Global Volcanism Program | Craters of the Moon

Craters of the Moon

Google Earth Placemark with Features

Cite Volcano Profile

United States
Yellowstone-Snake River Hotspot Volcano Group
Cluster | Volcanic field
130 BCE

Country
Volcanic Region
Landform | Volc Type
Last Known Eruption

43.371°N
113.493°W
2,005 m
6,578 ft
324020

Latitude
Longitude
Summit
Elevation
Volcano
Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Craters of the Moon.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Craters of the Moon.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Craters of the Moon.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Big Cinder Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1986 m

43° 25' 5" N

113° 32' 17" W

Big Craters

Cone

1919 m

43° 27' 0" N

113° 32' 0" W

Black Top Butte

Cone

43° 17' 0" N

113° 26' 0" W

Broken Top

Cone

1846 m

43° 25' 0" N

113° 31' 0" W

Coyote Butte

Cone

1801 m

43° 24' 0" N

113° 31' 0" W

Crescent Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1823 m

43° 25' 0" N

113° 30' 14" W

Devils Cauldron

Cone

43° 18' 0" N

113° 26' 0" W

Echo Crater Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1782 m

43° 23' 35" N

113° 30' 40" W

Fissure Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1791 m

43° 21' 7" N

113° 28' 1" W

Grassy

Pyroclastic cone

1925 m

43° 27' 22" N

113° 34' 59" W

Half Cone

Cone

1846 m

43° 25' 0" N

113° 31' 0" W

Inferno

Cone

1884 m

43° 26' 0" N

113° 32' 0" W

Paisley

Pyroclastic cone

1861 m

43° 27' 4" N

113° 32' 53" W

Sentinel, The

Pyroclastic cone

1771 m

43° 23' 0" N

113° 30' 0" W

Sheep Trail Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1711 m

43° 20' 46" N

113° 27' 22" W

Silent Cone

Pyroclastic cone

1938 m

43° 26' 42" N

113° 34' 8" W

Split Butte

Cone

1737 m

43° 22' 0" N

113° 29' 0" W

Sunset

Pyroclastic cone

1954 m

43° 28' 8" N

113° 33' 47" W

Two Point Butte

Pyroclastic cone

1697 m

43° 19' 52" N

113° 26' 49" W

Watchman, The

Cone

1786 m

43° 23' 0" N

113° 29' 0" W

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Great Rift Zone

Fissure vent

1800 m

43° 20' 0" N

113° 28' 0" W

North Crater

Crater - Cone

1903 m

43° 27' 11" N

113° 33' 43" W

Vermillion Chasm

Fissure vent

1664 m

43° 20' 0" N

113° 28' 0" W

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

324020

130 BCE

2,005 m / 6,578 ft

43.371°N
113.493°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field
Pyroclastic cone(s)
Fissure vent(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

15
15
1,459
93,300

Geological Summary

Craters of the Moon, the largest lava field of the Snake River Plain (SRP), covers about 1,600 km² with more than 60 mapped lava flows erupted from eight fissure systems. About 25 cinder cones up to 250 m high formed primarily along a 45-km-long segment of the Great Rift, the principal 2-8 km wide fissure system that trends NW-SE through Craters of the Moon National Monument. Craters of the Moon lies at the NW part of the eastern SRP, with White Knob and the Pioneer Mountains along the northern boundary. The lava field was formed during eight eruptive episodes between about 15,000 and 2,000 years ago separated by quiescent periods up to about 3,000 years in duration. This contrasts with other SRP lava fields, which were formed during single eruptive episodes of relatively short duration. A complex assemblage of basaltic volcanic features is present, and cinder cones are common.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Coombs H A, Howard A D, 1960. United States of America. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 9: 1-68.

Greeley R, King J S (eds), 1977. Volcanism of the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: a comparative planetary geology guidebook. NASA (Washington, DC), CR-154621: 1-308.

Green J, Short N M, 1971. Volcanic Landforms and Surface Features: a Photographic Atlas and Glossary. New York: Springer-Verlag, 519 p.

Hughes S S, Smith R P, Hackett W R, Anderson S R, 1999. Mafic volcanism and environmental geology of the eastern Snake River Plain. In: Hughes S S, Thackray G D (eds), Guidebook to the Geology of eastern Idaho, Pocatello, Idaho: Idaho Musuem of Nat Hist, p 143-168.

Hughes S S, Smith R P, Hackett W R, McCurry M, Anderson S R, Ferdock G C, 1997. Bimodal magmatism, basaltic volcanic styles, tectonics, and geomorphic processes of the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. Brigham Young Univ Geol Studies, 42: 423-458.

Kuntz M A, Champion D E, Lefebvre R H, Covington H R, 1988. Geologic map of the Craters of the Moon, Kings Bowl, and Wapi lava fields and the Great Rift volcanic rift zone, south-central Idaho. U S Geol Surv Misc Invest Ser Map, I:1632, 1:100,000 scale geol map.

Kuntz M A, Champion D E, Spiker E C, Lefebvre R H, McBroome L A, 1982. The Great Rift and the evolution of the Craters of the Moon lava field, Idaho. In: Bonnichsen B, Breckenridge R M (eds), The Great Rift and the Evolution of the Craters of the Moon Lava Field, Idaho, Idaho Bur Mines Geol Bull, 26: 423-437.

Kuntz M A, Covington H R, Schorr L J, 1992. An overview of basaltic volcanism of the eastern Snake River Plain. In: Link P K, Kuntz M A, Platt L B (eds), Regional Geology of Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming, Geol Soc Amer Mem, 179: 227-267.

Prinz M, 1970. Idaho rift system, Snake River Plain, Idaho. Geol Soc Amer Bull, 81: 941-948.

Stearns H T, Crandall L, Steward W G, 1938. Geology and ground-water resources of the Snake River Plain in southeastern Idaho. U S Geol Surv Water Supply Pap, 774: 1-268.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 14 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

0130 BCE ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

South of Big Craters, near Broken Top

0130 BCE ± 50 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at South of Big Craters, near Broken Top

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	0130 BCE ± 50 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

0260 BCE ± 25 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Big Craters, Trench Mortar Flat

0260 BCE ± 25 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Big Craters, Trench Mortar Flat

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
0260 BCE ± 25 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

0350 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

North Crater

0350 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Magnetism

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at North Crater

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
0350 BCE (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1680 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Vermillion Chasm to Minidoka-Larkspur

1680 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Vermillion Chasm to Minidoka-Larkspur

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	1680 BCE ± 150 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

2560 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Black Top Butte

2560 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Black Top Butte

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
2560 BCE ± 100 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

4070 BCE ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Big Cinder Butte and vents to the SE

4070 BCE ± 50 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Big Cinder Butte and vents to the SE

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
4070 BCE ± 50 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

4250 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Sentinel Cone

4250 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Sentinel Cone

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
4250 BCE (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

4600 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Silent Cone

4600 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Silent Cone

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
4600 BCE ± 100 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

5470 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Grassy Cone

5470 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Grassy Cone

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
5470 BCE ± 150 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

5890 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

NW of Echo Crater

5890 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at NW of Echo Crater

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	5890 BCE ± 150 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

8290 BCE Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 \| Eruption
9050 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 2 \| Eruption
8720 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 3 \| Eruption
8290 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

8720 BCE Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 \| Eruption
9050 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 2 \| Eruption
8720 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 3 \| Eruption
8290 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

9050 BCE Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 \| Eruption
9050 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 2 \| Eruption
8720 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Episode 3 \| Eruption
8290 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

10060 BCE Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 \| Eruption				Sunset cone
10060 BCE - Unknown				Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Craters of the Moon.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Craters of the Moon.

Photo Gallery

The Highway lava flow forming the black lobe in the center of the photo at the base of the Pioneer Mountains was erupted about 2300 years ago from a vent at or near North Crater, out of view to the right. Two other Craters of the Moon flows, the Devils Orchard and Serrate lava flows, were also erupted at about the same time. The complex vegetated cinder cone to the right of the Highway lava flow is the late Pleistocene Sunset Cone.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Blue Dragon lava flow covers about 280 km² of Craters of the Moon lava field with flat-lying pahoehoe lava. The 3.4 cu km flow, erupted about 2075 years ago, is the largest in the Craters of the Moon volcanic field. It traveled up to 25 km to the east and 15 km to the SW from fissure vents near the center of this photo. The largely pahoehoe lava flow is named for a characteristic iridescent dark- to light-blue, glassy crust.

Photo by Lee Siebert. 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

The ropy surface of pahoehoe lava flows is the dominant lava type at Craters of the Moon. The pahoehoe flows were typically erupted through lava tubes and tube systems. Locally collapse of tube roofs has formed skylights and entrances to lava tunnels that are popular among visitors to the national monument.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

Pressure ridges, formed when moving, still-fluid magma buckled the solidified surfaces of pahoehoe lava flows, are one of the many lava flow features easily observed at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

Silent Cone, the partially forested cinder cone in the background, was the source of lava flows primarily to the south about 6500 years ago. The well-preserved cone of Big Craters in the foreground is one of the youngest features of Craters of the Moon.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Big Craters lava flow in the foreground, one of the youngest at the Craters of the Moon, originated about 2200 years ago from vents at the northern base of Big Craters. The flows traveled north before being deflected by the slopes of the Pioneer Mountains in the background and then flowed primarily to the SW.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

The vast extent of the Blue Dragon lava flow, forming the flat area in the middle of the photo, can be appreciated in this view from Big Cinder Butte with Big Southern Butte in the background to the east. The Blue Dragon flow, the largest volume lava flow at Craters of the Moon, covers 280 km² with 3.4 cu km of lava. The flow was erupted about 2075 years ago and covers broad areas as far as 25 km to the east and 15 km to the SW of its vent area.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Craters of the Moon lava field covers 1600 km² of the Snake River Plain with lava flows erupted from NW-SE-trending fissures and cinder cones. The northern part of the lava field, seen from Big Cinder Butte with the Pioneer Mountains in the background to the north, contains many flows and cinder cones formed during the most recent eruptions about 2300 to 2100 years ago.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Craters of the Moon in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Craters of the Moon. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Craters of the Moon. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Craters of the Moon

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).