Within Petroglyph National Monument
Basaltic rock lies everywhere as evidence of fissure eruptions 140,000 or so years ago. A defining feature of the Albuquerque landscape are the so-called 'volcanos" on the western mesa.
Fissure eruptions occur when conditions are right in the mantle for the existence of partially melted rock (magma) and faults act as conduits for the rise of magma to the surface. When a vertical crack filled with molten magma (known as a "dike") intersects the surface, a line of eruption takes place. If the dike is particularly large and deep, the line of eruption or fissure is long, like the Albuquerque Volcanoes.
I found this one particularly interesting due to the hole.
Within Petroglyph National Monument
Basaltic rock lies everywhere as evidence of fissure eruptions 140,000 or so years ago. A defining feature of the Albuquerque landscape are the so-called 'volcanos" on the western mesa.
Fissure eruptions occur when conditions are right in the mantle for the existence of partially melted rock (magma) and faults act as conduits for the rise of magma to the surface. When a vertical crack filled with molten magma (known as a "dike") intersects the surface, a line of eruption takes place. If the dike is particularly large and deep, the line of eruption or fissure is long, like the Albuquerque Volcanoes.
I found this one particularly interesting due to the hole.