ARCHIVED - Maiden Peak Viewpoint
Posted by: Volcanoguy
N 43° 34.847 W 121° 51.129
10T E 592673 N 4825953
This sign was located at the Maiden Peak Viewpoint. In 2010, this sign was removed and was replaced by three colorful but less informative signs.
Waymark Code: WM15G1
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/21/2007
Views: 26
This sign is located at the Maiden Peak Viewpoint along the Cascade Lakes Highway.
Marker Name: Maiden Peak Viewpoint
Marker Text: Can You See Crater Lake From Here?
Nearly 7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama erupted approximately 70 miles southeast of here. This cataclysmic eruption not only formed Crater Lake, it changed this forest forever.
Before the eruption, ponderosa pine trees like those in front of you extended down into the basin. Now only lodgepole pine trees can tolerate the harsh living environment on the basin floor.
The eruption buried this landscape in 3 to 5 feet of pumice and ash. Pumice is volcanic foam and nearly 80% air. On a clear night, pumice quickly loses its daytime heat and then acts like an air conditioner by cooling the air near the ground surface.
As this air cools, it settles into the basin at temperatures usually below 20°F. Lodgepole pine seedlings can mature in these colder temperatures, but ponderosa pine seedlings only survive in the warmer temperatures found upslope from where you are standing.
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