Crater Hill, Utah
February 15, 2019
Photographer: Jeff Cuneo
Summary Author: Jeff Cuneo
This picture shows Crater Hill, Utah, the remnant of a former cinder cone. Found near the current western border of Zion National Park and standing a little more than 700 ft (214 m) above the surrounding landscape, this cone last erupted approximately just 100,000 years ago. This is an example of the volcanism that once ringed the Colorado Plateau province. Lava once flowed down the Hill's slopes, which at the time were primarily exposed sandstone. The surface here today likely appears similar to the surface that existed before the last eruption since most all of the rock composing the Moenkopi Formation has been eroded and washed away.
See the Earth Science Picture of the Day for January 16, 2019. As I was standing next to the petrified log in that picture I took the shot shown above in late October 2018.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 80D; Exposure Time: 0.008; ISO: 125; Shutter Speed: 1/128 sec; F-stop: F9.9; Focal Length: 14.