Sunset Crater
Sunset Crater | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 8,042 ft (2,451 m) NAVD 88[1] |
Prominence | 999 ft (304 m)[2] |
Coordinates | 35°21′52″N 111°30′13″W / 35.36444°N 111.50361°W[1] |
Geography | |
Location | Coconino County, Arizona, U.S. |
Topo map | USGS Sunset Crater East |
Geology | |
Age of rock | ~950 years |
Mountain type | Cinder cone[3] |
Volcanic field | San Francisco volcanic field |
Last eruption | 1075 ± 25 years[3] |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Hike |
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument | |
Area | 3,138 acres (12.70 km2)[4] |
Established | May 26, 1930 |
Visitors | 104,583 (in 2018)[5] |
Governing body | National Park Service |
Website | Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument |
Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff in the U.S. state of Arizona. The crater is within the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of
Formation
The date of the eruptions that formed the 340-meter-high cone (1,120 ft) was initially derived from
Damage from hikers forced the National Park Service to close a trail leading to the crater, but a short trail at the base remains.[9]
The hiking trail below the summit skirts the substantial Bonito Lava Flow. This hardened lava is black and appears fresh as it has devastated the forest in its path. The lava flow also created an ice cave or tube that is now closed to the public after a partial collapse.
2015 eruption scare
On June 5, 2015, a website with satellite images reported steam rising from the crater, leading to fears that Sunset Crater was erupting. The cause of the steam was later determined to be a forest fire, and geologists stated that the volcano was extinct.[10]
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a
A 1-mile (1.6 km), self-guided loop trail is located at the base of Sunset Crater, but hiking to the summit is not permitted. A trail providing access to the summit and crater was closed in 1973 because of excessive erosion caused by hikers.
In April 2022, the Tunnel Fire burned over the entirety of the monument, though the visitor center was spared.[15][16] In December 2022, 98 acres including the visitor center and administrative facilities were transferred from Coconino National Forest to the national monument.[17]
Climate
According to the
Climate data for Sunset Crater, Arizona (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
70 (21) |
78 (26) |
82 (28) |
91 (33) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
97 (36) |
92 (33) |
87 (31) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
99 (37) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.0 (13.9) |
59.8 (15.4) |
68.1 (20.1) |
75.2 (24.0) |
83.2 (28.4) |
92.8 (33.8) |
93.8 (34.3) |
89.5 (31.9) |
84.9 (29.4) |
77.5 (25.3) |
67.4 (19.7) |
60.8 (16.0) |
94.9 (34.9) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) |
46.6 (8.1) |
53.9 (12.2) |
61.1 (16.2) |
70.2 (21.2) |
82.2 (27.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
80.7 (27.1) |
75.3 (24.1) |
64.6 (18.1) |
53.3 (11.8) |
44.0 (6.7) |
63.3 (17.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.4 (−2.0) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
37.4 (3.0) |
44.1 (6.7) |
51.9 (11.1) |
62.0 (16.7) |
66.6 (19.2) |
63.9 (17.7) |
57.5 (14.2) |
46.3 (7.9) |
35.8 (2.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
46.1 (7.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.8 (−10.7) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
33.6 (0.9) |
41.9 (5.5) |
49.0 (9.4) |
47.1 (8.4) |
39.8 (4.3) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
12.4 (−10.9) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −4.1 (−20.1) |
−0.3 (−17.9) |
5.6 (−14.7) |
11.9 (−11.2) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
38.4 (3.6) |
37.7 (3.2) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
2.9 (−16.2) |
−5.1 (−20.6) |
−8.7 (−22.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−28 (−33) |
−9 (−23) |
−1 (−18) |
12 (−11) |
16 (−9) |
27 (−3) |
27 (−3) |
12 (−11) |
−5 (−21) |
−12 (−24) |
−25 (−32) |
−28 (−33) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.41 (36) |
1.10 (28) |
1.08 (27) |
0.65 (17) |
0.69 (18) |
0.31 (7.9) |
2.65 (67) |
3.45 (88) |
1.72 (44) |
1.39 (35) |
0.87 (22) |
1.72 (44) |
17.04 (433) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 12.2 (31) |
9.4 (24) |
6.1 (15) |
4.2 (11) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
3.5 (8.9) |
11.9 (30) |
49.3 (125) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 5.6 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 11.9 | 14.2 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 74.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 4.1 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 4.4 | 20.1 |
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[18][19] |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sunset Crater". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
- ^ "Sunset Crater, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ a b c "San Francisco Volcanic Field". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2022" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ Priest, Susan S.; Wendell A. Duffield; Karen Malis-Clark; James W. Hendley II; Peter H. Stauffer (December 21, 2001). "The San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona – U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 017-01". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- ISBN 9780126391206.
- ^ Elson, Mark D.; Ort, Michael H.; Sheppard, Paul R.; Samples, Terry L.; Anderson, Kirk C.; May, Elizabeth M. (2011). A.D. 1064 No More? A Multidisciplinary Re-evaluation of the Date of the Eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano, Northern Arizona (PDF). 76th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Sacramento, California. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ "Lava Flow Trail". Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. National Park Service. September 14, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- ^ "Despite rumors, Arizona's Sunset Crater Volcano remains extinct". The Arizona Republic. June 5, 2015.
- ^ "Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument". National Park Service. September 14, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- ^ "America's Best Idea: Sunset Crater nearly destroyed by Hollywood". KNAU, NPR. October 2, 2009.
- ^ "Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – People". National Park Service. March 20, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ Sainty, Lane. "Tunnel Fire burns Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument 'in its entirety'". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
- ^ "The Tunnel Fire Swept Through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Overnight Tuesday". Great Circle Media. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "S. Rept. 117-61 - SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT". January 31, 2022. (incorporated into the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023)
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Sunset Crater NM, AZ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
External links
- Sunset Crater National Monument at National Park Service
- Sunset Crater at USGS
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sunset Crater
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Visitor Center