Capulin Volcano EarthCache
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Capulin Mountain is a cone made up mostly of ash and cinders. It stands over 1000 feet tall.
Capulin Mountain is located in the Raton-Clayton volcano field. This is one of the Eastern most volcano fields in North America.
The Raton phase was active between nine and three million years ago and was located in the Western most part of the field. The Clayton phase was active between three and two million years ago and was located in the Eastern part of the field. The Capulin phase started about one million years ago and was active as late as 60,000 years ago.
There are many signs of this event here at Capulin. You can find ash and cinder as you drive to the top of the mountain. From the top, you can spot lava flows that have rippled the landscape. Look for volcano bombs, molten rock that cooled before returning to earth. Also you can spot ribbon bombs, lava that cooled as it was squeezed from the Earth's surface.
All rocks from the Capulin Volcano are basalt. You will also find a large number of multi colored cinder about the size of a small walnut that may be reddish brown, black or yellow. As with all sites, please do not remove anything. Collecting samples is not allowed for any reason.
There are two ways to log this cache. Unless you are physically challenged, the only way to log it successfully is to take a walk around the rim of the volcano and answer the questions listed below. The rating for the walk is a terrain of 3 with a complete paved path that you will not have to leave for any reason.
Those that are physically challenged may log this cache by doing the following:
Go to the visitor’s center and watch the presentation video on Capulin. Then answer the following questions: (All can be found in the visitor’s center)
1) _______________ gets its spongy look from rapidly expanding gases as it is ejected from the throat of the Volcano.
2) ___________________ is pulverized rock less than 1.5mm in diameter.
3) Go to the posted coordinates and take a picture of you with your GPS.
For those THAT ARE NOT PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED please answer the following questions as you take a hike around the rim.
1) Located Around 36°46.872, -103°58.316 – There is a sign that talks about the wind. Name one of the two tree seeds that were carried to the volcano by the wind. __________________________________
2) Located Around 36°47.035, -103°58.094 – What bugs can be found in swarms here? _____________________________________
3) Finally, Located at N36 47.028 – W103 58.087 – What discovery stunned Archeologists? ______________________________________
Please do not post answers on the web site or in your logs. Email me with the correct information to claim this as a find. Thanks to Joyce for allowing us to make this awesome site an Earthcache.
The Clayton-Raton volcano field covers approximately 8000 square miles of Northeastern New Mexico. This is an area about the same size as Massachusetts.
Capulin is one of the taller cones in this field and can be seen from many miles away. Mesa Grande is the only cone taller than Capulin in this field. All mountains in this area are cinder cones, shield volcanos, tuff rings or volcanic domes. The flat top mesas are a result of ancient lava flows.
It shares the landscape with hundreds of other cinder cones and basaltic lava flows, rhyolitic volcanic domes and a large andesitic shield volcano. This volcanic field includes lavas of wide chemical range: from rhyolite (> 68 weight % SiO2), to dacite (63-68 wt % SiO2), to basalt (< 52 wt % SiO2), as well as varieties of these end-member compositions.
Additional Hints
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