Audio
Lassen Audio Tour Stop 3 - Diamond Peak Pullout
Transcript
Stop 3. Diamond Peak Pullout Despite its rich title Diamond Peak is named for quartz crystals found in cavities of the lava here, not actual diamonds. Reaching a height of 7,968 feet, this peak is the weathered core of Brokeoff Volcano - a composite cone that once stood here.
Similar to Oregon’s Mount Hood, Brokeoff once reached 11,500 feet tall―around 1,000 feet higher than Lassen Peak. To the south, Mount Conard marks the eastern flank of this once great volcano.
When Brokeoff Volcano stopped erupting some 400,000 years ago, the acidic water of the hydrothermal areas and glacial ice began to slowly carve away the mountain, leaving only remnant peaks like Mt. Brokeoff, Diller, Pilot Pinnacle, Mount Conard, and Diamond Peak.
Diamond Peak survives because the lava that it’s made up of is harder than the surrounding rock and less susceptible to the incessant workings of ice, water, gravity and weather.
Today the deep canyons and sheer cliffs that have been gouged into this ancient volcano provide perfect habitat for species like the golden eagle, who will perch themselves on the rocky crags as they hunt for prey.
Description
Despite its rich title Diamond Peak is named for quartz crystals found in cavities of the lava here, not actual diamonds.
Credit
NPS
Date Created
09/01/2018
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