Geologic Apocalypse

Geologic Apocalypse. Mount Mazama Blows its Top. Before Crater Lake existed, the massive 12,000-foot Mount Mazama filled the landscape to the west of Klamath Marsh. A "strata-volcano cluster," it had several different vents, instead of the more common one or two. , The mountain erupted 7,700 years ago, spewing out 12 cubic miles of molten rock. The top of the mountain disappeared in a matter of days. The eruption left behind a large volcanic depression, or caldera. Over time, water began to fill the caldera, forming Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. , The eruption of Mount Mazama left behind a hung pumice mantel called "Mazama Province." blanketing 5.1 million acres east of the crest of the Cascade Range. Ejected pumice many be found in many places throughout the Refuge, especially in the forested areas. There, the soil has very little organic matter, and is mostly pumice. , Look around you to see and touch some examples of pumice. Because it is so porous, pumice is very light, and will even float in water. , Archaeologist tell us that the Klamath Tribal ancestors lived here during the eruption of Mount Mazama. The Klamath People believed the mountain was inhabited by Llao, the god of the underworld. After the mountain destroyed itself, the Klamath People recounted the events as a great battle between Llao and his rival Skell, the sky god. , The 8,934-foot high mountain you can see on the western horizon is Mount Scott, which was formed of lava from one of the vents of Mount Mazama. The rock that makes up Mount Scott is some of the oldest remnants of Mount Mazama still visible today, and is about 420,000 years old. ,