Glass Mountain (California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glass Mountain |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 11,128 ft (3,392 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 3,180 ft (969 m) |
| Geography | |
Glass Mountain in relation to the Long Valley Caldera
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| Location | Mono County, California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Glass Mountain Range |
| Topo map | USGS Glass Mountain |
Glass Mountain is a very tall peak located in Mono County, California. It's part of the Inyo National Forest. This mountain stands about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Mono Lake. It's the highest point on the four-mile-long Glass Mountain Ridge.
What Makes Glass Mountain Special?
Glass Mountain Ridge forms the edge of a huge ancient volcano called the Long Valley Caldera. This mountain is made up of different kinds of volcanic rock. These rocks were formed from eruptions that happened a very long time ago.
How Glass Mountain Was Formed
Glass Mountain was created by a series of volcanic events. Between 2.1 million and 800,000 years ago, lava and ash erupted from the ground.
- Lava Domes: These are dome-shaped mounds formed when thick, sticky lava slowly oozes out of a volcano.
- Lava Flows: These are streams of molten rock that flow out of a volcano during an eruption.
- Pyroclastic Flows: Imagine a super-hot, fast-moving cloud of gas, ash, and rock pieces. That's a pyroclastic flow! On Glass Mountain, some of these flows were so hot they "welded" together, forming a type of rock called tuff.
- Rhyolite: The rocks here are mostly made of rhyolite. This is a light-colored volcanic rock that forms from very thick lava.
Discovering Obsidian
One of the coolest things about Glass Mountain is that you can find obsidian there. Obsidian is a type of natural volcanic glass. It forms when lava cools down very quickly, so fast that crystals don't have time to grow. This makes it look smooth and shiny, just like glass!
