Steens Mountain

Northwest from the Alvord Desert

The Steens Mountain is one arising from a breach plaice mountain in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in Harney County on the edge of the Alvord Desert, from which he is rising above 1300 meters. Despite the huge expansion of around 80 kilometers, it is a single mountain, but which is often mistaken for a mountain range.

Naming

Earlier called Mountain Snow Mountain. The name was changed in honor of Major Enoch Steen, which followed the 1860 Indian and delivered skirmish with them.

Geology

The east side of Steens Mountain is composed almost entirely of hundreds of stacked basalt layers. They were created for recurring volcanic activity before 17-14 million years ago.

The special is that during the volcanic activity pole shifts took place, which lined up the ferrous parts in the solidifying lava flow and can now be analyzed. On a 900 meter high cliff one recognize the different Lavastromschichten well. The analyzes showed that the Earth's magnetic field was initially oriented to the south. It was reduced by 80 to 90 percent less, and unpredictable. After 300 years, it pointed to the north and was again stronger, but could not hold on to. It was again dramatically weaker, this time for 3000 years. With a layer of lava, the fast growing cold top and bottom edges in the same direction. However, the slower cooling agent layer has a deviation of sixty degrees. This variation of the geomagnetic field must have occurred during the cooling period of about 10 days.

Due to its height and relatively heavy snowfall, there are around some lakes. The best known of Fish Lake ( Harney County) on Steens Mountain trail with his popular camping area and is popular with anglers Mann Lake at the north end of the desert.