Cima volcanic field
| Cima volcanic field | |
|---|---|
Cinder cones seen from Kelbaker Road.
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| Highest point | |
| Coordinates | 35°15′N 115°45′W / 35.250°N 115.750°WCoordinates: 35°15′N 115°45′W / 35.250°N 115.750°W |
| Geography | |
 Cima volcanic field
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| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Miocene to |
| Mountain type | Volcanic field |
| Last eruption | 15,000 ± 5,000 years before present |
Cima volcanic field is a volcanic field in San Bernardino County, California, close to the border with Nevada. The volcanic field covers a surface area of 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) within the Mojave National Preserve west of the Cima Dome and consists of about 40 volcanic cones with about 60 lava flows. The volcanic cones range from simple cones over multi-cratered mountains to eroded hills, and lava flows are up to 9.1 kilometres (5.7 mi) long. At least one lava tube exists in the field and can be visited.
Volcanic activity in the field commenced in the Miocene and after a pause between 3 and 1 million years ago continued into the latest . The youngest cone is known as the Black Tank cone and formed about 15,000 years before present although it is possible that it was formed through two separate eruption events; formerly it was considered to be of historical age.
The Cima volcanic field lies in the eastern Mojave Desert, between the Shadow Valley in the northeast, the Cima Dome in the east and the Soda Lake Valley in the southwest. Southwest of the field is the Kelbaker Road which crosses some lava flows, and dirt roads such as the Indian Springs Trail and the Aiken Mine Road crisscross between the volcanoes.
Interstate 15 passes north of the field and just south of older volcanic units while California State Route 127 runs west and southwest of the field, and the city of Las Vegas is 120 kilometres (75 mi) northeast of the area. The Cima volcanoes are part of the Mojave National Preserve and since 1973 they make up the Cinder Cones National Natural Landmark.
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