Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field | U.S. Geological Survey
Source: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/zuni-bandera-volcanic-field
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field | U.S. Geological Survey
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Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
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The map displays volcanoes, earthquakes, monitoring instruments, and past lava flows.
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Earthquake Plots
To view an earthquake cross-sectional plot, click "Draw Plot" to start drawing on the map. Once the plot area is selected, click on "View Plot" to view chart or "Clear Plot" to start over.
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Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Home
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Connect
The Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field covers 2,460 km2 (950 mi2) in west-central New Mexico in the transition zone between the stable southern edge of the Colorado Plateau and the extended Basin and Range province to the south and Rio Grande Rift to the east.
Quick Facts
Location:
New Mexico, Cibola County
Latitude:
34.8° N
Longitude:
108° W
Elevation:
2,550 (m) 8,366 (f)
Volcano type:
volcanic field
Composition:
basalt
Most recent eruption:
3,000 years ago
Nearby towns:
Grants
Threat Potential:
Low/Very Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Summary
Throughout its 1.5 million year history at least 100 vents erupted primarily basalt as cinder cones and lava flows that were sometimes fed by systems of lava tubes. There are also a few maar-type volcanoes that erupted explosively by interaction with groundwater. The youngest eruption formed the McCartys flow about 3,000 years ago. The vent is located about 40 km south of the intersection of I-40 and NM-117. The eruption built an 8-m- (26-ft-) high cinder cone atop a broad, low-lying shield with a lava flow that traveled mostly northward for 40 km before it turned east to flow 10 km down the Rio San Jose valley. The Bandera Crater and flows, the second youngest in the field, erupted around 10,000 years ago. The primary cinder cone is 150 m (500 ft) tall and 1 km (3280 ft) wide with a southwestern-side breach that fed a lava flow and tube system about 30 km (20 mi) to the south.
El Malpais National Monument
encompasses most of the young lava flows in this volcanic field.
October 22, 2018
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners...
Authors
John W. Ewert, Angela K. Diefenbach, David W. Ramsey
By
Volcano Hazards Program
,
Volcano Science Center
,
Agrigan
,
Ahyi Seamount
,
Alamagan
,
Anatahan
,
Asuncion
,
Belknap
,
Black Butte Crater Lava Field
,
Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field
,
Blue Lake Crater
,
Carrizozo Lava Flow
,
Cascade Range Weekly Update
,
Cinnamon Butte
,
Clear Lake Volcanic Field
,
Coso Volcanic Field
,
Crater Lake
,
Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field
,
Daikoku Seamount
,
Davis Lake Volcanic Field
,
Devils Garden Lava Field
,
Diamond Craters Volcanic Field
,
Dotsero Volcanic Center
,
East Diamante
,
Esmeralda Bank
,
Farallon de Pajaros
,
Fukujin Seamount
,
Glacier Peak
,
Guguan
,
Haleakalā
,
Hell's Half Acre Lava Field
,
Hualālai
,
Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
,
Jordan Craters Volcanic Field
,
Kama‘ehuakanaloa
,
Kasuga 2
,
Kīlauea
,
Lassen Volcanic Center
,
Long Valley Caldera
,
Mammoth Mountain
,
Markagunt Plateau Volcanic Field
,
Maug Islands
,
Mauna Kea
,
Mauna Loa
,
Medicine Lake
,
Mono Lake Volcanic Field
,
Mono-Inyo Craters
,
Mount Adams
,
Mount Bachelor
,
Mount Baker
,
Mount Hood
,
Mount Jefferson
,
Mount Rainier
,
Mount Shasta
,
Mount St. Helens
,
Newberry
,
Ofu-Olosega
,
Pagan
,
Red Hill-Quemado Volcanic Field
,
Ruby
,
Salton Buttes
,
San Francisco Volcanic Field
,
Sand Mountain Volcanic Field
,
Sarigan
,
Soda Lakes
,
South Sarigan Seamount
,
Supply Reef
,
Ta'u Island
,
Three Sisters
,
Tutuila Island
,
Ubehebe Craters
,
Uinkaret Volcanic Field
,
Valles Caldera
,
Wapi Lava Field
,
Weekly Update
,
West Crater Volcanic Field
,
Yellowstone
,
Zealandia Bank
,
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Quick Facts
Location:
New Mexico, Cibola County
Latitude:
34.8° N
Longitude:
108° W
Elevation:
2,550 (m) 8,366 (f)
Volcano type:
volcanic field
Composition:
basalt
Most recent eruption:
3,000 years ago
Nearby towns:
Grants
Threat Potential:
Low/Very Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Volcanoes Hazards Program Links
Assess
Prepare
Forecast
Activity
Products
Observatories
About
Was this page helpful?
Skip to main content
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock (
)
or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Find U.S. Volcano
Filters
Learn More
The map displays volcanoes, earthquakes, monitoring instruments, and past lava flows.
Get Help
Earthquake Plots
To view an earthquake cross-sectional plot, click "Draw Plot" to start drawing on the map. Once the plot area is selected, click on "View Plot" to view chart or "Clear Plot" to start over.
Map Layers
Earthquake Colors
Earthquake Depth Units
Earthquake Time Units
Results
Filters
Learn More
The map displays volcanoes, earthquakes, monitoring instruments, and past lava flows.
Get Help
Earthquake Plots
To view an earthquake cross-sectional plot, click "Draw Plot" to start drawing on the map. Once the plot area is selected, click on "View Plot" to view chart or "Clear Plot" to start over.
Settings
Map Layers
Earthquake Colors
Earthquake Depth Units
Earthquake Time Units
x
Map Legend
x
Map Legend
Results
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Home
Publications
Connect
The Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field covers 2,460 km2 (950 mi2) in west-central New Mexico in the transition zone between the stable southern edge of the Colorado Plateau and the extended Basin and Range province to the south and Rio Grande Rift to the east.
Quick Facts
Location:
New Mexico, Cibola County
Latitude:
34.8° N
Longitude:
108° W
Elevation:
2,550 (m) 8,366 (f)
Volcano type:
volcanic field
Composition:
basalt
Most recent eruption:
3,000 years ago
Nearby towns:
Grants
Threat Potential:
Low/Very Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Summary
Throughout its 1.5 million year history at least 100 vents erupted primarily basalt as cinder cones and lava flows that were sometimes fed by systems of lava tubes. There are also a few maar-type volcanoes that erupted explosively by interaction with groundwater. The youngest eruption formed the McCartys flow about 3,000 years ago. The vent is located about 40 km south of the intersection of I-40 and NM-117. The eruption built an 8-m- (26-ft-) high cinder cone atop a broad, low-lying shield with a lava flow that traveled mostly northward for 40 km before it turned east to flow 10 km down the Rio San Jose valley. The Bandera Crater and flows, the second youngest in the field, erupted around 10,000 years ago. The primary cinder cone is 150 m (500 ft) tall and 1 km (3280 ft) wide with a southwestern-side breach that fed a lava flow and tube system about 30 km (20 mi) to the south.
El Malpais National Monument
encompasses most of the young lava flows in this volcanic field.
October 22, 2018
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners...
Authors
John W. Ewert, Angela K. Diefenbach, David W. Ramsey
By
Volcano Hazards Program
,
Volcano Science Center
,
Agrigan
,
Ahyi Seamount
,
Alamagan
,
Anatahan
,
Asuncion
,
Belknap
,
Black Butte Crater Lava Field
,
Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field
,
Blue Lake Crater
,
Carrizozo Lava Flow
,
Cascade Range Weekly Update
,
Cinnamon Butte
,
Clear Lake Volcanic Field
,
Coso Volcanic Field
,
Crater Lake
,
Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field
,
Daikoku Seamount
,
Davis Lake Volcanic Field
,
Devils Garden Lava Field
,
Diamond Craters Volcanic Field
,
Dotsero Volcanic Center
,
East Diamante
,
Esmeralda Bank
,
Farallon de Pajaros
,
Fukujin Seamount
,
Glacier Peak
,
Guguan
,
Haleakalā
,
Hell's Half Acre Lava Field
,
Hualālai
,
Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
,
Jordan Craters Volcanic Field
,
Kama‘ehuakanaloa
,
Kasuga 2
,
Kīlauea
,
Lassen Volcanic Center
,
Long Valley Caldera
,
Mammoth Mountain
,
Markagunt Plateau Volcanic Field
,
Maug Islands
,
Mauna Kea
,
Mauna Loa
,
Medicine Lake
,
Mono Lake Volcanic Field
,
Mono-Inyo Craters
,
Mount Adams
,
Mount Bachelor
,
Mount Baker
,
Mount Hood
,
Mount Jefferson
,
Mount Rainier
,
Mount Shasta
,
Mount St. Helens
,
Newberry
,
Ofu-Olosega
,
Pagan
,
Red Hill-Quemado Volcanic Field
,
Ruby
,
Salton Buttes
,
San Francisco Volcanic Field
,
Sand Mountain Volcanic Field
,
Sarigan
,
Soda Lakes
,
South Sarigan Seamount
,
Supply Reef
,
Ta'u Island
,
Three Sisters
,
Tutuila Island
,
Ubehebe Craters
,
Uinkaret Volcanic Field
,
Valles Caldera
,
Wapi Lava Field
,
Weekly Update
,
West Crater Volcanic Field
,
Yellowstone
,
Zealandia Bank
,
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
Quick Facts
Location:
New Mexico, Cibola County
Latitude:
34.8° N
Longitude:
108° W
Elevation:
2,550 (m) 8,366 (f)
Volcano type:
volcanic field
Composition:
basalt
Most recent eruption:
3,000 years ago
Nearby towns:
Grants
Threat Potential:
Low/Very Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Volcanoes Hazards Program Links
Assess
Prepare
Forecast
Activity
Products
Observatories
About
Was this page helpful?