Sunset Crater

The Sunset Crater is a small volcano (altitude: 2,451 m, which is about 300 m above the surrounding area) the type of a cinder cone in the north of the U.S. state of Arizona. The mountain is located on the Colorado Plateau and probably owes its origin to the same hotspot as the nearby San Francisco Peaks, but has a different volcano shape. A loose vegetation of pine, especially the ponderosa pine, and wildflowers has settled on the slopes.

Description

The cone is nearly symmetric with a diameter of about 1 km at the base. The main crater is slightly offset to the west, on the eastern side there is a trough, which is considered the point of exit of the youngest lava flow. In the east and south of the cone covers older volcanic vents, which can be seen as a rounding at the base of the cone. The main crater has a depth of about 120 m. Ash and slag of the volcano covered originally around 2,100 km ², the area of ​​influence extends in an elliptical shape to the east. The ashes were transported by wind and water erosion in large parts of the territory and concentrated in a few places the terrain structure. Today only about 315 km ² are still covered by volcanic material. The total volume of ejected material is estimated at 0.3 km ³.

The Sunset Crater broke the first time in 1064 or 1065 from the last major eruption occurred in 1090, and increased the volcano at about 300 meters above the surrounding area. A final eruption in 1250 threw out bright red and orange lapilli that characterize the upper part of the mountain and the volcano gave his name. In addition to the volcanic ash and lapilli set of Sunset Crater around the year 1150 and 1220 two small lava flows to the west and northeast -free. He is no longer active, any new outbreaks of the hotspots are expected to the east.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Since 1930, the volcano is the core of the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, a nature reserve by the type of National Monuments. Visitors can explore the structure of loose lapilli and lava flows at the foot of the volcano. The mountain itself may not be entered since the mid- 1980s because of its delicate structure and vegetation were affected by trampling.

In the lava flows of the area are also several lava tubes. Caves, which are formed by fast-flowing lava. Several are accessible.

Adjacent Reserves

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