East Butte

East Butte
West-northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation6,572 ft (2,003 m)[1][2]
Prominence1,542 ft (470 m)[2]
Parent peakBig Southern Butte (7,550 ft)[3]
Isolation19.33 mi (31.11 km)[3]
Coordinates43°30′05″N 112°39′45″W / 43.5012984°N 112.6624884°W / 43.5012984; -112.6624884[4]
Geography
East Butte is located in Idaho
East Butte
East Butte
Location in Idaho
East Butte is located in the United States
East Butte
East Butte
East Butte (the United States)
CountryUnited States of America
StateIdaho
CountyBingham
Parent rangeSnake River Plain
Rocky Mountains[2]
Topo mapUSGS Little Butte SW
Geology
Rock age600,000 years old
Mountain typeLava dome
Rock typeRhyolite

East Butte is a 6,572-foot elevation (2,003 m) summit located in Bingham County, Idaho, United States.

Description

East Butte and line parent Big Southern Butte were major landmarks for early explorers and pioneers.[4] The remote mountain is situated over 40 miles east of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, 32 miles west of the community of Idaho Falls, and can be seen from Highway 20 midway between Idaho Falls and Arco at milepost 274. East Butte is set on land belonging to the Idaho National Laboratory so access is restricted even though a road leads to multiple radio towers at the top. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises over 1,200 feet (370 meters) above the Eastern Snake River Plain in one mile. This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]

Geology

East Butte is a lava dome composed of aphanitic rhyolite. It formed around 600,000 years ago as sialic magma flowed through a conduit in the basalt plain which surrounds the peak.[5]

Climate

East Butte is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with warm summers and cold winters (Köppen BSk).[6] Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −20 °F. Precipitation is relatively sparse.

  • Northwest aspect
    Northwest aspect
  • Southwest aspect
    Southwest aspect
  • South aspect
    South aspect
  • Southwest aspect
    Southwest aspect
  • North aspect
    North aspect
  • East Butte, 1901
    East Butte, 1901
  • Left to right: East Butte, Middle Butte, Big Southern Butte
    Left to right: East Butte, Middle Butte, Big Southern Butte
  • Aerial, looking south
    Aerial, looking south

See also

References

  1. ^ United States Geological Survey topographical map - Little Butte SW
  2. ^ a b c "East Butte, Idaho". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "East Butte - 6,572' ID". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "East Butte". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  5. ^ The Land Volcanoes Made: the Buttes of the Snake River Plain from Idaho Falls to Arco, Idaho, railsback.org
  6. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.