Interpretive map and guide to the volcanic geology of Chiricahua National Monument and vicinity, Cochise County, Arizona (SuDoc I 19.91:I-2541)

Nearly 27 million years ago, what is now eastern Cochise County, Arizona, exploded into a cataclysmic, volcanic eruption. More than 100 cubic miles of magma surged high into the atmosphere before collapsing to form pyroclastic flows of ash and pumice that thickly blanketed 1,200 square miles. The authors recount the remarkable history of the Chiricahua Mountains using an interpretive map and guide complete with geologic map, 11 pictures of prominent geologic features, cross-sections through the Earth’s crust, and colorful block diagrams. Eleven pages of text completes the package and unveils a geologic history that extends for more than 1,400 million years. The interpretive map includes tagged field stops and pictures of the mountains’ most famous spires of Rhyolite Canyon Tuff, Balanced Rock, and fossil fumarole pipes. The text recommends roads and trails that offer the best and most spectacular views of this geologic marvel. This guide will enrich any visit to the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.

• Map I-2541
• John Pallister and Edward A. deBray