The Diamond Craters is a

monogenetic volcanic field A monogenetic volcanic field is a type of volcanic field consisting of a group of small monogenetic volcanoes, each of which erupts only once, as opposed to polygenetic volcanoes, which erupt repeatedly over a period of time. The small monogenetic ...

about southeast of

Burns Burns may refer to: * Burn, an injury (plural) People: * Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters Business: * Burns London, a British guitar maker Places: ;In the United States * Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle C ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

. The field consists of a area of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

flows,

cinder cone A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill A conical hill (also cone or conical mountain) is a landform with a distinctly conical shape. It is usually isolated or rises above other surrounding foothills, and is often of volcanic ...

s, and

maar A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption (an explosion which occurs when groundwater comes into contact with hot lava or magma). A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow ...

s. The reexamination of radiocarbon dates from older studies and interpretation of paleomagnetic data and new radiocarbon dates limits the eruption of volcanic vents in this volcanic field to the time period between 7320 and 7790 calendar years B.P. Diamond Craters and the nearby

Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

post office were named after the Diamond Ranch, established in the area by the pioneer Mace McCoy. The ranch used a diamond-shaped brand, hence the name. In the 1970s, Diamond Craters was a source of controversy between the Bureau of Land Management and commercial stonecutters who were illegally removing slabs of lava to sell as veneer for fireplaces, home exteriors, and chimneys. Geologists familiar with the area cited the craters' unusual research value, a "museum of basaltic volcanic features" apt to be destroyed by slab harvesting and associated heavy equipment. In 1982, the area gained additional protection when it was designated an

Outstanding Natural Area An Outstanding Natural Area is a protected area designation in the United States. The designations are managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the National Landscape Conservation System National Conservation Lands, formally known as the ...

Notable vents

References

External links

Bureau of Land Management: Official Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area website

Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests: Diamond Craters

Bureau of Land Management: "Diamond Craters Recreation Area Management Plan"
{{authority control Volcanoes of Oregon Volcanic fields of Oregon Shield volcanoes of the United States Volcanic crater lakes Maars of Oregon Landforms of Harney County, Oregon Bureau of Land Management areas in Oregon Protected areas of Harney County, Oregon