El Malpais
Ventana Arch
Evangeline Chavez 2010
El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term Malpais, meaning badlands, due to the extremely barren and dramatic volcanic field that covers much of the park’s area.
The El Malpais is part of the Zuni -Bandera volcanic field, the second largest volcanic field in the Basin and Range Province. The rugged Pahoehoe lava flow filled a large basin rimmed by higher sandstone bluffs, now large wind and water rounded and lighter colored contrasting landforms that surround much of the darker malpais. The park has many inactive volcanoes, some potentially active volcanoes.
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