Explore Geology
geology fieldnotes title


National Monument


cover of park brochure

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Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

The volcanic field so crucial to the lives of southwestern Indians eight centuries ago is unchanged in many ways from the era when three cultures gathered for a time in the vicinity of the newly erupted Sunset Crater. Lava flows near the cone seem to have hardened to a rough surface only yesterday. And the ruined pueblos at Wupatki look from a distance as though they could still be home to an isolated people living, like the hardy Sinagua, practically "without water."

Today a paved road through these two protected areas provides easy access to Sunset Crater and some of the Wupatki ruins. Walking trails allow visitors close-up views. Equipped with a container of drinking water, thick-soled footwear, a hat, a map, and perhaps binoculars, explorers on foot will encounter the stunning artistry of nature and ancient man.

A short trail alongside the Wupatki Pueblo passes within touching range of what was once a multi-story residential complex, as well as the nearby amphitheater and ballcourt. The geological features along the trail are also worth inspecting. A monocline - a one-sided fold in the underlying sedimentary layers where the land rises slightly - acts as a backdrop for the ruins. The youngest rock layer, the reddish Moenkopi sandstone which provided the principal building material for the pueblo, is visible in several spots. Near the ballcourt is a good example of a blowhole, an opening in the Kaibab limestone layer that "inhales" and "exhales" air moving through interconnected underground cavities. Earthquake activity created fissures in the limestone called earth cracks, which can be found in the western half of the monument. Spatter cones rise like small pyramids throughout the San Francisco volcanic field.


1) Magma - molten rock and gases
2) Central vent
3) Cloud of ash, cinders, and bombs
4) Cone formed from larger lava framents
5) Lava flow from base of volcano

Formation of a Cinder Cone

Cinder cones, such as Sunset Crater, are formed by explosive eruptions. Magma, a mixture of molten rock and highly compressed gases, rises upward from its underground source. As the magma ascends, the extreme pressure drops and gases are released. The relatively thick magma and the high gas percentage causes an explosion out of the central vent.

Solidified rock pieces- of various sizes - fall back down around the vent, creating a mound. Another kind of eruption, involving thinner magma with a lower gas content, produces lava flows that may issue from the side or base of the cone.

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A geology photo for this park can be found here.


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cover of Roadside Geology of Wupatki/Sunset Crater book

Roadside Geology: Wupatki Crater and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments.
Hanson, Sarah L., 2003.
Arizona Geological Survey.
ISBN 1-892001-19-5
paperback, 32 pages, full color photographs

This book gives an overview of the geology of Wupatki and Sunset craters as well as a road guide to stops in the national monuments. Detailed descriptions of the geology at each stop are included.



Lillie, Robert J., 2005.
W.W. Norton and Company.
ISBN 0-393-92407-6



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Park Specific Text Here





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NPS Geology and Soils Partners

NRCS logoAssociation of American State Geologists
NRCS logoGeological Society of America
NRCS logoNatural Resource Conservation Service - Soils
USGS logo U.S. Geological Survey

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updated on 01/04/2005  I   http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/wupa/index.cfm   I  Email: Webmaster
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