Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: Geologic resources inventory report
Kellerlynn K. 2018. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: Geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2018/1783. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report synthesizes discussions from a scoping meeting held in 1999 and a follow-up conference call in 2017 (see Appendix A). Chapters in this report discuss the geologic setting of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (referred to as the “park” throughout this report), highlight distinctive geologic features and processes in the park, address geologic issues facing resource managers, describe the geologic history leading to the present-day landscape, and provide information about the previously completed GRI map data. Posters (in pocket) illustrate these data. This report is accompanied by two GRI GIS data sets—a 1:100,000-scale data set (crmo_geology.mxd) and a 1:24,000-scale data set (cotm_geology.mxd). Because the 1:100,000-scale data set covers a much greater area—i.e., all of the NPS monument and most of the preserve, including all of the Craters of the Moon and Kings Bowl lava fields and most of the Wapi lava field—it was the primary data set used in preparing this report. By comparison, the 1:24,000-scale data set covers much of the Craters of the Moon lava field but none of the Wapi or Kings Bowl lava fields. Because the cotm_geology.mxd data set provides more detail, many features mapped in it are highlighted in this report. Furthermore, because of the greater detail provided in the cotm_geology.mxd data set, researchers and resource managers are encouraged to use it when they need geologic information about the original monument or wilderness area. Notably, the map unit symbols of the crmo_geology. mxd and cotm_geology.mxd data sets differ in format (see table 4 and “Geologic Map Data”). Map unit symbols of the crmo_geology.mxd data set are used in this report. “Craters of the Moon” has inspired geologic curiosity for more than a century, beginning with Israel C. Russel in 1901 then Harold T. Stearns in the 1920s, followed by Mel A. Kuntz in the 1980s to the present day. Stearns was the first to use the name “Craters of the Moon” when he suggested in 1923 that a national monument be established. After the name appeared in a National Geographic article by Robert W. Limbert in 1924, it became affixed. Later that year, the name would become official when the area was set aside by President Calvin Coolidge as a national monument under the Antiquities Act. Since 1924, the original monument has expanded and boundary adjustments have been made through five presidential proclamations. The most recent expansion, referred to as the “expansion area” in this report, greatly increased the size of the monument and designated the preserve. The National Park Service (NPS) retains management of the original monument area and administers the preserve; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the new monument area. As a result of the most recent proclamation, many more volcanic features—including most of the 80-km- (50-mi-) long Great Rift volcanic rift zone and the Craters of the Moon, Wapi, and Kings Bowl volcanic fields—are managed and protected as part of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Kellerlynn, Katie
- Date of Issue
- 2018-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CRMO , GRD , GRI , NRSS , UCBN
- Keywords
- Abandoned Mineral Lands, and Kipukas, and Protection, Cave Resource Management, Cave Resources, Climate Change Impacts to Geologic Resources, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, CRMO, Earthquakes, Eolian Features and Processes, Faults, Geologic Features, Geologic History, Geologic Processes, Geologic Resource Management Issues, Geologic Resources Division, Geologic Resources Inventory, GRD, GRI, Idaho, Lava Tubes, Loess, Map Unit Properties Table, Map Units, Mining, Monitoring, National Park Service, NPS, Paleontological Resource Inventory, Paleontological Resources, Resource Management, Slope and Rock Stability, Soil, Visitor Use Impacts, Volcanic Features, Volcanic Rocks and Lava, Volcano Hazards, Waterhole Inventory and Ice Lenses, Wind Erosion
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Windblown Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Hillslope Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Cave/Karst Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Volcanic Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Seismic Activity , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Paleontology | Paleontology