Black Butte Crater Lava Field
Shield in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
1,478 m (4,849 ft)
Type
Shield
Location
43.183°, -114.352°
Region
Yellowstone-Snake River Hotspot Volcano Group
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
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Overview
The Black Butte Crater lava field is the westernmost of the young lava fields of the Eastern Snake River Plain. It lies north of Twin Falls, Idaho, and created an L-shaped lava flow 2-5 km wide that extends 60 km S and then west. A single radiocarbon age of 10,130 +/- 350 years BP was obtained for lava flows here (Kuntz et al.
, 1986). Black Butte Crater caps a lava shield at the NE end of the flow field. The vent area contains a complex lava lake that forms a six-part flower-petal like depression with steep walls up to 30 m high that covers an area of 2 km2.
A lava tube and channel system extending 5 km SE of the crater displays both roofed and collapsed portions. The Big Wood and Little Wood rivers follow the northern and southern margins of the distal part of the lava flow, respectively. The voluminous flow diverted the river channels so that they now join 40 km W of their former confluence.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 10206 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 324010
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
One of a series of interlocking craters forming the complex summit of Black Butte, the vent of the Shoshone lava field, is seen here from the summit of the butte. The broad, low Shoshone shield volcano fed voluminous lava flows that traveled a small distance north towards the Mount Bennett Hills in the background, but the bulk of the flows traveled initially south and then west for a total distance of 60 km. The Shoshone lava field, erupted about 10,000 years ago, is the westernmost of the young volcanic fields of the Snake River Plain.
Photo by Lee Siebert, 2002 (Smithsonian Institution).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.