Mogollon-Datil volcanic field

The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field is a vast silicic volcanic province in western New Mexico, covering about 40,000 square kilometers and forming part of a larger Eocene-to-Oligocene volcanic belt across the Southwest and northern Mexico. Its activity began about 36.2 million years ago near present-day Las Cruces and spread northwestward, unfolding in four major pulses through about 24.3 million years ago. These eruptions produced enormous volumes of tuff and lava, including explosive caldera eruptions and rhyolite flows. Organized around northern and southern caldera complexes, the field spread volcanic material widely and remains important for understanding regional stratigraphy and the changing geologic forces that shaped the Southwest.

New Mexico · United States