Black Rock Desert
Volcanic field in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
1,800 m (5,906 ft)
Type
Volcanic field
Location
38.970°, -112.500°
Region
Basin and Range Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The Black Rock Desert volcanic field consists of a group of closely spaced small Pleistocene-to-Holocene volcanic fields in the Black Rock and Sevier deserts of south-central Utah, at the eastern margin of the Great Basin. The Black Rock Desert field contains both Utah's youngest known rhyolite dome (400,000 years old) and its youngest eruptive vent, which produced the roughly 660-year-old Ice Springs lava flows. The broader volcanic field includes the smaller Deseret, Pavant, Kanosh, Tabernacle, Ice Spring, and northern Black Rock Desert fields.
The Pavant Butte and Tabernacle Hill tuff cones were erupted about 16,000 and 14,000 years ago through the waters of glacial Lake Bonneville. Lava flows from the Ice Springs crater complex traveled about 4 km west and north, overlapping late-Pleistocene flows from Pavant Butte.
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 | 736 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 327050
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The Black Rock Desert volcanic field consists of a cluster of closely spaced small volcanic fields of Pleistocene-to-Holocene age in the Black Rock and Sevier deserts. This view shows Utah's youngest known lava flow, the 660-year-old Ice Springs flow, which originated from a series of nested cinder and spatter cones. The rim of Crescent Crater is at the right, with the symmetrical Pocket Crater at the left and Pavant Butte in the distance. This tuff cone erupted through the waters of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville about 16,000 years ago.
Photo by Lee Siebert, 1996 (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.