Black Crater | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,257 ft (2,212 m) NAVD 88 [1] |
Coordinates | 44°15′58″N121°44′55″W / 44.265998142°N 121.748565361°W [1] |
Geography | |
Location | Deschutes County, Oregon, U.S. |
Parent range | Cascade Range |
Topo map | USGS Black Crater |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Late Pleistocene [2] |
Mountain type | Shield volcano |
Volcanic arc | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Trail hike |
Black Crater is a shield volcano in the Western Cascades in Deschutes County, Oregon. Located near McKenzie Pass, the volcano has a broad conical shape with gentle slopes. The volcano likely formed during the Pleistocene and has not been active within the last 50,000 years. Eruptive activity at the volcano produced mafic lava flows made of basaltic andesite and olivine basalt; it also formed a number of cinder cones. A normal fault occurs on the western side of the volcano, trending north–south. The volcano has been eroded by glaciers, which carved a large cirque into the northeastern flank of the mountain, forming its current crater.
The area was settled c. 1862, when pioneers moved to the forested region south of Black Crater, near what is now the city of Sisters. The volcano is part of the Three Sisters Wilderness, which offers recreational activities. The Black Crater Trail runs one way for 3.8 miles (6.1 km) from a trailhead on Oregon Route 242, and the southeastern part of the trail can be skied. Some Arctic–alpine plants can be found on the volcano, including mountain hemlock, ponderosa pine, bitterbrush, and Pacific silver fir.
Black Crater lies in Deschutes County, [3] [4] southeast of Belknap Crater and northwest of Trout Creek Butte. [5] Part of the Western Cascades, [6] it is in the McKenzie Pass region and close to the Willamette National Forest. [7] The Western Cascades consist of highly eroded layers of volcanic rock that drain into streams fed by runoff. These streams supply the Willamette River basin, and during the winter season the flow is increased by rain and melting snow. [8]
The volcano has an elevation of 7,257 feet (2,212 m) according to the U.S. National Geodetic Survey, which has a station just below the volcano's summit. [1] The volcano has a broad conical shape with gentle slopes [6] and a diameter of about 1.9 miles (3 km). [9] Its relief is about 1,969 feet (600 m). [6]
Glaciers carved a cirque into the northeastern flank of the mountain, which forms its current crater. [2] Glacial erosion has exposed the interior of the volcanic cone, but because of the volcano's relatively lower elevation and longer-lasting eruptive activity, it is less eroded than most other nearby volcanoes. [10] [11] Glaciers likely moved between cinder cones on Black Crater but did not erode them. [12]
Black Crater is part of the Three Sisters Wilderness, [13] which covers an area of 281,190 acres (1,137.9 km2) and is therefore the second-largest wilderness area in Oregon. Designated by the United States Congress in 1964, the wilderness area borders the Mount Washington Wilderness to the north and shares its southern edge with the Waldo Lake Wilderness. The area includes 260 miles (420 km) of trails and many forests, lakes, waterfalls, and streams, including the source of Whychus Creek. [14] Black Crater sits at the northern edge of the wilderness, [15] forming part of the Alpine Crest region. This area incorporates the northeastern third of the Three Sisters Wilderness and includes most of its major mountains as well as its most popularly visited glaciers, lakes, and meadows. [16]
Annual precipitation in the Oregon Cascades ranges from 11.5 to 13 feet (3.5 to 4.0 m) each year, with persistent but low-intensity rainfall. The wet climate supports rapid regeneration of vegetation, but the soil infiltration capacity is not surpassed even after fires. [6] Black Crater lies at the border of this climate and the one found to the immediate east, where annual precipitation is less than 1.3 feet (0.40 m). [6] Its soil consists of andisols with fine-grained loam and tephra ejected from nearby volcanoes. [6]
Some Arctic–alpine plants can be found in the area around Black Crater above the timberline. [17] The north side of Black Crater has thick stands of mountain hemlock, [13] while the eastern side supports ponderosa pine and bitterbrush. On the western side, there is forest with mountain hemlock and Pacific silver fir. [6]
On June 20, 2018, a debris flow coursed down the volcano, spurred on by runoff from a storm and secondary to the Milli Fire, which burned 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) of forest land one year prior. [18] The flow started in an area with rilling and erosion near the upper volcano [6] and traveled down the volcano's northwestern slope, [18] crossing Oregon Route 242 at two points. [6] The fire had burned 63% of the debris flow area at moderate or high severity. [6] At its narrowest point, the flow was 16.5 feet (5.0 m), with depths exceeding 5 feet (1.5 m). [19]
The Cascade Range resulted from the subduction of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate under the North American tectonic plate, with the High Cascade subprovince in central Oregon forming about 160 to 190 miles (250 to 300 km) east of the convergent boundary. [20] In the Oregon segment of the Cascade Volcanoes that runs for 210 miles (340 km) south of Mount Hood, there are at least 1,054 Quaternary volcanoes, which form a volcanic belt 16 to 31 miles (25 to 50 km) in width. [21] This volcanic belt extends up to 19 miles (30 km) to the north of the border with California, where Quaternary volcanic activity is interrupted by a 40-mile (64 km) gap up to the Quaternary volcanoes near Mount Shasta. [21] The Quaternary volcanoes within the Oregon Cascades are extremely dense, concentrated within an area of about 3,700 square miles (9,500 km2). [21] Black Crater forms part of a chain of Pleistocene, northward-trending volcanic activity characterized by scoria cones, lava flows, and agglutinates. Some of this eruptive activity covered North Sister. The chain stretches for about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Black Crater to North Sister. [22] Black Crater sits above the Oregon High Cascades volcanic plateau. [6]
Black Crater is a shield volcano, [5] [23] [24] [nb 1] composed of mafic [25] [9] basaltic andesite [5] [26] [27] and olivine basalt. [11] It is part of a group of mafic shield volcanoes in central Oregon that also includes North Sister, Mount Washington, Broken Top, [10] and Black Butte. [28] Black Crater shows high amplitude positive polarity on magnetic anomaly maps, as do Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and Mount Jefferson, suggesting an age of less than 730,000 years. [29] The volcano was likely formed in the late Pleistocene [2] and has not erupted for about 50,000 years. [30] Near the end of its eruptive activity, the volcano formed cinder cones on its southwestern side and a parasitic lava cone near its western base. Scoria and agglomerate near the summit vent was likely erupted at the same time as these formations and have been intruded by dikes. [11] Later, additional cinder cones formed on the volcano, including one at the southern base known as Millican Crater, [11] which erupted basalt. [31] Millican Crater runs up against Black Crater, with a width of 3,900 feet (1,200 m). It erupted a lava flow with dimensions of 1.2 by 1.9 miles (2 by 3 km), which runs south and east and has been moderately eroded by glaciers. This lava flow is made of scoria and agglutinate. [32]
Cinder cones also occur at 250 feet (76 m) and 350 feet (110 m) above the northern and northeastern flanks, respectively; they are well-preserved without current glaciers but show some evidence of weathering. [12] A crater on the northwestern slope is named Latta Crater after John Latta, an early settler in the region. [33] The two Matthieu Lakes (located on the southern side of the volcano near its summit) are named after the French Canadian pioneer François X. Matthieu, another early settler in Oregon. [34] Lava deposits from Black Crater are slightly porphyritic; they consist of sparse plagioclase and clinopyroxene and contain 55 to 57 percent silica. [35] [9] The volcano produced a lava flow that reaches north and northeast of the summit for about 2.5 to 3.1 miles (4 to 5 km). This lava extends from a central volcanic plug made of microdiorite. Due to the erosion, lava has irregular joints. [9]
A normal fault occurs on the western side of the volcano, trending north–south. [30] A fault scarp runs along the northern side of the volcano [36] to the south, corresponding to an eruption at the Matthieu Lake fissure that occurred about 15,000 years ago, independent of Black Crater. The eruption was fed by a dike that could have reached the surface by the fault. [30] The Matthieu Lake fissure runs for about 5.3 miles (8.5 km), trending north–east from north of North Sister until Black Crater. Made of basaltic andesite and andesite with silica content ranging from 53.5 to 60%, [37] the fissure sees increasing crystallization of its products moving south with decreasing amounts of crystals and phenocrysts. [36] The fissure consists of cinder cones and agglutinated volcanic vents that erupted cinders, volcanic bombs, and thick lava flows. The fissure has been covered by glaciers. [37]
The promontory Windy Point, which is made up of basaltic andesite lava and cinder, sits at the northwestern base of Black Crater. From there, Mount Washington can be seen, as well as basaltic andesite lava from the Yapoah cinder cone volcano and a lava field produced by Belknap Crater. [38] Belknap also erupted a heavy deposit of ash and scoria that covered the area between Black Crater and Dry Creek to the north. [39] The Sixmile Butte lava field, which formed during the Pleistocene, consists of ten cinder cones between Black Crater and Black Butte. These cones erupted basaltic andesite, which was deposited prior to the glacial advance at Suttle Lake. [35] The field encompasses about 25 square miles (65 km2). [38] Southwest of Black Crater in Lane County, there is a small crater called Harlow Crater, named after M.H. Harlow, former President of the McKenzie toll road. [40]
Following cattle droving into the McKenzie Pass area in 1859 by missionaries and the discovery of gold in eastern Oregon in the early 1860s, the area south of McKenzie Pass was settled around 1862. [41] The settlers arrived with wagons and more than 60 oxen and 700 cattle.They moved into the forested region south of Black Crater, near what is now the city of Sisters. The group was led by the Scott brothers, who then created the McKenzie Fork Wagon Road Company to build a road over the lava fields in the area, followed by the McKenzie River Wagon Road Company, which was formed to build a road across the Cascade Range in the vicinity of the Three Sisters volcanoes that would cross the Deschutes River. A third construction company proposed the construction of a road north of the Three Sisters that would cross the Deschutes above the mouth of its tributary, Crooked River. [42]
The Black Crater Trail runs one-way for 3.8 miles (6.1 km) from a trailhead on Oregon Route 242. It passes through the Three Sisters Wilderness and eventually reaches the summit of Black Crater, where the North Sister and Mount Washington volcanoes can be seen. [13] The trail can be hiked or attempted on horseback, but mountain bikes and motorized vehicles are not permitted. [13] Considered to be of intermediate difficulty for hiking, it takes on average about 4 hours to complete, ranging in elevation from 4,900 to 7,251 feet (1,494 to 2,210 m). [43] The southeastern portion of the trail can be skied. [43] Since 1905, All recreational activity at Black Crater has been overseen by the United States Forest Service. Forest rangers built a fire lookout tower in 1925, but it was out of service by the 1960s. [44]
Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a dormant stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon. Named Mount Bachelor because it stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters, it lies in the eastern segment of the central portion of the High Cascades, the eastern segment of the Cascade Range. The volcano lies at the northern end of the 15-mile (24 km) long Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain, which underwent four major eruptive episodes during the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The United States Geological Survey considers Mount Bachelor a moderate threat, but Bachelor poses little threat of becoming an active volcano in the near future. It remains unclear whether the volcano is extinct or just inactive.
Mount Jefferson is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. The second highest mountain in Oregon, it is situated within Linn County, Jefferson County, and Marion County and forms part of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Due to the ruggedness of its surroundings, the mountain is one of the hardest volcanoes to reach in the Cascades. It is also a popular tourist destination despite its remoteness, with recreational activities including hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, and photography. Vegetation at Mount Jefferson is dominated by Douglas fir, silver fir, mountain hemlock, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and several cedar species. Carnivores, insectivores, bats, rodents, deer, birds, and various other species inhabit the area.
Mount Thielsen, is an extinct shield volcano in the Oregon High Cascades, near Mount Bailey. Because eruptive activity ceased 250,000 years ago, glaciers have heavily eroded the volcano's structure, creating precipitous slopes and a horn-like peak. The spire-like shape of Thielsen attracts lightning strikes and creates fulgurite, an unusual mineral. The prominent horn forms a centerpiece for the Mount Thielsen Wilderness, a reserve for recreational activities such as skiing and hiking. Thielsen is one of Oregon's Matterhorns.
Three Fingered Jack is a summit of a shield volcano of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed during the Pleistocene epoch, the mountain consists mainly of basaltic andesite lava and was heavily glaciated in the past. While other Oregon volcanoes that were heavily glaciated—such as Mount Washington and Mount Thielsen—display eroded volcanic necks, Three Fingered Jack's present summit is a comparatively narrow ridge of loose tephra supported by a dike only 10 feet (3.0 m) thick on a generally north–south axis. Glaciation exposed radiating dikes and plugs that support this summit. The volcano has long been inactive and is highly eroded.
Mount Washington is a deeply eroded volcano in the Cascade Range of Oregon. It lies within Deschutes and Linn counties and is surrounded by the Mount Washington Wilderness area.
Belknap Crater is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Linn County, it is associated with lava fields and numerous subfeatures including the Little Belknap and South Belknap volcanic cones. It lies north of McKenzie Pass and forms part of the Mount Washington Wilderness. Belknap is not forested and most of its lava flows are not vegetated, though there is some wildlife in the area around the volcano, as well as a number of tree molds formed by its eruptive activity.
Mount McLoughlin is a dormant steep-sided stratovolcano, or composite volcano, in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the United States Sky Lakes Wilderness. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, within the High Cascades sector. A prominent landmark for the Rogue River Valley, the mountain is north of Mount Shasta, and south-southeast of Crater Lake. It was named around 1838 after John McLoughlin, a Chief Factor for the Hudson's Bay Company. Mount McLouglin's prominence has made it a landmark to Native American populations for thousands of years.
Indian Heaven is a volcanic field in Skamania County in the state of Washington, in the United States. Midway between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, the field dates from the Pleistocene to the early Holocene epoch. It trends north to south and is dominated by six small shield volcanoes; these shields are topped by small spatter and cinder cones, and the field includes a number of subglacial volcanoes and tuyas. The northernmost peak in the field is Sawtooth Mountain and the southernmost is Red Mountain; its highest point is Lemei Rock at an elevation of 5,925 feet (1,806 m).
Broken Top is a glacially eroded complex stratovolcano. It lies in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the extensive Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located southeast of the Three Sisters peaks, the volcano, residing within the Three Sisters Wilderness, is 20 miles (32 km) west of Bend, Oregon in Deschutes County. Eruptive activity stopped roughly 100,000 years ago, and erosion by glaciers has since reduced the volcano's cone to where its contents are exposed. There are two named glaciers on the peak, Bend and Crook Glacier.
The Three Sisters are closely spaced volcanic peaks in the U.S. state of Oregon. They are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. Each over 10,000 feet in elevation, they are the third-, fourth- and fifth-highest peaks in Oregon. Located in the Three Sisters Wilderness at the boundary of Lane and Deschutes counties and the Willamette and Deschutes national forests, they are about 10 miles south of the nearest town, Sisters. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area, which is subject to frequent snowfall, occasional rain, and extreme temperature variation between seasons. The mountains, particularly South Sister, are popular destinations for climbing and scrambling.
Black Butte is an extinct stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Jefferson County, it is part of Deschutes National Forest. Black Butte forms part of the Cascade volcanic arc. The butte lies just south of the Metolius Springs, which merge to form the headwaters of the Metolius River. The Metolius River's basin sustains a wide array of plant life, large and small mammals, and more than 80 bird species.
Diamond Peak is a volcano in Klamath and Lane counties of central Oregon in the United States. It is a shield volcano, though it might also be considered a modest stratocone. Diamond Peak forms part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through Oregon to Northern California. Reaching an elevation of 8,748 feet (2,666 m), the mountain is located near Willamette Pass in the Diamond Peak Wilderness within the Deschutes and Willamette national forests. Surrounded by coniferous forest and visible in the skyline from foothills near Eugene, Diamond Peak offers a few climbing routes and can be scrambled. Diamond Peak is one of Oregon's Matterhorns.
Olallie Butte is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of the northern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest volcano and highest point in the 50-mile (80 km) distance between Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson. Located just outside the Olallie Scenic Area, it is surrounded by more than 200 lakes and ponds fed by runoff, precipitation, and underground seepage, which are popular spots for fishing, boating, and swimming. The butte forms a prominent feature in the Mount Jefferson region and is usually covered with snow during the winter and spring seasons.
Hoodoo Butte is a cinder cone butte in the Cascade Range of northern Oregon, located near Santiam Pass. Immediately to the east lies Hayrick Butte, a prime example of a tuya; the two mountains' names were likely mistaken for each other, but stuck with them over time. The area has been subjected to a number of historic fires. Hoodoo is sometimes considered a subfeature of the Mount Washington shield volcano, and it forms part of the Sisters Reach, which extends from South Cinder Peak to Crane Prairie Reservoir, running for 56 miles (90 km). This region has a high vent density, with many mafic volcanoes of Pleistocene to Holocene age, such as Hoodoo. While Hoodoo has an intact summit crater that was blocked from erosion by glaciers, it has an irregular topography, giving it an open appearance.
Hayrick Butte is a tuya, a type of subglacial volcano, in Linn County, Oregon. Located in the Willamette National Forest near Santiam Pass, it lies adjacent to the cinder cone Hoodoo Butte, which has a ski area. Hayrick Butte likely formed when lava erupted underneath an overlying glacier or ice sheet, producing the flat top with near-vertical walls along the ice-contact margin as the lava cooled and hardened. Hayrick Butte has a nearly flat plateau about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) across and steep walls rising about 700 feet (0.21 km) above its surroundings. A cartographer accidentally switched the names for nearby Hoodoo Butte and Hayrick Butte; the word "hoodoo" usually refers to rock piles and pinnacles like those observed at Hayrick Butte.
Hogg Rock is a tuya volcano and lava dome in the Cascade Range of northern Oregon, United States, located close to Santiam Pass. Produced by magma with an intermediate andesite composition, it has steep slopes and thick glassy margins. Hogg Rock exhibits normal magnetic polarity and is probably about 80,000 years old.
Pelican Butte is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon. It is located 28 miles (45 km) due south of Crater Lake and 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Mount McLoughlin. Ice age glaciers carved a large cirque into the northeast flank of the mountain. Several proposals have been made over the last few decades for ski area development on the northeast flanks of the volcano, but there are no current plans to develop a ski area on the mountain.
The Western Cascades or Old Cascades are a sub-province of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon, between the Willamette Valley and the High Cascades. The Western Cascades contain many extinct shield volcanoes, cinder cones and lava flows, and the region is highly eroded and heavily forested. Deposits of the same age as the Western Cascades are also found in southwest Washington state.
Blue Lake Crater is a maar, or a broad, low-relief volcanic crater, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Jefferson County, it consists of three overlapping craters, which hold Blue Lake. The drainage basin for Blue Lake has very steep, forested slopes and is mostly part of the explosion crater left by the volcano's eruption. The volcano lies within the Metolius River basin, which supports a wide array of plant life, large and small mammals, and more than 80 bird species. A 2009 Oregon law designated the Metolius River basin as an area of critical concern, preventing large-scale development and protecting wildlife.
The Sand Mountain Volcanic Field is a volcanic field in the upper McKenzie River watershed, located in the United States in Oregon. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, it lies southwest of Mount Jefferson and northwest of Belknap Crater and Mount Washington. Its highest elevation is 5,463 feet (1,665 m).