Mitten Rock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mitten Rock |
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![]() Northeast aspect
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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 | |
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.