The state of New Mexico contains 4 volcanoes which are monitored by the US geological survey,
including one supervolcano.
However, it also contains a number of other volcanoes which are dormant, but could eventually
erupt again.
One of these dormant volcanoes is located in northeast New Mexico, and is called Capulin.
Capulin is a towering cinder cone which could eventually be the site of another eruption
in the future.
It is one of the most recent features of a vast volcanic field called the Raton Clayton
volcanic field.
This volcanic field stretches across parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
One of its lava flows traveled across all three states, before cooling as the tallest
point within the state of Oklahoma.
This video will discuss this fascinating long lived volcanic system, and discuss what hazards
it might pose in the future.
This volcanic field contains several different types of volcanoes which include cinder cones,
lava domes, and even a stratovolcano.
The Raton Clayton volcanic field is one of several recent volcanic features in the region
of New Mexico which have formed along a northeastern trending line.
This line is called the Jemez Lineament, and represents a regional weak point in the crust
due to the collision of two continents at this location 1.7 billion years ago.
Since the crust is thin in the area, magma at depth can easily travel upwards and erupt
onto the surface.
This volcanic field began forming 7.7 million years ago, when magma at depth traveled upwards
through the lineament and erupted onto the surface.
The early eruptions were highly explosive, and deposited viscous gray lava flows.
Since these lava flows could not travel very far, they grew in mass in a central location,
thus forming several lava domes.
The first lava dome to form was 8000 feet wide and 900 feet tall called Pine Buttes.
Two other lava domes which formed during this phase of activity are the 2 mile wide Palo
Blanco Mountain, and 3 mile wide Laughlin Peak.
Eventually, lava dome forming eruptions largely ceased, and eruptive activity moved towards
the New Mexico-Colorado border.
Over the next 1 million years, more than 100 square miles were covered with a thick layer
of black lava called basalt.
Basalt has a low viscosity, so individual lava flows traveled up to 20 miles away, producing
a gentle slope of only 1 to 2 degrees.
Afterwards, the softer surrounding rock was eroded away while the hardened basalt remained.
As a result, vast flat mesas were created.
Then, 3.8 million years ago, lava within this volcanic field finally found a central point
to erupt into.
As a result, subsequent eruptions for the next 1.2 million years occurred at the same
location, which in this case was south of the modern town of Des Moines.
During these eruptions, overlapping layers of ash deposited from explosive eruptions
and lava from effusive eruptions piled on top of each other.
Hundreds of eruptions formed the 2000 foot tall Sierra Grande stratovolcano out of a
gray rock type called andesite.
After this stratovolcano became extinct, lavas which erupted became less viscous, allowing
them to travel further distances.
One eruption 3.5 million years ago began in southeast Colorado.
In then traveled a whopping 25 miles across Colorado, parts of New Mexico, and into Oklahoma.
When this lava cooled, it left behind the tallest point within Oklahoma called Black
Mesa.
The most recent pulse of eruptions began 60,000 years ago, as magma once again reached the
surface.
Over a several year long eruption, intermittent explosions of ash occurred, which then largely
fell back to the erupting vent, forming a cinder cone.
Additionally, lava flows were emitted from this cinder cone, causing the overall edifice
to grow in size.
By the time the eruption had ended, the 1200 foot tall Capulin volcano had been constructed.
The crater in the center of this volcano represents its main vent.
Around the same time period, two other eruptions occurred, thus forming Purvine Mesa and Twin
Mountain.
Baby Capulin was the formed via the last eruption to occur within this volcanic field approximately
45,000 years ago.
Due to the long history of this volcanic field, it will erupt again.
The next eruption will most likely occur within a 10 mile radius of the town of Capulin.
Such an eruption will either build onto or create a new cinder cone, and create a long
distance lava flow.
These lava flows could travel up to 10 miles away, so a number of roads would be put at
risk.
Additionally, any future eruption would also produce small volumes of ash which would disrupt
air travel.
The odds of this volcanic field erupting each year are about 1 in 40000.
I hope that you enjoyed this video!
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