Devils Garden volcanic field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Devils Garden Volcanic Field |
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The Blowouts, the spatter vents in the foreground, are some of the source vents of the voluminous Devils Garden lava field.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,571 ft (1,698 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Lake County, Oregon, U.S. |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Holocene? |
| Mountain type | volcanic field |
| Last eruption | More than 50,000 years ago |
The Devils Garden Volcanic Field is a fascinating area in Oregon, USA. It's not just one volcano, but a whole region where many volcanic eruptions happened. This field is found southeast of the Newberry Caldera. It's a great place to learn about how lava shapes the land.
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What is Devils Garden Volcanic Field?
A volcanic field is a large area with many small volcanoes or vents. These vents erupt lava over time. Devils Garden is mostly made of a type of lava called pahoehoe (say "pa-HOY-hoy"). This lava is smooth and ropey when it cools.
How the Lava Flows Formed
The lava at Devils Garden came out of long cracks in the ground. These cracks are called fissure vents. Most of the lava erupted from the northeast part of the field.
- The main vent on the north side created a lava tube system. These are like underground tunnels where lava once flowed.
- Smaller vents to the south formed interesting features. These include two large spatter cones known as the Blowouts. Spatter cones are small, steep hills made from blobs of sticky lava that piled up around a vent.
Unique Features of the Field
As the lava spread, it flowed around older hills. These hills became completely surrounded by lava. They are now like islands in a sea of rock. These "islands" are called kipukas.
The edges of the lava flows also show something cool. They look "inflated," meaning the lava pushed up from the inside as it cooled. This created interesting bumps and ridges on the surface.
How Old is Devils Garden?
Scientists believe the Devils Garden Volcanic Field is quite old. It likely formed between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. We know it's older than Crater Lake. Ash from the huge eruption that formed Crater Lake (from a volcano called Mount Mazama) lies on top of the Devils Garden lava. This tells us the lava was already there when Mount Mazama exploded.
Size of the Lava Flows
The lava flows from Devils Garden cover a large area. They spread out over about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers). That's a lot of cooled lava!
