| Pajarito Plateau |
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The Pajarito Plateau is of considerable interest to Geologist s because it is an Ignimbrite , a voluminous deposit of volcanic Tuff laid down in an explosive Eruption —in this case, a pair of eruptions. The two ignimbrite-forming eruptions occurred about 1.4 million and 1.1 million years ago and ejected about 300 cubic kilometers of rock each. The orange-pink rock formations constituting the resulting ignimbrites are known as the Otowi and Tshirege Members of the Bandelier tuff. The soft, friable tuff is stabilized by Basalt flows that interleave with the ignimbrites. Erosion has created a maze of Canyon s up to 800 feet (240 meters) deep that divide the plateau into Mesa s. (As some mesas climb on the western side rather than descending on all sides, some people prefer to call them by the local Spanish word ''potrero''.) The result is a highly scenic area well endowed with Hiking trails, some of which reach the Rio Grande. Rock Climbing is also done on the basalt cliffs that intrude into the tuff, which itself is too soft to be climbed safely. The region is sparsely inhabited outside Los Alamos and White Rock, and Wildlife is abundant and diverse. A large Elk herd that spends its summers in the Jemez Mountains descends to the Pajarito Plateau during the winter, creating a significant driving hazard. Deer , Black Bear and Coyote are common, and the plateau and mountains support a small but significant population of Mountain Lion s, which have on occasion been known to attack humans. Smaller mammals such as Raccoon s and Skunk s are commonly encountered. Parts of the Bandelier backcountry have been closed seasonally due to nesting Bald Eagle s. The Rio Grande supports a significant migratory Flyway that brings many other birds (notably Sandhill Crane s) to the plateau during Migration seasons, and three species of Hummingbird s are abundant during summer. White Rock Canyon, the major canyon containing the Rio Grande into which the plateau's canyons empty, is notorious for Rattlesnake s. EXTERNAL LINKS |