The Santa Clara lava flow exited the narrow Snow Canyon cut in cliff-forming rocks of the Navajo Sandstone in the background. When the basaltic lava flow reached the flat-lying valley of the Santa Clara River cut in less resistant shales of the Chinle formation, it spread out laterally, reaching a width of more than 1.5 km. The flow, one of the youngest in Utah, traveled a distance of 16 km from its source in the Diamond Valley. Housing developments near St. George, Utah now encroach on its distal margins.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1996 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Santa Clara