Santiago Peak (Texas)

Santiago Peak
East-northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,522 ft (1,988 m) [1]
Prominence	2,440 ft (744 m) [1]
Parent peak	Mount Ord (6,803 ft) [2]
Isolation	24.34 mi (39.17 km) [2]
Coordinates	29°50′07″N103°24′59″W / 29.8351774°N 103.4162792°W / 29.8351774; -103.4162792 [3]
Geography
Santiago Peak Location of Santiago Peak in Texas Show map of Texas Santiago Peak Santiago Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Brewster
Parent range	Santiago Mountains [1]
Topo map	USGS Santiago Peak
Geology
Rock age	35 Ma (Eocene)
Mountain type	Volcanic plug
Rock type	Igneous rock (Syenite) [4]
Volcanic arc	Trans-Pecos Volcanic Field
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2+ [2]

Santiago Peak is a 6,522-foot-elevation (1,988-meter) summit in Brewster County, Texas, United States.

Description

Santiago Peak is the highest point in the Santiago Mountains and it ranks eighth in topographic prominence in the state of Texas. ^[1] It is set in the Chihuahuan Desert where it is a landmark seen for many miles from Highway 118. Although modest in elevation, topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,500 feet (762 m) above the surrounding terrain in 1.25 mile (2 km). The lofty summit served as a lookout for Apache, with remnants of their campsite still found there. ^[5] The mountain is composed of syenite, a 35 million-year-old igneous rock that intruded Cretaceous sedimentary rock, mostly limestones. ^{[6] [7]} Based on the Köppen climate classification, Santiago Peak is located in a hot arid climate zone with hot summers and mild winters. ^[8] This desert climate supports scrub brush, creosote bush, cacti, grasses, live oak, and mesquite growing on the slopes. ^[6] Any scant precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains to the Rio Grande via Chalk Draw, Nine Point Draw, and Maravillas Creek. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, ^[3] and has been reported in publications since at least 1902. ^[9] Legend has it that the mountain was named after Santiago, an Indian fighter from Presidio del Norte who was killed by Apache at the base of this peak. ^[10]

See also

• List of mountain peaks of Texas
• Geography of Texas

References

1. "Santiago Peak, Texas". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
2. "Santiago Peak - 6,524' TX". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
3. "Santiago Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-11-22.
4. Western Texas and Carlsbad Caverns, Nelson Horatio Darton, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932, p. 12.
5. "Santiago Peak". Encyclopædia Britannica . 22 November 2024.
6. Santiago Peak, Texas State Historical Association, Retrieved 2024-11-22.
7. Geology of the Santiago Peak quadrangle, Texas, G.K. Eifler, Jr., October 1, 1943, Geoscienceworld.org, Retrieved 2024-11-22.
8. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN   1027-5606.
9. The Terlingua Quicksilver Deposits, Brewster County, Benj. F. Hill, University of Texas Mineral Survey, October 1902, p. 13.
10. Lonn Taylor, Turning the Pages of Texas, Texas A&M University Press, 2019, ISBN   9780875657202.

Gallery

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  Santiago Peak (right) from Highway 385

External links

• Santiago Peak: Weather