Falls Trail Stop 3

a black rock with holes
Basalt

Photo by Sally King

Stop 3: The Jemez Volcano was not the first to erupt in this geologically active area. Here you can see basalt, a much darker and harder rock, below the tuff. These older deposits from the Cerros del Rio Volcanic Field are not just of a different composition than the tuff deposits but also were markedly dissimilar in their deposition. The basalt formed as numerous vents oozed thick viscous magma into the cooling air.

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Last updated: January 16, 2022

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