The state of New Mexico contains 4 volcanoes which are monitored by the US geological survey,
including one supervolcano. One of these potentially active volcanoes is located
in Catron County, where it has produced three recent eruptions. The volcano I am referring to
is called the Red Hill Volcanic Field, which contains a wide range of volcanic features.
This video covers the recent eruptions from these two volcanoes, and states the general
hazard which it could pose in the future. The Red Hill volcanic field can be found in
west central New Mexico, where part of the field straddles the border with Arizona.
The center of this field is located adjacent to the Red Hill ghost town.
The Red Hill volcanic field contains more than 40 vents which have erupted during the last
several million years. These vents consist of a mixture of several hundred foot tall cinder cones,
large explosion craters, and their associated lava flows.
This 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 has a long geologic history,
and began forming 7.9 million years ago. Initially, the eruptions in this
field occurred adjacent to the northeast trending zone of crustal weakness, and formed a number
of small cinder cones and shield volcanoes. These vents erupted large quantities of fast
moving lava, which then quickly traveled downhill, forming a very gentle slope.
The result of these gentle slopes was the formation of several mesas and plateaus,
such as the unnamed mesa which represented the first known eruption. Over the next 2.7 million
years, these eruptions deposited a number of lava flows, including one such flow that stretched for
more than 28 miles across the Arizona border. Then, 5.2 million years ago, this volcanic field
became dormant. When Red hill awoke from its long period of dormancy 2.5 million years ago,
eruptions began clustering in a different area. Instead of occurring adjacent to the
aforementioned lineament, they now occurred in a south to north trending region.
For example, one eruption 1.55 million years ago began with a series of 5 explosions. These
occurred as groundwater beneath the surface was flashed to steam by nearby lava, thus generating
what were termed phreatic eruptions. One crater formed by this eruption measured 3400 feet across,
indicating the size of the eruption. Soon after, magma reached the surface of this
explosion crater, and erupted in a lava fountain. By the time the eruption had ended, several cinder
cones had formed. Over the next 1.4 million years, more than a dozen other vents formed
through a similar pattern of volcanic activity. Then, in 9850 BC, a large area in the northern
part of the volcanic field was covered with a layer of ash, likely deposited by a cinder cone.
Although we aren't certain of which nearby vent the ash sample was taken from, it
likely originated from the 450 foot tall red hill cinder cone.
A subsequent eruption occurred about 100 years later in 9700 BC, which began with a massive
explosion. This explosion carved out a crater 8000 feet wide, 6400 feet long, and 200 feet deep.
Pyroclastic flows from this eruption spread out in a 3 mile radius, depositing a large quantity
of heated rock. Then, in 9450 BC, lava reached the surface of this crater, called the Zuni Salt Lake.
Over the span of a month long eruption, three cinder cones were built on the crater floor.
This eruption was mildly explosive, resulting in bombs of lava being thrown in a several mile
radius. Since this sequence of eruptions, no additional volcanic activity has occurred.
Although this volcanic field has not erupted in slightly more than 10,000 years, the US Geological
survey considers it to still be potentially active, given its long geologic history.
If it were to erupt again, it wouldn't pose much of a threat to anyone due to the lack of
structures in the region. The next eruption will likely take place about 10 miles north
of highway 60, and create a new cinder cone. Such an eruption would be relatively harmless,
and result in a several mile long flow of basaltic lava. As a result of these hazards, the US
geological survey designated the red hill volcanic field as a very low threat volcanic field.
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