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USGS · fs02402

Red Mountain volcano: A spectacular and unusual cinder cone in northern Arizona

Susan S. Priest·W. A. Duffield·N. R. Riggs·Brian Poturalski·Karen Malis-Clark·James W. Hendley·Peter Stauffer
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Abstract

Red Mountain, located in the Coconino National Forest of northern Arizona, 25 miles northwest of Flagstaff, is a volcanic cinder cone that rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape. It is unusual in having the shape of a "U," open to the west, and in lacking the symmetrical shape of most cinder cones. In addition, a large natural amphitheater cuts into the cone's northeast flank. Erosional pillars called "hoodoos" decorate the amphitheater, and many dark mineral crystals erode out of its walls. Studies by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Northern Arizona University scientists suggest that Red Mountain formed in eruptions about 740,000 years ago.

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Fact SheetReport
90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 35.516962746800914° to 35.5332377972217° latitude; -111.8847747165709° to -111.85955640468134° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Susan S. Priest, W. A. Duffield, N. R. Riggs, Brian Poturalski, Karen Malis-Clark, James W. Hendley, Peter Stauffer. 2002. Red Mountain volcano: A spectacular and unusual cinder cone in northern Arizona. https://doi.org/10.3133/fs02402

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