Agathla Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agathla Peak |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,099 ft (2,164 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 1,436 ft (438 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | |
| Topo map | USGS Agathla Peak |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | eroded volcanic plug |
| Volcanic field | Navajo Volcanic Field |
Agathla Peak (Navajo: Aghaałą́, Spanish: El Capitan) is a tall mountain in Arizona, located south of Monument Valley. It stands over 1,500 feet (457 meters) above the land around it. You can see it easily from U.S. Route 163, about 7 miles (11 km) north of Kayenta.
The name Agathla comes from the Navajo word aghaałą́, which means 'much wool'. This name might have come from the fur of animals like antelope and deer that used to gather on the rock. The Navajo people consider this mountain very special and sacred.
What is Agathla Peak?
Agathla Peak is what geologists call an volcanic plug. Imagine a volcano that was active a very long time ago. When it stopped erupting, the magma (molten rock) inside its vent cooled down and hardened. Over millions of years, the softer rock around this hardened core wore away due to erosion (like wind and rain). What's left is the tough, hard core, which is Agathla Peak.
This peak is made of a type of rock called volcanic breccia, which is a mix of broken rock pieces cemented together. It also has dikes, which are like walls of rock that formed when magma squeezed into cracks and then hardened. The rock in these dikes is an unusual type called minette.
Part of a Volcanic Field
Agathla Peak is one of many similar volcanic plugs found in the Navajo country of northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico. These formations are part of the Navajo Volcanic Field, which is located in the southern part of the Colorado Plateau.
Agathla Peak and Shiprock in New Mexico are the most famous of these formations. Scientists believe these rocks formed about 25 million years ago.
Images for kids
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Agathla Peak standing tall in the Arizona landscape.
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A closer view of Agathla Peak.
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A map showing the Navajo Volcanic Field, with Agathla Peak marked.
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An aerial view of Agathla Peak with U.S. Route 163 nearby.
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Herb Conn, Ray Garner, and Lee Pedrick checking their equipment before the first climb.
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See also
In Spanish: Pico El Capitán para niños
