Springerville volcanic field facts for kids

The Springerville volcanic field is a huge area in eastern Arizona, United States. It is located between the towns of Springerville and Show Low. This special area has many small volcanoes that have erupted over a very long time.

What is a Volcanic Field?

A volcanic field is a place where many volcanoes are grouped together. The Springerville field is a "monogenetic" type. This means each volcano here erupted just one time. After its eruption, a new volcano might form nearby. This is different from a large volcano that erupts many times from the same spot.

How Big is the Springerville Volcanic Field?

This volcanic field is very large! It covers about 3,000 square kilometers (about 1,158 square miles). Imagine an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island, filled with old volcanoes! It has 405 separate volcanic vents, which are like openings where lava came out.

The Springerville volcanic field is the third-largest of its kind in the main part of the United States. Only the San Francisco volcanic field in Arizona and the Medicine Lake volcanic field in California are bigger.

When Did These Volcanoes Form?

The volcanoes in this field are quite old. They started forming about 2.1 million years ago. The most recent eruptions happened around 300,000 years ago. This means the field has been active for a very long time, even though individual volcanoes only erupted once.

Interesting Volcanoes in the Field

The Springerville volcanic field has many interesting volcanic cones. Here are a few notable ones:

• Cerro Hueco: This volcano is about 6,516 feet (1,986 meters) tall. Its name means "Hollow Hill" in Spanish.
• Twin Knolls: These two hills reach about 7,379 feet (2,249 meters) high.
• Wolf Mountain: This is one of the taller volcanoes in the field, standing at about 8,284 feet (2,525 meters).

These volcanoes are now quiet, but they are an important part of Arizona's natural history. They show us how powerful Earth's forces can be.