Horseshoe Crater

Horseshoe crater brief history

This article is about the crater in New Mexico. For the crater in Antarctica, see Radian Ridge § Horseshoe Crater.

Horseshoe Crater volcano in the desert.

Horseshoe Crater is a cinder cone volcanic crater in Colfax County, New Mexico, United states.[1] It is located southeast of the Capulin Volcano National Monument and in the Raton-Clayton volcanic field.[2]

## History

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### Geology

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Horseshoe Crater was most likely created due to a volcanic depression or meteorite explosion.[1] The name comes from the U-shaped crater in the volcano that reaches the ground. There are no new reports of activity inside the volcano and it's highly likely there won't be ever again. Horseshoe Crater is 440,000 years old, much older than the Capulin volcano. Horseshoe has lost it's cinder cone profile and became rounder due to erosion, and its original height was significantly cut down.[3]

### Comparison to Capulin

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Name[4][5] | Height  | Age  | Type  | Class

|
|
|
|

Horseshoe crater  | 7772 ft  | 440,000 years old  | Cinder cone  | Extinct
Capulin  | 8182 ft  | 56,000 years old  | Cinder cone  | Extinct

## Surrounding areas

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The closest town to Horseshoe Crater is the small settlement of Capulin. This volcano and the surrounding ones in the volcanic field pose no threat to the population as they have all gone extinct.

## See also

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* List of volcanoes in the United States
* List of impact structures on Earth

## References

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1. ^ a b "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
2. ^ "Capulin Volcano: Marvel at Geology & Dark Skies | WNPA". Western National Parks Association. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
3. ^ "Erosional Volcanic Landforms - Volcanoes, Craters & Lava Flows (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
4. ^ "Horseshoe Crater - Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
5. ^ "Capulin Volcano National Monument". New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources. Retrieved 2025-02-02.

## External links

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* Capulin Volcano National Monument
* Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field: Capulin Volcano

36°41′0″N 104°2′0″W﻿ / ﻿36.68333°N 104.03333°W﻿ / 36.68333; -104.03333