Welcome to the inside of Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico.
Located within the Raton-Clayton volcanic field in northeastern New Mexico, Capulin Volcano erupted into existence about 62,000 years ago, and last erupted about 56,000 years ago.
Look around the video by either pressing the arrows in the navigation circle in the top-left corner of the video, or simply click and drag with your mouse. If you have a VR Headset, move your head around to hear the 360 degree spatial audio.
The Inside of Capulin Volcano
Capulin is a classic cinder cone volcano with a rim that’s about a mile in circumference and a crater in the center that’s about 400 feet deep.
Here’s another look inside Capulin Volcano Crater…
Alright, let’s head on up to the rim of Capulin Volcano so you can get a better look at the volcanic field filled with scoria cones, silicic volcanoes, and lava flows.
Rim of Capulin Volcano Crater
From the rim of Capulin Volcano, you can see panoramic views of the diverse Raton-Clayton volcanic field.
Volcanic fields differ from well-known volcanoes, like Kilauea in Hawaii or Mount St. Helens. Instead of one enormous volcano, volcanic fields contain clusters of many small volcanoes that tap into one giant magma source beneath the Earth’s surface.
The Top of the Rim of Capulin Volcano (Plus bonus Volcanoes!)
The Raton-Clayton volcanic field seen here covers nearly 7500 square miles of northeastern New Mexico and adjoining Colorado and Oklahoma.
You can see portions of 5 states from up here, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Colorado.
Check out this view…
Use your mouse to look around the video in 360-degrees. You can check out the massive Sierra Grande Volcano by looking a bit to the right.
Eruptions in this volcanic field began about 9 million years ago.
Lava Flows from Capulin Volcano
Get another look at the Sierra Grande shield volcano, as well as lava flows that blanket the Raton-Clayton volcanic field here in New Mexico.
Staring into the Guts of Capulin Volcano
Volcanoes in this volcanic field are dormant, but the potential still exists for future eruptions. Capulin Volcano, like many cinder cones, had only one eruptive period which lasted about a decade and is now considered inactive.
Thanks for joining us! Remember, volcanoes create as much as they destroy.
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