Markagunt Plateau

Geography & Climate

Markagunt Plateau is located in United States, within the Basin and Range Volcanic Province of the broader North America Volcanic Regions. Situated at 37.58° N, 112.67° W in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a temperate climate zone. At 2,840 meters above sea level, Markagunt Plateau rises above the surrounding terrain into montane or subalpine conditions. The elevation creates distinct ecological zones along its flanks, from forested lower slopes to exposed rocky terrain near the summit. The volcanic landform is characterized as a cluster, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Markagunt Plateau is situated along a rift zone, where tectonic plates are pulling apart. As the crust thins and fractures, magma rises to fill the gap, creating volcanic activity. Rift volcanism typically produces more fluid lava flows rather than explosive blasts, which means communities near Markagunt Plateau in United States generally face slower-moving hazards like lava flows and ground fissures rather than sudden pyroclastic events. However, rift volcanoes can still generate significant ash emissions and gas releases that affect local air quality. The dominant rock type is basalt / picro-basalt, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Markagunt Plateau has 1 recorded eruption in the geological database, spanning from 1050 CE to 1050 CE.

GVP Reference Summary

The Markagunt Plateau volcanic field, covering 3,000 km2 east of Cedar Breaks National Monument in SW Utah, includes basaltic cinder cones, lava vents, and sparsely vegetated lava flows. Products of an older episode of volcanism producing trachytic, andesitic and rhyolitic lavas that were succeeded by basaltic lavas of two different ages. Several lines of NE-SW-trending cinder cones occur within the volcanic field, with the youngest flows being located near Panguitch Lake on the north and Navajo Lake on the south. Navajo Lake formed when a thick blocky flow dammed Duck Creek. Young lava flows, many of which are fissure fed, have distinct margins and covered or diverted stream drainages, which have for the most part not been reestablished across the flows. Although the precise age of the lava flows is not known, the oldest trees on the youngest flows at Panguitch Lake date to about 1050 CE (Gregory, 1949), consistent with legends of the Southern Paiute (who arrived in the area about 1000 CE) noting ejection of fiery rocks and molten lava flows (Palmer, 1957).

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program