View of Craters of the Moon
south of Fissure Butte (via nps.gov)
INTRO
The landscape of Craters of the Moon National
Monument (CMNM) is covered with over 60 lava flows which make up an enormous 4,000
foot-thick flood basalt lava field of more than 715,000 acres in Southern Idaho. This flood basalt lava field was caused by numerous volcanic
eruptions along the Great Rift which ended 2,000 years ago. The Great Rift
spans 62 miles in length and is comprised of a series of fissures which are
cracks in the Earth’s crust. These cracks allowed molten hot magma (said in Dr.
Evil’s voice) to spill out onto Earth’s surface during a time when a hotspot
(now located in Yellowstone) was located in CMNM. Of the features commonly
associated with basalt lava flows, CMNM gets its name from the resemblance that
the cinder cones and spatter cones littered throughout the area have with
craters found on the Moon.
1,000 YEARS
1,000 years in the future the landscape will not
look very different. Currently, the heaviest vegetation is located on the slope
and at the base of the cinder and spatter cones found throughout CMNM. This is
most likely do to different types of weathering which break down the cinder and
spatter cones. The sediment left from weathering is then carried by wind and
rain (erosion) down the slope of the cinder cone where it collects. Despite
this collection of volcanic soil, a limited amount of vegetation can thrive in
CMNM’s arid climate. This makes the development of vegetation slow going. So,
in 1,000 years the cinder and spatter cones would look more degraded and plant
life more plentiful, but no drastic changes in the landscape would be
noticeable.
10,000 YEARS
In 10,000 years there would be a noticeable change
in CMNM’s landscape. The cinder cones and spatter cones will be considerably
eroded and replaced with plant life found in arid climates. The flat lava
fields will have also begun to break down do to frost weathering from the
collection of water in lava tubes during winter snow falls. However, the lava
fields are said to be around 4,000 feet thick and so more time is needed for
the hardened lava to be replaced with volcanic rich soils.
1,000,000 YEARS
In 1,000,000 years CMNM will look very different
than it does today. Cinder cones and spatter cones will have been eroded down
to the base and be covered in plant life found in arid climates. Lava fields
will have been broken down (although maybe not completely) and replaced with
volcanic soil and biological soil crusts such as mosses and lichens (found in
almost all arid climates). In essence, it will probably look much like the
desert regions of Southern Idaho we see today.
Photo of Southern Idaho's desert landscape (via lifeinthetetons.com)
FINAL THOUGHTS
CMNM has a wonderful landscape where people can go
and find every feature a flood basalt lava field has to offer. In doing this
project I have learned a lot about physical geography and enjoyed learning
about one of North America’s most interesting landscapes.
Sources:
geology.isu.edu
http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/Cassia_mtns/srpovrvw.htm
lifeinthetetons.com
http://www.lifeinthetetons.com/Teton-Valley-Magazine/Summer-2012/In-the-Tracks-of-Pioneers/
newark.osu.edu
http://www.newark.osu.edu/facultystaff/personal/jstjohn/Documents/Rocks-and-Fossils-in-the-Field/Craters-of-the-Moon-Lava-Field.htm
nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/crmo/planyourvisit/wilderness.htm
pubs.usgs.gov
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/types.html
vulcan.wr.usgs.gov
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_craters_moon.html
Sources:
geology.isu.edu
http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/Cassia_mtns/srpovrvw.htm
lifeinthetetons.com
http://www.newark.osu.edu/facultystaff/personal/jstjohn/Documents/Rocks-and-Fossils-in-the-Field/Craters-of-the-Moon-Lava-Field.htm
nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/crmo/planyourvisit/wilderness.htm
pubs.usgs.gov
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/types.html
vulcan.wr.usgs.gov
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_craters_moon.html
