New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

 

McCarty's Lava Flow


Location: 35° N, 108° W, Cibola County
Type: Holocene scoria cones, shield volcanoes, spatter cones and lava flows
Age: ~0.8 Ma to 3 ka
Significance:

Youthful volcanic field; the McCartys lava flow is one of the youngest and longest lava flows on the continent.


Composition:

Alkali basalt, hawaiite, tholeiite cones, craters, and fissures.

Zuni Bandera tube 

Lava Channel in Lava Crater Lava Flow

 

 Basic geology:

Several basaltic centers erupted relatively long lava flows within a broad valley between the east end of the Zuni Mountains and Cebolleta Mesa.

The youngest flow, the McCartys lava flow, is the youngest eruption in New Mexico. This lava is a classic pahoe hoe lava flow and is about 40 km long. The extreme northern distal end of the lava flow lies within the Rio San Jose Valley at modern day I-40. Another young  lava flow of aa type lava characteristics, erupted from a small basaltic cone within the Zuni Mountains flowed north through a canyon and out onto the valley of the Rio San Jose near modern day Grants and I-40. 

General geologic map of the Zuni Bandera Field (above)

Aerial, low altitude view of the inflation pits in the McCartys lava flow.

McCarty Lava Flow southern edge, NM 117  (from 20,000')

Cleft in McCartys Lava Flow

McCartys Vent (aerial)

McCartys Vent (above)

Margin of Inflation Plateau

Ropy Lava

Lava Tube near McCartys Vent

Tree Cast, Zuni Acoma Trail (above)


View McCartys Lava Flow in a larger map

 

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