BH250-241e
Title
BH250-241e
Subject
Xenolith without 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 characteristics, including volcanic bombs and chilled margins. Another important aspect of this outcrop is the abundance of xenoliths, which were carried to the surface by the magma and are exposed throughout the 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 locality, 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 characteristics, including volcanic bombs and chilled margins. Another important aspect of this outcrop is the abundance of xenoliths, which were carried to the surface by the magma and are exposed throughout the 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 locality, including a volcanic bomb and several xenoliths: BH250-241a, BH250-241b, BH250-241c, and BH250-241e.
Coverage
Location: Death Valley, California
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 241e. Housed at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Type
Thin section
Relation
Collection
Citation
Bereket Haileab, “BH250-241e,” BH250 Mineralogy Teaching Collection, accessed April 24, 2026, https://bereket-haileab.geology.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/361.