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Brushy Butte

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Primary Volcano Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  •  
  • 41.178°N
  • 121.445°W

  • 1168 m
    3832 ft

  • 323030
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports for Brushy Butte.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Brushy Butte.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Brushy Butte.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Eruptive History

The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Brushy Butte. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 10,000 years ago, information might be found on the Brushy Butte page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Brushy Butte.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Brushy Butte.

Photo Gallery

The sparsely vegetated lava flows in the foreground and the darker-colored forested flows in the middle of the photo were erupted from Brushy Butte, a low shield volcano capped by a cinder cone. The flows extend down the Falls River valley to the south. The two larger peaks in the right background, located south of the town of Fall River Mills, are Bald Mountain and Cinder Butte.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).
The broad inconspicuous volcano in the center of the photo is Brushy Butte, a small shield volcano SSE of the Medicine Lake Highlands. The Brushy Butte complex has produced a broad apron of basaltic lava flows, seen here from Timbered Crater with the Big Valley Mountain fault scarp in the background. Fresh-looking flows extend preferentially down the regional gradient to the south as far as the Falls River valley, but the age of Brushy Butte is not well known. The volcano may be of late-Pleistocene or early Holocene age.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).
The forested area extending across the middle of the photo is a series of lava flows erupted from the low Brushy Butte shield volcano between Medicine Lake and Lassen volcanoes. In this view from Little Hot Springs Valley to the NW, Soldier Mountain is the prominent peak in the background, Brushy Butte forms a barely detectable topographic high on the center horizon, and flat-topped Timbered Crater is an older Pleistocene crater near the rifht margin of the photo.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).
A series of lava flows erupted from Brushy Butte volcano form the dark forested line extending across the photo below the Big Valley Mountain fault scarp in the background. Lava Springs State Park north of the town of MacArthur marks the location of numerous springs that issue from the margin of the Brushy Butte lava flows to form Big Lake, the Little Tule River, and Falls River.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).
The broad forested area in the center of the photo, below the Big Valley Mountain fault scarp on the horizon, is a series of youthful lava flows erupted from Brushy Butte, a small low shield volcano barely distinguishable in this photo. Big Lake, at the extreme right, was formed by numerous springs issuing from the margin of the basaltic lava flows. This view from the SW is from the summit of Soldier Mountain.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).
GVP Map Holdings

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included. The maps database originated over 30 years ago, but was only recently updated and connected to our main database. We welcome users to tell us if they see incorrect information or other problems with the maps; please use the Contact GVP link at the bottom of the page to send us email.


Title: Potential Hazards from Future Volc Eruptions in CA
Publisher: US Geological Survey
Country: United States
Year: 1989
Series: B
Map Type: Geology (Volcanic Hazard)
Scale: 1:500,000
Map of Potential Hazards from Future Volc Eruptions in CA

Title: Canada, United States
Publisher: DMA Aerospace Center
Country: United States
Year: 1988
Series: ONC
Map Type: Topographic
Scale: 1:1,000,000
Map of Canada, United States

Title: Faults & Geomorphic Maps of CA/ NV
Publisher: California Dept of Conservation, Division of Mines & Geology
Country: United States
Year: 1985
Series: CA Geol Data Maps
Map Type: Geology (Geomorphology)
Scale: 1:500,000
Map of Faults & Geomorphic Maps of CA/ NV

Title: W US /Map of Dist, Comp, Age-Late CZ Volc Centers
Publisher: US Geological Survey
Country: United States
Year: 1984
Series: MI
Map Type: Geology (Volcano)
Scale: 1:2,500,000
Map of W US /Map of Dist, Comp, Age-Late CZ Volc Centers

Title: Dist, Thickness, Mass of Tephra from Volcanoes
Publisher: US Geological Survey
Country: United States
Year: 1983
Series: MFS
Map Type: Geology (Volcanic Hazard)
Scale: 1:2,500,000
Map of Dist, Thickness, Mass of Tephra from Volcanoes

Title: Distribution, Comp, & Age of L Cen Volcan, Cascade Range, NW US
Publisher: US Geological Survey
Country: United States
Year: 1983
Series: MI
Map Type: Geology
Scale: 1:500,000
Map of Distribution, Comp, & Age of L Cen Volcan, Cascade Range, NW US

Title: Technical Map of the Geothermal Resources of CA
Publisher: California Dept of Conservation, Division of Mines & Geology
Country: United States
Year: 1983
Series: CA Geol Data Maps
Map Type: Unknown
Scale: 1:750,000
Map of Technical Map of the Geothermal Resources of CA

Title: Geothermal Resources of CA
Publisher: California Dept of Conservation, Division of Mines & Geology
Country: United States
Year: 1980
Series: CA Geol Data Maps
Map Type: Unknown
Scale: 1:750,000
Map of Geothermal Resources of CA

Title: Geothermal Energy Resources of the Western United States
Publisher: ERDA and USGS
Country: United States
Year: 1977
Map Type: Cultural (Geothermal Resources)
Scale: 1:1,250,000
Map of Geothermal Energy Resources of the Western United States

Title: Geologic Map of California
Publisher: CA Division of Mines and Geology
Country: United States
Year: 1944
Series: CA Geol Data Map Series
Map Type: Geology
Scale: 1:750,000
Map of Geologic Map of California
Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Brushy Butte in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites