Zuni-Bandera volcanic field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Bandera Crater in the center is part of the Zuni-Bandera lava field.
Highest point
Elevation	8,366 ft (2,550 m)
Geography
Location	Cibola County, New Mexico, US
Geology
Age of rock	3.8 million years
Mountain type	Volcanic field
Last eruption	1170 BCE ± 300 years

The Zuni-Bandera volcanic field is a special area in New Mexico, United States, where you can see many signs of old volcanoes. It's also known as the Bandera lava field or Grants Malpais. This field has lots of old volcanoes and lava flows.

People have even thought about using the heat from deep inside the Earth here to make energy. This amazing area is also part of a scenic road called the Trails of the Ancients Byway.

How the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field Formed

The Zuni-Bandera volcanic field sits on something called the Jemez Lineament. Imagine this as a deep crack or weak spot in the Earth. This crack goes through the lower part of the Earth's outer shell, called the crust, and the upper part of the layer below it, the mantle.

This weak spot allows melted rock, called magma, to rise from deep inside the Earth. When this magma reaches the surface, it erupts as lava. The lava that came out here was mostly a type of rock called basalt.

Scientists have studied these rocks. They found clues that the magma came from different depths inside the Earth. Not much of the Earth's outer crust mixed into the magma. However, some of the magma changed a bit as it cooled on its way up.

Important Volcanic Vents

A volcanic vent is like an opening in the Earth where lava, ash, and gases can escape. The Zuni-Bandera volcanic field has many of these vents. Some of the most well-known ones are listed below.