A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Shiprock, Navajo Volcanic Field, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Description | Shiprock is a prominent feature of the Navajo Volcanic Field, located near the Four Corners of southwestern United States. The main peak at Shiprock, known as Tse Bitai, or “the winged rock” in Navajo, is accompanied by radiating dikes that also stick up above the surrounding land due to erosion of the surrounding sandstone and shale. One such dike can be seen heading away from Tse Bitai to the left in this picture. Tse Bitai is a 600 meters high, and 500 meters in diameter, volcanic neck. It is left from an explosive volcanic eruption that occurred about 30 million years ago, forming underground as the upward moving magma stalled and crystallized. Uplift and erosion subsequently exposed it. The rock itself is highly fractured (brecciated) and veined, having a somewhat unusual highly potassic composition called “minette”. |
| Chronostratigraphy | Tertiary |
| Location | USA ▹ New Mexico ▹ San Juan. Near Shiprock. Navajo Volcanic Field. |
| Photographer | Dexter Perkins. 1999. |
| Collection | E191030993F-25. |
| Key words | Shiprock, neck, dike, Navajo Volcanic Field, New Mexico |
| Tech details | 224 KB. Vista. Canon EOS Rebel, 55mm, Kodak Elite Chrome 100 ASA. |
| GeoDIL number | 1749 |
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