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You are here: Home / Geology of RMLT / Volcanoes in the River Mountains

12/23/2009 by Editor

Volcanoes in the River Mountains

Volcanoes in the River Mountains ? – This phrase will certainly get the attention of locals who live in the area, particularly if you are not into the geology of the area.  This information certainly explains why the River Mountains are so rugged.  Since it has been 40 years since I took geology I’m going to reference material from Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication #16 ” Geologic tours in the Las Vegas area”.  

 

The River Mountains are composed of tilted and faulted mid-Miocene (15 to 12 million years old) andesite and dacite lava flows.  Two volcanoes, the source of most of the lava, have been identified in the River Mountains.  The first, located just north of Boulder city, is a stratovolcano surrounded by numerous domes.  Stratovolcanoes are cone-shaped features composed of lava flows interbedded with abundant agglomerate and breccia that formed from explosive eruptions.  The surrounding domes formed by the eruption of very sticky lava such as dacite, which erupted to the surface but did not flow.   Lava formed a low spine or a dome that quickly crumbled to a ring of debris about the dome.  

Stratovolcanoecross section - USGS file photo

The second volcano, located in the northern part of the River Mountains, is a shield volcano – a broad volcano composed of basaltic and andesitic lavas similar to those erupting today on the island of Hawaii.  

Both volcanos have been tilted, cut by numerous faults, and broken into numerous parts producing a jigsaw pattern of rocks that is now very difficult to recognize.  

This could have been River Mountains 14-million years ago. birth of a Mtn. range.

The following photo is of a cinder cone just a mile north and east of the River Mountains and can be seen from the trail between MM 12 and MM 14.  Locally it is called “Lava Butte”.

Volcano cine cone North of trail 102409

Filed Under: Geology of RMLT Tagged With: Cinder cone, Las Vegas Volcano, Lava Butte, Nevada Volcanoes, River Mountains, Stratovolcano, Volcanoes

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River Mountains Loop Trail
3 weeks ago
River Mountains Loop Trail

🌳 We are proud to announce City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department has received a Finalist Award in the 2022 National Gold Medal for excellence in Park and Recreation Management. 🏆 Congratulations team!🎉 ... See MoreSee Less

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River Mountains Loop Trail
4 weeks ago
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I was able to ride this section for the first time a few weeks ago as part of my RMLT loop. It is fabulous!!! No more riding in the channel. 🎉👍🙏

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Riding RMLT clockwise is not easy. Riding it counter-clockwise is just brutal. Either direction really is spectacular. There’s really nothing like it. I’ve been riding it since it opened.

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