Cinder Cone (Lassen)
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| Name | Cinder Cone (Lassen) |
| Elevation m | 2134 |
| Location | Lassen Volcanic National Park, Shasta County, California, United States |
| Range | Cascade Range |
| Type | Scoria cone |
| Last eruption | 1666–1667 (approx.) |
Cinder Cone (Lassen) is an isolated scoria cone on the eastern flank of Lassen Peak within Lassen Volcanic National Park in Shasta County, California, United States. It is one of the most accessible monogenetic cones in the Cascade Range and a prominent landmark in regional studies of volcanology, igneous petrology, and geomorphology. The cone sits amid a complex of lava flows and tephra deposits that influenced local hydrology, ecology, and land management practices.
Geology and Formation
Cinder Cone formed as part of the broader magmatic and tectonic framework of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, influenced by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath the North American Plate. The edifice is spatially associated with Lassen Peak, the Lassen volcanic center, and nearby features including the Cinder Cone lava flows, Brokeoff Mountain and the Heart Lake region. Its genesis involved rapid Strombolian to Vulcanian eruptive activity producing scoria, bombs, and ash that accumulated around a central vent, creating a steep-walled scoria cone consistent with models of monogenetic cone growth observed at Parícutin, Sunset Crater, and Mauna Kea parasitic cones. Regional structural controls including faults mapped by the United States Geological Survey and paleomagnetic signatures indicate emplacement during the late Holocene within an extensional regime of the southern Cascades.
Eruptive History
Radiocarbon and dendrochronology place the principal eruptive episode in the mid-17th century (commonly cited as 1666–1667), contemporaneous with tephrochronologic markers used across California, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, and USGS studies. Historical chronicles by Native American groups and later European American explorers provide indirect corroboration. The eruption produced sustained fountain-fed scoria accumulation, intermittent explosive activity, and effusive basaltic andesite to andesite lava flows that extended downslope into adjacent drainages and altered preexisting moraines and soils. Tephra dispersal patterns and stratigraphic relationships have been correlated with distal ash layers recognized in Sierra Nevada and Great Basin sediment cores, informing regional tephrostratigraphy alongside records from Mount St. Helens and Mount Mazama.
Morphology and Physical Characteristics
The cone rises conspicuously above surrounding terrain with a classic bowl-shaped summit crater and steep slopes formed by angle-of-repose deposition of scoria and lapilli. Its flank scoria layers show cross-bedding, bomb sags, and accretionary lapilli similar to deposits documented at Kīlauea and Mount Etna. The adjacent Cinder Cone lava flows, including the prominent Lava Beds-like pāhoehoe-to‑ʻaʻā transitions, exhibit columnar jointing, flow lobes, and kipuka relationships with local forests and meadows. Mapping by the National Park Service and USGS highlights morphological preservation due to arid climate and limited glacial modification since emplacement, contrasting with glaciated edifices such as Mount Rainier and Mount Hood.
Petrology and Geochemistry
Samples from the cone and associated flows yield basaltic andesite to andesite compositions with phenocryst assemblages dominated by plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and olivine, reflecting mantle-derived magmas modified by fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation processes similar to magmas sampled at Mount Shasta and Medicine Lake Volcano. Geochemical analyses including major-element, trace-element, and isotopic ratios (Sr, Nd, Pb) conducted in laboratories at USGS, University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University indicate magma evolution consistent with subduction-related signatures of the southern Cascades and permit correlation with regional magmatic suites studied at Clear Lake Volcanic Field and Mt. Baker.
Ecological and Environmental Impact
The eruption reshaped local habitats, burying forest stands and creating lava flow mosaics that now host successional communities studied by ecologists from University of California, Davis and University of California, Santa Cruz. Pioneer species colonization, soil development on scoria, and long-term vegetational recovery involve interactions among lodgepole pine stands, sagebrush communities, and alpine meadow biota within Lassen Volcanic National Park. Hydrologic changes include rerouted ephemeral streams and altered groundwater recharge affecting nearby Manzanita Lake and wetland sites monitored by National Park Service resource managers and US Fish and Wildlife Service partners. The cone also serves as a natural laboratory for studying volcanic disturbance ecology, referenced alongside recovery studies at Mount St. Helens.
Human History and Cultural Significance
Indigenous peoples of the region, including Modoc, Paiute, and Wintu communities, have oral histories and traditional land uses connected to volcanic landscapes around Lassen. Euro-American exploration, nineteenth-century surveys by United States Geological Survey parties, and the establishment of Lassen Volcanic National Park in 1916 formalized protection and scientific study. The cone figured in early twentieth-century geological literature by researchers associated with Caltech, Yale University, and the Smithsonian Institution, and continues to be a focal point in regional heritage interpretation by the National Park Service and California State Parks.
Recreation and Access
Cinder Cone and its surrounding lava flows are accessible via maintained trails originating at Devil's Kitchen parking areas within Lassen Volcanic National Park, with interpretive signs developed in partnership with National Park Service education programs and local visitor centers. Hiking, photography, and geological fieldwork are common; permitted research requires coordination with NPS and compliance with federal regulations. Seasonal conditions, including winter snowpack influenced by Pacific storm patterns and summer fire restrictions implemented by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, affect access and safety planning.
Category:Volcanoes of California Category:Landforms of Shasta County, California