Carrizozo
Pyroclastic cone(s) in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
1,731 m (5,679 ft)
Type
Pyroclastic cone(s)
Location
33.780°, -105.930°
Region
Basin and Range Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The massive Carrizozo lava flow, which traveled 75 km down the Tularosa Basin of south-central New Mexico, is one of Earth's longest known Holocene lava flows. The youthful-looking flow originated from a broad low basaltic shield on the floor of the Tularosa Basin, east of the Rio Grande Rift, topped by Little Black Peak, a small cinder cone. The 4.
2 km3 tube-fed pahoehoe flow covered 330 km2 and has a width that ranges from 1 km in the central neck region to 5 km in the proximal and distal portions. The flow was inferred to have been emplaced during a single long-duration eruption estimated to have lasted 2-3 decades. A surface exposure age of about 5,200 BP was obtained for the Carrizozo flow.
An older lava flow traveled 16 km S and 11 km E from Broken Back crater.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 5276 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 327110
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The small dark hill in the middle distance right of center is Little Black Peak, a cinder cone topping a broad low shield volcano that was the source of the massive Carrizozo lava flow, which forms the dark streak extending across the photo. Most of the ~4.2 cu km pahoehoe flow extended off the photo to the right down the low-angle gradient of the Tularosa Basin to the SE for a distance of 75 km.
Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.