January 25, 2016
A research team led by bureau geologist Dr. Matthew Zimmerer has determined that the youngest eruptions at Valles caldera occurred at about 68 and 74 thousand years ago. Valles caldera is a dormant supervolcano located in north-central New Mexico. Understanding the ages of the youngest series of eruptions has important implications for assessing the volcanic hazards as described in this recently published article. This research is part of a much larger project to understand the volcanic hazards throughout the region.