One of most interesting features of the Craters of the Moon are cinder cones that can be found throughout the landscape. Cinder cones are created when tephra is blown out from volcanic eruptions. The larger pieces of tephra land closer to the vent of the eruption and (once cooled) form cinders. When the cinders form in a circle, they create a cinder cone.

via http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~maher/air/air06.htm

Craters of the Moon National Wilderness is best describe as a flood basalt lava field. As the North American Plate Past over a hot spot it created magma which came up through a series of fissure systems along what is known as the Great Rift. Repeated lava flows (which ended approximately 2,000 years ago) have shaped the way the landscape looks today. Although there is diversity in the type of lava found in Craters of the Moon, the dominant lava type is pahoehoe lava. Pahoehoe has a smooth ropy texture to it and is created from long lava tubes which allows for a slower cooling process. This cooling process, along with low viscosity, helps to produce the smooth ropy texture.

Aerial view of the Great Rift. via http://www.geocities.ws/ka7eii/desert.html

This map shows tectonic plate movement over a "hot spot" that created Craters of the Moon National Wilderness. Hot spots are stationary and as the North American Plate moved Southwest over the hot spot, a trail of volcanism was left in its wake. The hot spot is now located in Yellowstone National Park. So, understanding hot spots in relation to tectonic plate movement can help people understand volcanism as well as provide a technique for mapping the movement of Earth's tectonic plates.

via www.mnh.si.edu