Is the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field still active?

Is the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field still active?

The Raton-Clayton volcanic field is a volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States. Capulin Volcano National Monument is located in the volcanic field….

Raton-Clayton volcanic field
Last eruption 58,000 to 62,000 years ago

Where is the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field?

northeastern New Mexico
The Raton-Clayton volcanic field (RCVF) is a large, young volcanic field covering nearly 7500 square miles of northeastern New Mexico and adjoining Colorado and Oklahoma. It is the eastern-most young volcanic field in North America.

What are the volcanic fields in New Mexico?

A Quick Look at Some Important Volcanoes and Volcanic Areas of New Mexico

  • Capulin Volcano National Monument.
  • El Malpais National Monument and Zuni Bandera Volcanic Field.
  • Petroglyph National Monument.
  • Rio Puerco Volcanic Necks.
  • Valles Caldera.
  • Valley of Fires State Recreation Area.
  • Zuni Salt Lake Crater.

Is there an active volcano in New Mexico?

Although there are currently no active volcanoes in New Mexico, many extinct volcanoes are preserved in the state. Well known extinct volcanoes in New Mexico include Mount Taylor, the Jemez Mountains, the Albuquerque volcanoes, and Capulin volcano.

Can Capulin erupt again?

While Capulin volcano probably won’t erupt again, magma may push out of the ground at a new spot in the surrounding volcanic field. Humans have also shaped the contours of this national monument. A test pit from early cinder mining still pocks Capulin’s base.

When was the last time Capulin erupted?

around 60,000 years ago
Capulin Volcano cuts an imposing figure above the stark New Mexico plains. The remnants of an extinct cinder cone that last erupted around 60,000 years ago, its 8,182-foot summit presents a unique landscape for visitors to explore. After all, you don’t get to drive to the top of a volcano every day.

What 5 states can you see from Capulin volcano?

I heard I can see 5 states from here. Which ones? From the highest point on the crater rim trail on a clear day, visitors can see formations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Will Valles Caldera erupt again?

Will the Valles Caldera erupt again? This type of volcanism has a slow tempo. Even though the caldera appears inactive because it is grown over with trees, it probably looked like that for most of its history. The presence of hot springs shows that the caldera is part of a large, long-lived, and still active system.

How many extinct volcanoes are there in New Mexico?

Volcanism in New Mexico is not “extinct,” but is dormant. The record of volcanism in New Mexico is continuous over tens of millions of years, and there is no reason to think it stopped magically 3000 years ago with the eruption of several cubic kilometers of basalt (McCartys lava flow, El Malpais).

Where is the supervolcano in New Mexico?

Valles Caldera National Preserve
One particularly interesting area is the Valles Caldera National Preserve, located just outside Los Alamos in the northern portion of the state. This preserve is home to one of the country’s only supervolcanoes! Yes, you read that right: a supervolcano in New Mexico.

What is the biggest volcano in New Mexico?

Capulin Volcano’s highest point provides unobstructed, panoramic views of the volcanic field, distant snow-capped mountains, and portions of five states (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Colorado).

When was the last time Capulin volcano?

roughly 56,000 to 62,000 years ago
Capulin last erupted roughly 56,000 to 62,000 years ago. The volcano sits near the center of the Raton-Clayton field, a cluster of smaller volcanoes spread across 7,500 square miles (roughly 19,400 square kilometers).

What 4 states can you see from Capulin volcano?

From the highest point on the crater rim trail on a clear day, visitors can see formations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

What is the largest volcano in New Mexico?

Who owns Valles Caldera?

Valles Caldera
Location Sandoval County, New Mexico, US
Parent range Jemez Mountains
Geology
Mountain type Complex Caldera

Can the volcanoes in Albuquerque erupt?

Small volcanoes do not reactivate like big volcanoes, but the area around Albuquerque remains potentially active, mainly because of its location in the Rio Grande rift. A new volcano could erupt, if not along the Albuquerque Volcanoes, at least somewhere within the rift.

Will the Valles Caldera erupt again?

Is Los Alamos on a volcano?

The highest point in the caldera is Redondo Peak, an 11,253-foot (3,430 m) resurgent lava dome located entirely within the caldera….Valles Caldera.

Valles Caldera National Preserve
Location Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties, New Mexico, United States
Nearest city Los Alamos, NM
Coordinates 35.9°N 106.533°W