Cathedral Cliff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral Cliff |
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Southeast aspect
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,810 ft (1,770 m) |
| Prominence | 360 ft (110 m) |
| Isolation | 1.16 mi (1.87 km) |
| Parent peak | Table Mesa ( 5,850 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Cathedral Cliff
Location in New Mexico
Cathedral Cliff
Location in the United States
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| Location | San Juan County, New Mexico, US |
| Parent range | Chuska Mountains Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Table Mesa |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Oligocene |
| Mountain type | Volcanic plug |
| Type of rock | Volcanic breccia |
Cathedral Cliff is a 5,810-foot (1,770 meter) elevation volcanic plug located on Navajo Nation land in San Juan County of northwest New Mexico, United States. It is a prominent landmark set alongside U.S. Route 491, approximately 13 miles south of the community of Shiprock, New Mexico. Cathedral Cliff is one of the phreatomagmatic diatremes of the Four Corners area, and with significant relief as it rises 400 feet (122 meters) above the high-desert plain. It is situated about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) southeast of Shiprock, the most famous of these diatremes. Cathedral Cliff is set in the northeastern part of the Navajo Volcanic Field, a volcanic field that includes intrusions and flows of minette and other unusual igneous rocks which formed around 30 million years ago during the Oligocene. Its nearest higher neighbor is Table Mesa, one mile to the southwest, and Barber Peak is set 1.5 mile to the southeast.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Cathedral Cliff is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Precipitation runoff from this feature drains into Dead Mans Wash, which is part of the San Juan River drainage basin.
