How old is craters of the moon

Multimedia Gallery. Park Passes. Technical Announcements. Employees in the News. Emergency Management. Survey Manual. Craters of the Moon volcanic field lies at the northwest margin of the Idaho's eastern Snake River Plain. As the largest volcanic field in the region, it covers about km 2 mi 2 and contains more than 60 discernible lava flows that were erupted from one fissure system during eight episodes over the past approximately 15 k.

The Great Rift was not violently explosive; rather, it quietly laid down thick blankets of molten rock. The Craters of the Moon is made up of over 60 different lava flows, the most recent of which is about 2, years old, and the oldest of which is 15, years old. Based on the geologic history of the region, another eruption is due within the next 1, years, perhaps as soon as years from now.

This true-color Landsat 7 image was taken on August 14, To the northeast of the Craters of the Moon, in the lower right corner of the image, the Big Southern Butte rises out of the desert. At 2, feet, the large volcanic dome served as a prominent landmark for pioneers traveling through the Snake River Plain on the Oregon Trail.

A green and gold ribbon of agricultural fields snakes away from the lava flow in the top left corner of the image, while the Pioneer Mountain Range is gathered in the upper right corner.

Image of the Day Land. A recent example of these on-going forces was the Mount Borah earthquake. During that event the highest point in Idaho, Mount Borah, got a bit higher when a magnitude 6. Mount Borah rose about 1 foot. On the Eastern Snake River Plain, rather than producing mountain ranges, these tensional forces have triggered volcanic activity.

The stretching of the crust releases pressure on the hot rocks below causing them to melt. The magma can then travel to the surface along planes of weakness like the Great Rift. As long as these forces continue to act, more eruptions will eventually occur.

The time between eruptive periods in the Craters of the Moon Lava Field averages 2, years and it has been more than 2, years since the last eruption. The volume of past eruptive events suggests that slightly over one cubic mile 4. In the past, eruptions in the Craters of the Moon Lava Field have generally shifted to the segment of the Great Rift that has not erupted for the longest period of time.