BH250-241c
Title
BH250-241c
Subject
Xenolith (in a basalt)
Description
Cinder cones are beautiful volcanic features that decorate the landscape. The Split Cinder Cone in southern Death Valley is a Pleistocene-age volcano that has been split and displaced by movement along the active Southern Death Valley Fault Zone. Located near West Side Road and Highway 178, the western part of the cone has been offset approximately 225 meters north relative to the eastern portion by right-lateral strike-slip faulting, a relationship that can be observed both in the field and on satellite imagery.
In addition to the beautiful structural features visible at this site, the cinder cone preserves several notable volcanic features, including volcanic bombs and chilled margins. Another important characteristic of this outcrop is the presence of abundant xenoliths, which were brought to the surface by the lava and are exposed throughout the cinder cone. Some of these xenoliths are felsic in composition, indicating that the magma incorporated shallow granitic country rock during ascent. Five samples were collected from this site, including a volcanic bomb and several xenoliths: BH250-241a, BH250-241b, BH250-241c, and BH250-241e.
In addition to the beautiful structural features visible at this site, the cinder cone preserves several notable volcanic features, including volcanic bombs and chilled margins. Another important characteristic of this outcrop is the presence of abundant xenoliths, which were brought to the surface by the lava and are exposed throughout the cinder cone. Some of these xenoliths are felsic in composition, indicating that the magma incorporated shallow granitic country rock during ascent. Five samples were collected from this site, including a volcanic bomb and several xenoliths: BH250-241a, BH250-241b, BH250-241c, and BH250-241e.
Coverage
Location: Death Valley, California, USA
Nearby Geographic Feature: Death Valley
GPS Coordinates: 35.940906, -116.732639
Nearby Geographic Feature: Death Valley
GPS Coordinates: 35.940906, -116.732639
Creator
Bereket Haileab
Source
From the rock collection of Bereket Haileab. Sample 241c. Housed at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Type
Hand sample
Relation
Collection
Citation
Bereket Haileab, “BH250-241c,” BH250 Mineralogy Teaching Collection, accessed April 24, 2026, https://bereket-haileab.geology.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/359.