Places, Earth
Panum Crater

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Panum Crater

Panum Crater is an example of a Rhyolitic Plug-Dome volcano. It is a member of Mono Craters, the youngest mountain range in North America, Panum Crater being the youngest of the craters. The row of craters begin as islands in Mono Lake and continue south, parallel to and east of Highway 395.

The first eruption began about 40,000 years ago, Panum first erupted only 650 years ago, recent in geologic terms. The chain of volcanos, including Panum, are dormant which means they will probably erupt again. Panum's lava was high in silica, about 76% quartz, making it very viscous and glassy and cooled into several different rock forms. Much of the surface is made of pumice, an air-filled frothy rock. Obsidian is chemically identical to pumice, but erupted slowly allowing the air to escape and cooled too quickly for large crystals to form. It is glass like and breaks producing sharp edges and was used by the first Americans for arrow heads and other tools and weapons. Obsidian absorbs water and recrystalizes into fine-grained rock quickly, so finding it indicates a young eruption. Breadcrust bombs formed when globs molten lava was thrown into the air allowing the surface to cool quickly but interior gasses continued expanding creating cracks in the surface crust - looking like bread crust. Lapilli, or Pele's Tears, are small drops of obsidian.

Panum, like similar volcanos, began when a bubble of hot magma rose toward the surface. When it reached ground water near the surface, it created steam that exploded to the surface throwing rock and debris into the air creating a crater. Pumice ash followed and settled about the new crater, with a fountain of cinders, ash, and pumice continuing until a large ring surrounded the crater. Lava rose in the crater forming the dome of hardened breccia as it continued. Eventually the pressure was eased and in the final phase, obsidian spires were pushed up through cracks in the crust of the dome. Some of the other volcanos in the chain produced flowing lava called coulee.

Today, Panum Crater is quiet, but don't wait too long to visit, it could wake up.


Approaching the crater from the south off Highway 120.

One of the other volcanos of Mono Craters as seen from Panum Crater.

Looking north between the plug and the rim on the west side.


Plug as seen from the Rim Trail.

The plug as seen through a low point in the Rim Trail.

Looking along the south sedge between the Rim Traile (left) and the plug (right).

South side of plug.

South side of plug.


Looking west along the south side ofthe plug with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance.

Looking north along east side toward Mono Lake.

Southeast side of plug.


Looking north between the plug and rim along the east side. Mono Lake in the distance.


The Rim Trail on the east side, looking north toward Mono Lake.

The Rim Trail on the east side, looking north toward Mono Lake.


Desert flowers on the rim of the crater.

Plants on the crater rim..

Old mine on the outer crater wall.

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This page last updated: Sunday, 25-Oct-2009 10:57:56 CDT

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Places, Earth Panum Crater

State Parks, Historic Sites, and Museums need your help.

Panum Crater

This page last updated: Sunday, 25-Oct-2009 10:57:56 CDT

Places, Earth
Panum Crater