This volcanic field is a planetary analog—a place where scientists and engineers can test their instruments and techniques before sending them off to otherworldly environments.
Published Sep 19, 2017
Its name comes from the fiery orange earth around its cone.
Published Jun 18, 2017
This geologically young volcanic field in western Sudan has nearly 700 vents and craters.
Published Jun 5, 2017
Acquired April 17, 2010, this natural-color image shows SP Crater and its associated lava flow in the San Francisco Volcanic Field of northern Arizona.
Published Feb 27, 2011
The Pinacates region of Mexico’s Sonoran Desert is one of the most unique and striking landscapes in North America. Located just a few miles south of the Mexico-Arizona border, this volcanic field originated with the rifting of the Gulf of California millions of years ago, but the features seen today (volcanic peaks, lava flows, cinder cones and collapsed craters) formed in the late Pleistocene period (2 million to 11,000 years ago). The volcanic range is surrounded by one of North America’s largest dune fields, Gran Desierto. Early in May 2004, the new Space Station crew (ISS-9) obtained high-resolution images of the Pinacates, allowing for detailed observations of the surface features. One example is a large volcanic crater (see box, and detail below) called Crater Elegante which is one of the most prominent and interesting features of the Pinacates.
Published Jun 8, 2004
Es Safa is a striking basaltic volcanic field located in Syria, within the larger Harrat Ash Shamah—the largest volcanic field on the Arabian tectonic plate.
Published Sep 20, 2010
Part of the back-arc volcanism of the Andes, this complex landscape formed over 300,000 years.
Published Dec 30, 2012
This lava field includes at least 60 flows ranging from 15,000 to 2,100 years old.
Published Oct 13, 2009
Nestled in the northeast corner of New Mexico, Capulin protrudes from the flat expanse, an anthill of giant proportions.
Published Aug 24, 2016
A jet black plateau in central Libya harks back to a time when lava flowed across the dry landscape.
Published Apr 28, 2016
This detailed astronaut photograph depicts a portion of the Gila River channel in south-central Arizona. The northernmost boundary of the Sentinel Volcanic Field is visible in the image, recognizable by the irregular flow fronts of thin basalt lava flows. Active agricultural fields along the Gila River are a rich green set against the surrounding desert.
Published Jul 28, 2008
The western half of the Arabian Peninsula contains not only large expanses of sand and gravel, but extensive lava fields known as haraat. One such field is the 14,000-square-kilometer Harrat Khaybar, located approximately 137 kilometers to the northeast of the city of Al Madinah (Medina). The volcanic field was formed by eruptions along a 100-kilometer, north-south vent system over the past 5 million years. The most recent recorded eruption took place between 600–700 AD.
Published Apr 14, 2008
Waw an Namus, a dormant volcano in Libya, left a smear of basaltic tephra and ash in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
Published Jun 16, 2015
Mud Springs Volcano, part of the Aurora-Bodie Volcanic Field in western Nevada, produced distinctive thick and bulbous lava flows.
Published May 8, 2011
