Cabezon Peak
Cabezon Peak is a volcanic plug located near the "ghost town" of Cabezon, New Mexico
Cabezon Peak in northwestern New Mexico
Oblique air photo of Cabezon Peak, facing north
Cabezon Peak is a large volcanic plug that is a prominent feature in northwestern New Mexico. It rises to 7,785 feet in elevation.[1] Cabezon Peak is two miles south of the old ghost town of Cabezon and the Rio Puerco. This volcanic neck is formed of basalt and is part of the Mount Taylor volcanic field. A volcanic neck or plug is formed when magma from an existing volcano solidifies in the pipe or neck and the surrounding sediment is eroded away. Marine Cretaceous rocks of the Mancos Shale and Point Lookout Sandstone are exposed around the base of Cabezon Peak.
Cabezon means “big head” in Spanish. One Navajo myth holds that it is the head of a giant killed by gods.
References
- Chronic, Halka, 1987, Roadside Geology of New Mexico: Roadside Geology Series, Mountain Press Publishing Company.
- Dictionary of Geological Terms, Anchor Press/Doubleday, third edition
- Julyan, Robert, 1998, The Place Names of New Mexico: The University of New Mexico Press, revised edition.
Coordinates: 35°35′56″N 107°05′42″W / 35.599°N 107.095°W
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