Indian Heaven
Volcanic field in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
1,806 m (5,925 ft)
Type
Volcanic field
Location
45.930°, -121.820°
Region
High Cascades Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The Pleistocene-to-Holocene Indian Heaven volcanic field, located midway between St. Helens and Adams, is an area of low overlapping shield volcanoes with flank vents primarily oriented N-S. Small shield volcanoes topped by cinder and spatter cones dominate the field, which also contains subglacial vents.
The shield volcanoes extend from Sawtooth Mountain on the north to Red Mountain on the south; the high point of the field is Lemei Rock shield volcano. Basaltic-to-andesitic lava flows cover much of the field; individual lava flows, many with extensive lava tubes, traveled up to 46 km. The youngest eruption, about 8,200 years ago, produced the voluminous Big Lava Bed, a 0.
9 km3 basaltic lava flow that traveled nearly 25 km S of its source from an unnamed cinder cone SE of Red Mountain, to within 8 km of the Columbia River.
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 | 8276 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 321070
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The youngest eruption of the Indian Heaven volcanic field, midway between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, produced a large scoria cone and a voluminous lava flow about 9,000 years ago. The source of the flow is the cone to the right, with Mount Hood visible in the background. The Big Lava Bed flow, which forms the slope in the foreground, banked against higher slopes to the north and traveled 13 km S to within 8 km of the Columbia River.
Photo by Lee Siebert, 1995 (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.