Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

A CLOSER LOOK

Craters of the Moon National Monument is located in southern Idaho in the Snake River Plain. The Snake River Plain was formed by a series of giant eruptions which started 16 million years ago. The COM flows were erupted between 15,000 and 2,100 years ago. The hotspot that created the eruptions is now under Yellowstone. The COM has some of the best examples of open rift cracks in the world. There are excellent examples of almost every variety of basaltic, as well as tree molds, lava tubes, and many other volcanic features. The image was acquired July 14, 2006, covers an area of 65.2 by 75.4 km, and is located at 43.5 degrees north, 113.5 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26501

Explore NASA's original image record for credits and available downloads.