Uinkaret volcanic field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Uinkaret volcanic field
Highest point
Elevation	1,555 m (5,102 ft)
Geography
Location	Mohave County, Arizona, US
Topo map	USGS Mount Logan
Geology
Age of rock	1.2 million years
Mountain type	volcanic field
Last eruption	1100 ± 75 years

Basalts from the Uinkaret volcanic field flow into the Grand Canyon from its North Rim. On the right is Lava Falls, with Vulcan's Throne at the top, just above the brightly lit cliff face at top center. Vulcan's Throne is about 73,000 years old. These are among the most recent features of the Grand Canyon. The topmost layers over which the lava flowed, the Kaibab Limestone, was deposited in Early Permian time, around 290 million years ago.

Vulcan's Throne (top right) and Lava Falls, 2008 aerial photo

The Uinkaret volcanic field is a special area in northwestern Arizona, United States. It's located on the north side of the amazing Grand Canyon. This field is home to many volcanoes that are called monogenetic. This means each volcano in the field erupted only once.

Scientists have used the lava flows from the Uinkaret volcanic field to help figure out how old the Grand Canyon is. These lava flows poured down into the canyon, sometimes blocking the Colorado River. One famous spot where this happened is called Lava Falls. The Lava Falls Rapid in the Colorado River, just below Lava Falls, is known as the toughest rapid in the Grand Canyon.

How Lava Shaped the Grand Canyon

The Colorado River was blocked by lava flows many times. This happened between 725,000 and 100,000 years ago. When the lava blocked the river, it created huge natural dams.

Some scientists think these lava dams were very strong. They might have lasted for up to 20,000 years, forming large lakes behind them. Other scientists believe these dams broke apart quickly. They think the dams caused giant floods that rushed down the canyon. The lava flows traveled a long way, about 76 miles (121 km) down the river.

Volcanoes and Their Stories

One lava flow came from a place called Little Springs. This flow is about 1,300 years old. Scientists found pieces of pottery inside this lava flow. These pottery pieces were made by people living there between 1050 and 1200 AD. This means the volcano erupted around the same time. This was also when the Sunset Crater volcano erupted in the San Francisco volcanic field on the South Rim.

Famous Volcanoes in Uinkaret

The Uinkaret volcanic field has several interesting volcanoes. Here are a few:

• Little Springs: This volcano erupted around 1050-1200 AD, as shown by ancient pottery found in its lava.
• Vulcan's Throne: This volcano is about 73,000 years old. You can see it near Lava Falls, looking like a giant throne.