Lava Falls Trail Stop #7

Sinkholes and other collapse features create extra texture within the landscape.

Quick Facts

Location:

34° 44’ 13.2”; -107° 58’ 50.3”

Significance:

Stop 7 of 9

Pockets of Life

Lava does not always stay the same when it stops moving. As lava is exposed to outside air, it begins to cool. As lava cools, it contracts or shrinks, cracks, and sometimes falls apart. Rock may break apart and fall if there is nothing below a rock ceiling to hold it up, much like the sink holes and other collapse features around you.  

You don't need to worry about lava collapsing around you today: the cooling process ended between 1,900 and 3,900 years ago.  

As life begins to move in to lava landscapes, it takes advantage of the shade, moisture, and protection that is in sink holes and other lava features. Summers on the lava are hot, sunny, and dry, but sink holes create pockets of cooler temperatures, indirect sunlight, and moisture.

Sinkholes also house precious water sources. If enough rain water or melted snow collects at the bottom of a sink hole, ice forms in small pools or rounded towers and remain a source of water for life in the area.