New Mexico Geology

Aden Crater lava field, encompassing 75 km² in south-central New Mexico, offers excellent examples of features of basalt flows associated with a shield volcano. Aerial images and recent field examination allow a re-evaluation of the lava field’s surface features. Aden Crater sits atop the summit of the shield (referred to herein as the cone) which is surfaced by channeled lavas merging downslope into lobate lava flows. The cone and its adjacent flow field are divided into five facies. Extending away from the cone are several features associated with inflation and collapse processes, representing early-formed tumuli that did not develop as completely as those farther downslope.