Ionia Volcano facts for kids
The Ionia Volcano is a special place located east of Newcastle, Nebraska. It was once called "Nebraska's Prairie Volcano" by The New York Times in 1901. For a long time, these smoking hills were well-known to local Native American tribes. The Ponca tribe, who lived nearby, thought these hills were sacred. The famous Lewis and Clark team even wrote about this interesting spot on August 24, 1804.
How the "Volcano" Was Discovered
When Captain Clark and his team first saw the "volcano," he described it as a bluff standing about 180 to 190 feet above the Missouri River. Today, the river has moved quite a bit and is now almost a mile away from the bluff.
The National Park Service shares what Captain Clark wrote in his journal. He noted that the bluffs looked like they had been on fire recently. He even said it was "too hot for a man to bear his hand in the earth at any depth." Clark also mentioned seeing a lot of what looked like coal and a shiny, crystal-like substance on the bluff's surface.
Why It's Not a Real Volcano
Even though it was called a "volcano," the Ionia Volcano was never a real one. The National Park Service explains that the heat came from a chemical reaction. Different minerals in the bluff were breaking down and reacting with each other. This reaction created the heat and the "smoking" appearance.
Over time, the combination of these minerals washed away. Because of this, the bluff is no longer hot. In 1878, the Missouri River washed away the bottom part of the bluff. After this, all signs of "volcanic" activity disappeared. Today, you can find a historical marker describing the "volcano" in Pfister Park, which is in nearby Newcastle.
Learn More
- Placek, M. (Summer 2006) "Ionia Volcano", Living Here magazine. p 7-11.
