Split Butte is a volcanic crater of the Quaternary age[1] located in Fremont county in Idaho.[2]

Split Butte
Highest point
Elevation6,227 ft (1,898 m)
Coordinates44°15′N 111°44′W / 44.25°N 111.73°W / 44.25; -111.73
Geography
LocationButte County, Idaho,
United States
Topo mapUSGS Split Butte
Geology
Age of rock300,000 years
Mountain typeLava dome

The National Park Service called Split Butte one of the most unique features of the Snake River Plain.[3]: 8 

Name edit

The name of the crater comes from gap in the upper tephra layers at the eastern side of the butte.[4]

Geology edit

Split Butte is also a maars and a tuff cone.[5] At one point it had a lava lake.[1]

The split, which is located on the east side is believed to be caused by wind erosion. The winds have also caused more pyroclastic debris to the east side.[4]

It is slightly surrounded by lava flows from the Wapi lava field[6] the butte contains vitric ash that forms a ring.[7]: 252 

References edit

  1. ^ a b Womer, M. B.; Greely, R.; King, J. S. (1980-09-01). "The geology of split butte — A maar of the south-central snake river plain, Idaho". Bulletin Volcanologique. 43 (3): 453–471. Bibcode:1980BVol...43..453W. doi:10.1007/BF02597685. ISSN 1432-0819. S2CID 129237469.
  2. ^ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  3. ^ Service, United States National Park (1989). Reconnaissance Survey: Expansion of Craters of the Moon National Monument. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
  4. ^ a b "The Great Rift Zone". digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  5. ^ Orr, William N.; Orr, Elizabeth L. (2018-12-20). Geology of the Pacific Northwest: Third Edition. Waveland Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-4786-3883-4.
  6. ^ "Wapi Lava Field". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  7. ^ Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jurgen (1992-11-27). Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-43811-7.