Inyo Craters Volcano | John Seach

john

California, USA

37.692 N, 119.02 W
summit elevation 2629 m
Lava domes

Inyo Craters Volcano is located in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, USA.

The volcano consists 6 magmatic and 15 phreatic eruptive centres aligned along a 16 km long fracture.

Recent Eruptions
Explosive magmatic eruptions occurred at Inyo Craters between 650 and 550 years ago. Eruptions at south Deadman, Obsidian Flow, and Glass Creek vents produced pyroclastic flows and ashfall. South Deadman eruptions produced tephra fall over 20 km NE and covered an area of 80 sq km. Obsidian Flow eruptions were explosive and extended for 25 km covering 140 sq km. Glass Creek eruptions produced tephra covering 9000 sq km over a distance of 190 km.

Phreatic eruptions occurred at Inyo Craters during, and at the end of magmatic activity. Three phreatic eruptions occurred south of Deadman flow and formed Inyo Craters.

Three effusive eruptions occurred at the end of magmatic and phreatic activity.

Wilson Butte Eruption
The eruption occurred 1350-1200 years ago and produced pyroclastic flows which extended 9 km and covered 60 sq km.

Early Eruptions of Inyo Craters
The first eruptions occurred north of Deadman Creek, when 0.04 cubic km rhyolite dome was produced.

Further Reading
Mastin, L.G., 1991. The roles of magma and groundwater in the phreatic eurptions at Inyo Craters, Long Valley Caldera, California. Bulletin of Volcanology, 53(8), pp.579-596.

Mastin, L.G. and Pollard, D.D., 1988. Surface deformation and shallow dike intrusion processes at Inyo Craters, Long Valley, California. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 93(B11), pp.13221-13235.

Dalrymple, G.B., 1967. Potassium-argon ages of recent rhyolites of the Mono and Inyo Craters, California. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 3, pp.289-298.

Inyo Craters Volcano Eruptions

Eruption in about 1400 AD.