Split Butte

Split Butte
Map
Highest point
Elevation6,227 ft (1,898 m)
Coordinates44°15′N 111°44′W / 44.25°N 111.73°W / 44.25; -111.73
Geography
LocationButte County, Idaho,
United States
Topo mapUSGS Split Butte
Geology
Rock age300,000 years
Mountain typeLava dome

Split Butte is a volcanic crater of the Quaternary age[1] located in Fremont county in Idaho.[2]

The National Park Service called Split Butte one of the most unique features of the Snake River Plain.[3]: 8 

Name

The name of the crater comes from gap in the upper tephra layers at the eastern side of the butte.[4]

Geology

Split Butte is also a maars and a tuff cone.[5] At one point it had a lava lake.[1]

The split, which is located on the east side is believed to be caused by wind erosion. The winds have also caused more pyroclastic debris to the east side.[4]

It is slightly surrounded by lava flows from the Wapi lava field[6] the butte contains vitric ash that forms a ring.[7]: 252 

References

  1. ^ a b Womer, M. B.; Greely, R.; King, J. S. (1980-09-01). "The geology of split butte — A maar of the south-central snake river plain, Idaho". Bulletin Volcanologique. 43 (3): 453–471. Bibcode:1980BVol...43..453W. doi:10.1007/BF02597685. ISSN 1432-0819. S2CID 129237469.
  2. ^ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  3. ^ Service, United States National Park (1989). Reconnaissance Survey: Expansion of Craters of the Moon National Monument. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
  4. ^ a b "The Great Rift Zone". digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  5. ^ Orr, William N.; Orr, Elizabeth L. (2018-12-20). Geology of the Pacific Northwest: Third Edition. Waveland Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-4786-3883-4.
  6. ^ "Wapi Lava Field". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  7. ^ Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jurgen (1992-11-27). Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-43811-7.


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