Shield volcanoes ... are built almost entirely of fluid lava flows.
Flow after flow pours out in all directions from a central summit
vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of
flat, domical shape, with a profile much like that of a warrior's
shield. They are built up slowly by the accretion of thousands of
flows of highly fluid basaltic (from basalt, a hard, dense dark
volcanic rock) lava that spread widely over great distances, and
then cool as thin, gently dipping sheets. Lavas also commonly erupt
from vents along fractures (rift zones) that develop on the flanks
of the cone. Some of the largest volcanoes in the world are shield
volcanoes. Aden Crater is approximately the size of University of
Texas at El Paso’s Sun Bowl Stadium, so give yourself at
least two or three hours to fully explore. First thing we would
like to show you is what Aden crater might have looked like
thousands of years ago. Although no one was around back then, it
has to have been one of the most spectacular scenes in the area.
The picture below is one of Kiluea Volcano a currently active
shield type Volcano. It is the famous Puu Oo, (pronounced Puh uh Oh
Oh). It is approximately 500 feet high.
Aden crater must have looked eerily similar to this in her more
active days. Aden crater suffered a devastating collapse on the
northern side of the volcano, which lead to its entire lava lake
spilling out and covering the countryside. This is called the Aden
lava flow. This field is also mixed in with the older Afton Lava
flow, the result of the Robledo fault, located somewhere below Aden
Crater. To The right you can see some of what remains of the lava
vent. The actual vent area itself is not much larger than a
standard football field, however it is obviously round, as you
would guess. It is approximately 50 feet down to the center, which
is covered, in large house-sized boulders. The smaller lava is
numerous and can be as small as your hand. These are all the result
of weathering of the volcano. The vent area to your right is
located in the northeastern corner of the crater and is clearly
visible as you walk by it. Do remember that this is a wild desert
area and you might see numerous small animals like horned toads,
prairie dogs, small lizards and other not so friendly critters such
as Rattlesnakes, scorpions and tarantulas.
To Log this Earthcache you must complete the following.
Post a Photo of you and your gpsr at the given
coordinates"Optional".Email the answers to the following questions.
Do not post them in your log.
1.) What county is Adens crater in?
2.) Aden's Crater is part of the Aden,____ lava flow.
3.) Looking to the northeast you will see the crater has a
collapsed section. Estimate in the length in feet of the collapsed
section.
4.) A Fumerole is also known as a____.
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