This describes many xeric places, but is strongly connected to Spanish-speaking countries and the Southwestern United States because of the Spanish settlers that gave the landform its name.-Badlands...
, meaning badlands
Badlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
, due to the extremely barren and dramatic 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...
that covers much of the park's area.
Geography
Zuni-Bandera volcanic field
Zuni-Bandera volcanic field is a volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States....
, the second largest volcanic field in the Basin and Range Province. The rugged Pahoehoe lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flow filled a large basin rimmed by higher sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
bluff
Bluff
Bluff may refer to:* a type of deception* an empty boast-Geography:* a very steep and broad hill or small cliff, frequently next to a river or ocean*feeder bluffAustralia* Bluff, Queensland, a town in QueenslandCanada...
s, now large wind and water rounded and lighter colored contrasting landform
Landform
A landform or physical feature in the earth sciences and geology sub-fields, comprises a geomorphological unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography...
s that surround much of the darker malpais. The park has many inactive volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es, some potentially active volcanoes, and in the area geothermal
Geothermal gradient
Geothermal gradient is the rate of increasing temperature with respect to increasing depth in the Earth's interior. Away from tectonic plate boundaries, it is 25–30°C per km of depth in most of the world. Strictly speaking, geo-thermal necessarily refers to the Earth but the concept may be applied...
activity.
Natural history
Some of the oldest Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga) trees on the planet, of the Pseudotsuga subspecies Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca)Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico...
, are living in El Malpais Monument.
History
The El Malpais area was used for resources, settlement, and travel by Oasisamerica culturesOasisamerica
Oasisamerica was a broad cultural area in pre-Columbian southwestern North America. It extended from modern-day Utah down to southern Chihuahua, and from the coast on the Gulf of California eastward to the Río Bravo river valley...
, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and Spanish colonial and pioneer exploration. Archaeological sites remain in the park.
In the 1940s the malpais lava field was one of the eight candidate sites considered by the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
to test detonate the first atomic bomb, the Trinity nuclear test, which did occur to the south at White Sands Proving Ground.
Recreation
There are many features and trails in the El Malpais National Monument.Features
El Malpais has many lava tubeLava tube
Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like...
caves previously open to explore (unguided), but as of 6 December 2010 are now closed to recreational use. The La Ventana Arch is an easily accessible huge sandstone natural arch
Natural arch
A natural arch or natural bridge is a natural geological formation where a rock arch forms, with an opening underneath. Most natural arches form as a narrow ridge, walled by cliffs, become narrower from erosion, with a softer rock stratum under the cliff-forming stratum gradually eroding out until...
. A scenic overlook on the park's eastern high bluffs have panoramic views over the El Malpais lava field.
In the area known as "the Narrows" the cliffs rise up as a fortress, then around the bend have cracks and fissures formed by water that have calved off chunks that lie on the ground or propped against the walls. Further on the road opens to the more weathered ancient lava, that now can support small trees and shrubs.
A hiking trail leads from the Narrows picnic area leads to the rim of the mesa bluffs and another panoramic view. The Cerro Encierro is a hill with hiking and climbing routes that provide more spectacular views. Where the terrain is predominantly bedrock and large rock formations trails cannot be defined in the usual ways, so sequences of stone cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s are used to indicate the route.
Access
The El Malpais region is located south of Interstate I-40Interstate 40 in New Mexico
Interstate 40, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, runs east–west through Albuquerque in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the direct replacement for the historic U.S...
and historic Route 66
U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico
The historic U.S. Route 66 ran east–west across the central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, along the path now taken by Interstate 40. However, until 1937, it took a longer route via Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, now roughly NM 6, I-25, and US 84...
, southeast of Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup, New Mexico
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 20,209 people, 6,810 households, and 4,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,513.7 people per square mile...
.
The U.S. National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
protects and manages, and interprets El Malpais National Monument. They operate two Visitor Centers and a ranger station with natural history displays, literature, maps, and staff with helpful information.
The adjacent El Malpais National Conservation Area
El Malpais National Conservation Area
The El Malpais National Conservation Area is a federally protected conservation area in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The El Malpais National Conservation area was established in 1987 and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management...
is protected and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
. The Cibola National Forest
Cibola National Forest
The Cibola National Forest is a United States National Forest in western and central New Mexico, USA. The forest also manages four National Grasslands that stretch from northeastern New Mexico eastward into the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. It is administered by the United States Forest...
conserves large natural areas, wildlife, and habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s in the surrounding region also.