kids encyclopedia robot

Mitten Rock facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Mitten Rock
Mitten Rock (Navajo Volcanic Field, northwestern New Mexico, USA).jpg
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation 6,557 ft (1,999 m)
Prominence 807 ft (246 m)
Isolation 5.37 mi (8.64 km)
Parent peak White Rock (6,634 ft)
Geography
Mitten Rock is located in New Mexico
Mitten Rock
Mitten Rock
Location in New Mexico
Mitten Rock is located in the United States
Mitten Rock
Mitten Rock
Location in the United States
Location San Juan County, New Mexico, US
Parent range Chuska Mountains
Colorado Plateau
Topo map USGS Mitten Rock
Geology
Age of rock Oligocene
Mountain type Volcanic plug
Type of rock Volcanic breccia

Mitten Rock is a tall peak, 6,557 feet (1,999 meters) high. It's located in northwest New Mexico, on land belonging to the Navajo Nation. This impressive rock formation is part of the Navajo Volcanic Field. This field has many interesting rocks that formed about 30 million years ago.

Mitten Rock is known as one of the main "diatremes" in the Four Corners area. A diatreme is like a giant pipe that formed when a volcano exploded. This explosion sent hot rock and gas up through the Earth's crust. Mitten Rock rises about 900 feet (275 meters) above the flat desert land around it. It's located about 8.5 miles southwest of Shiprock, which is another famous volcanic rock in the area.

What's in a Name?

Mitten Rock has also been called "Little Ship Rock" because it looks a bit like its larger neighbor. In the Navajo language, this landmark is called Tséłkǫ. This means "Rock Is Fire," which is a cool name for a volcanic feature! The name "Mitten Rock" was given by the US Army in 1892. It became official in 1915, thanks to the United States Board on Geographic Names.

Water and Weather

Rainwater that runs off Mitten Rock flows into Little Shiprock Wash. This wash eventually leads to the San Juan River. The climate around Mitten Rock is considered semi-arid. This means it's a dry area, with cold winters and hot summers.

How Mitten Rock Formed

Mitten Rock is a type of landform called a volcanic plug. Imagine a volcano that was once active. Over millions of years, the soft rock around the volcano wore away. What was left was the hard rock that had filled the volcano's vent, or "throat." This hard rock is the volcanic plug we see today.

Ancient Volcanic Activity

The rocks that make up Mitten Rock are mostly volcanic breccia. This is a type of rock made from broken pieces of other rocks that were cemented together by volcanic activity. These rocks formed during a time period called the Oligocene. This was about 30 million years ago, long before humans existed! The Navajo Volcanic Field, where Mitten Rock is found, has unique igneous rocks. These are rocks that formed from cooled magma or lava.

kids search engine
Mitten Rock Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.