A Land Born of Fire - Yaquina Head - Newport, Oregon
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 40.480 W 124° 04.488
10T E 414811 N 4947373
A history sign at Yaquina Head, Newport, Oregon
Waymark Code: WMWRXJ
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2017
Views: 1
A geologic history sign behind the Yaquina Head Visitor Center explains the geology of Yaquina Head.
Text of sign:
A Land Born of Fire
Approximately 16 million years ago a plume of lava rose from a “hot spot” deep inside the Earth. It flowed to the surface from huge cracks in the ground in eastern Oregon and Washington. The lava flooded the area and flowed 300 miles west, where it filled coastal valleys and bays — including the valley that was once at Yaquina Head. The lava gradually cooled, becoming the hard basalt rock you see here today.
Over millions of years the ocean eroded the softer rock of the hills, leaving behind only the harder basalt. These basalt-filled valleys now for a series of headlands along the coast of northern Oregon and southern Washington, including Yaquina Head.
Caption for graphic on sign:
The “Oregon-Yellowstone Hot Spot”. The 16-million-year-old underground “hot spot” that sent lava flowing toward western Oregon, creating Yaquina Head, has not moved. But the Earth’s surface deeps oving over it - about an inch each year! Currently, Yellowstone National Par is above the hot spot. The heat powers the park’s geysers and hot springs. Previously, the hot spot’s periodic eruptions created lava lands across Idaho as the Earth’s surface continued its unceasing shift to the southwest.
Historic Topic: Geological
Group Responsible for placement: BLM
Marker Type: Roadside
Region: Coast
County: Lincoln
State of Oregon Historical Marker "Beaver Board": Not listed
Web link to additional information: Not listed
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