City - Death Valley State - CALIFRONIA Country - United States
About
Less than 10,000 years ago over a dozen volcanoes dot the landscape of Ubehebe volcanic field. Ubehebe Crater is the largest and youngest volcanic feature. Following weaknesses in the Earth's crust, searing basaltic magma rises upward. A fault along the base of Tin Mountain, responsible for uplift of the entire mountain range, lies in the path of the molten mass, providing an easy escape route to the surface. Magma worked its way through the fault-weakened rock where it met water-soaked bedrock and alluvial fan sediments. In an instant, water flashed to steam. A sudden, violent release of steam-powered energy blasted away the confining rock above. The largest of these eruptions produced Ubehebe Crater, over a half a mile wide and 770 feet deep.
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{K:174133} 3/16/2008
