How was Kilbourne Hole formed?

Kilbourne Hole is roughly elliptical in shape, and is known as a Maar – a pit or depression caused by a volcanic explosion with little material emitted except volcanic gas. The crater is between 24,000 and 100,000 years old, and measures 1.7 miles long by well over a mile across, and is hundreds of feet deep.

What type of volcano is Kilbourne Hole?

maar volcanic crater
Kilbourne Hole is a maar volcanic crater, located 30 miles (48 km) west of the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, in the Potrillo volcanic field of Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

Which would have the most severe impact an Aden Crater eruption or a Kilbourne Hole Eruption?

Which would have the most severe impact? An Aden Crater eruption or a Kilbourne Hole eruption? Why? An Kilbourne Hole eruption is still active and has more severe impact.

Where can I find peridot in NM?

Peridot in New Mexico can be found in a large deposit in the Potrillo volcanic field area of Dona Ana County. The volcanic field is at a distance of about 35 kilometers from the city of Las Cruces. This field has a volcanic mar cavity known as Kilbourne Hole which is the main source of the peridot.

Is Kilbourne Hole active?

The basalt lavas at Kilbourne Hole are on the eastern edge of the aerially-extensive Potrillo volcanic field (Figure 1), which was active between 1.2 million and 20,000 years ago (Hawley, 1981; Anthony et al., 1992; Williams, 1999).

Are the Franklin Mountains a volcano?

Residents in West Texas and Southern New Mexico may not be aware of a massive volcanic crater in the area, but Kilbourne Hole is no secret to geologists and NASA researchers from around the nation. The National Natural Landmark is about 30 miles west of the Franklin Mountains and is known as a maar volcano.

In what Located landform can you find seashell fossils in El Paso?

Plants and animals living in the ocean back then are now scattered around El Paso as fossils, especially in the Franklin Mountains. “You can find different types of fossils, different types of shells, corals, brachiopods.

When the Trappen lava and Aden series lava was formed?

Trappean lava series – During the Mesozoic Era (the Upper Jurassic (seceond segment of Mesozoic Era which lasted about 163.5 million years ago to 145.5 million years ago) and Cretaceous periods( last segment of Mesozoic Era and lasted about 145.5 million years ago- 66 million years ago)

Are there geodes in New Mexico?

Turquoise might be the first mineral that comes to mind when thoughts turn to precious rocks found in New Mexico, but the state boasts dozens of rockhounding sites known for everything from geodes to smithsonite to “Pecos diamonds.”

Are there gemstones in New Mexico?

New Mexico is blessed with a wide variety of gemstones and has a long history of gemstone use and production.

Where is Kilbourne Hole located?

As a crow flies, Kilbourne Hole is about 22 miles northwest of El Paso, Texas and is about 25 miles southwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico (Figure 1). The crater can be reached via a series of county dirt roads that can be treacherous when wet.

What type of rock are the Franklin Mountains?

sedimentary rock
The Franklin Mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock with some igneous intrusions. Geologists refer to them as tilted-block fault mountains, and in them can be found billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas.

What kind of minerals are in the Kilbourne Hole?

Kilbourne Hole has many unique minerals remaining from the eruption. The crusts of the Kilbourne Hole volcanic bombs – objects blown from the volcanic vent in a near plastic state – are dull black or brown, but when broken open they often reveal a brilliant, sparkling yellow and green interior of olivine glass granules.

What kind of crater is the Kilbourne Hole?

This crater can be found in a desert basin between the Potrillo Mountains and the Rio Grande in southern Dona Ana County. Kilbourne Hole is roughly elliptical in shape, and is known as a Maar – a pit or depression caused by a volcanic explosion with little material emitted except volcanic gas.

How did the Kilbourne Hole and Hunt’s hole form?

Another maar, Hunt’s Hole, lies just two miles south of Kilbourne Hole. These holes are rare examples of volcanic action without a mountainous rim. The theory of maar formation is that rising magma super-heats water-saturated earth, far enough below the surface that a high pressure can be contained.

How old is the maar at Kilbourne Hole?

Another maar, Hunt’s Hole, lies just two miles south of Kilbourne Hole. These holes are rare examples of volcanic action without a mountainous rim. Estimates of the age of the crater vary from about 24,000 to about 80,000 years.