|
Geological Survey Bulletin 1673
Selected Caves and Lava Tube Systems in and near Lava Beds National Monument, California |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover photo: Lava cascade in Thunderbolt Distributary of Labyrinth Cave system.
Exploring the caves
Cave names
Cave maps and descriptions
Preparation of the maps
Acknowledgments
Caves easily accessible from Cave Loop Road
Lava-Tube Caves of the Headquarters area
Mushpot Cave
Features near entrance
High-lava marks
Eastern distributary
Western tributary
Balconies and skylights
Dripstone and lavacicles
Caliche, false gold, and phosphorescent deposits
Lava Brook Cave
Three Junction area
Twin Pillars-Sleeping Beauty area
Mushpot-Lava Brook floor jam
South tributary
Lava Brook Cave upstream from entrance
Area near Thunderbolt entrance
Thunderbolt Distributary (East Labyrinth Cave)
Downstream from East Labyrinth entrance
Arch Cave
Near-surface nature of the Headquarters and Labyrinth area tubes
Indian Well, Doc Yock, and Stinking Caves
Labyrinth Cave System
Garden Bridges area
Blue Grotto area
Hopkins Chocolate Cave
Golden Dome Cave
Labyrinth (area east of Garden Bridges)
Thunderbolt and Labyrinth Distributaries
Catacombs Cave
Former lava lake in Catacombs Basin
Features between The Bedroom and The Bathtub
The Bathtub area
Northeastern part of Catacombs Caves
The southeastern tube
Two northeastern tubes
Area near Howards Hole
Balconies near crossover between tubes
Second crossover and area near Cleopatras Grave
Ovis Cave and Paradise Alleys
Ovis Cave
Paradise Alleys
Lower level
Middle level
Upper level
Former skylight
Natural Bridge area
Large collapse trenches
Lava-tube caves in the Natural Bridge area
Caves beneath Natural Bridge
Gail Cave
Juniper Pole Cave
Sunshine Cave
Battered Sherman Cave and Sunshine Arch
Prohibition Cave
Hercules Leg and Juniper Caves
Features near entrance
Middle and lower parts of Hercules Leg Cave
Juniper Cave
Relation to Hercules Leg Cave
Floor jam at the junction of Hercules Leg tube and Upper Juniper Tube
Sentinel Cave
Features near upper entrance
Middle level of Sentinel Cave
Tubes intersecting Sentinel Cave
Lower entrance and downstream extension
Other caves in or near the monument
Valentine Cave
Surface features near entrance
Schollendomes
Upper part of Valentine Cave
Two central breakdowns
Downstream distributaries
Tickner and Berthas Cupboard Caves and Tickner Chimneys
Tickner Cave
Berthas Cupboard Cave
Tickner Chimneys
Merrill Ice Cave, Bearpaw Cave, and nearby collapse trenches
Merrill Ice Cave, entrance level
Merrill Ice Cave, ice level
Bearpaw Cave
Collapse trenches
Hydraulic rampart
Kirk Whites and Beaconlight Caves
Kirk Whites Cave
The Igloo
Beaconlight Cave
Skull Cave
Upper level
Lower level
Red tuff and volcanic breccia
Ice in Skull Cave
Boulevard, Balcony, and Sharks Mouth Caves
Boulevard Cave
Boulevard entrance chamber and East Branch of Balcony Cave
Balcony Cave
South Branch of Balcony Cave
Balcony Extension
Sharks Mouth Cave
Other caves
Silver Cave
Features at entrance
Features downstream from entrance
Features upstream from entrance
Post Office Cave
General pattern of Post Office Cave
Collapse trench at downstream entrance
Flow units
Entrance cavern and downstream entrance level
Upper Cataract Tube
Red Plaster Room
Second breakdown
Cataract Connector
Lower Cataract Tube
Tubes upstream from Cataract Connector
Silver Connector level
Silver Connector
Lower Entrance Tube
Cocoa Pipeline
Cocoa entrance level
Upper entrance level
Lava transport
Craig Cave and Craig Temple
Craig Cave
Entrance collapse trench
Craig Temple
Fern Cave
Downstream through Fern Cave
Crystal Cave
Upper level
Middle and lower levels
Overpass level
Ice deposits
Heppe Caves and the Mammoth Crater-Hidden Valley area
Geology of the Heppe Caves
Heppe Chimney
Mammoth Crater
Hidden Valley
Former lava lake north of Mammoth Crater
Shoreline of the lava lake
Upper Ice Cave
Callahan flow
Collapse trenches between Skull Cave and Three Bridges area
Skull breakdown to Captain Jacks Bridge
Captain Jacks Bridge to Three Bridges area
Schonchin Butte flow
Additional references on volcanology
PLATES
1. Caves of the Headquarters Area, Labyrinth Cave System, and Catacombs Cave, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 1 — Caves of the Headquarters Area-Thunderbolt, Lava Brook, East Labyrinth, Mushpot, Arch, Indian Well, Doc Yock, and Stinking Caves
Map 2 — Labyrinth Cave System-Blue Grotto, Garden Bridges, Golden Dome, Hopkins Chocolate, and Thunberbolt Caves
Map 3 — Catacombs Cave
2. Ovis, Ovis Annex, Paradise Alleys, Hercules Leg, Juniper, and Sentinel Caves and Natural Bridge Area, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 4 — Ovis, Ovis Annex, and Paradise Alleys Caves
Map 5 — Natural Bridge Area
Map 6 — Hercules Leg and Juniper Caves
Map 7 — Sentinel Cave
3. Valentine, Tickner, and Berthas Cupboard Caves and Tickner Chimneys, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 8 — Valentine Cave
Map 9 — Tickner and Berthas Cupboard Caves and Tickner Chimneys
4. Merrill Ice Cave, Merrill Natural Bridge, Bearpaw, Kirk Whites, Beaconlight, The Igloo, Skull, Boulevard, Balcony, and Sharks Mouth Caves, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 10 — Merrill Ice Cave, Merrill Natural Bridge, and Bearpaw Cave
Map 11 — Kirk Whites, Beaconlight, and the Igloo Caves
Map 12 — Skull Cave
Map 13 — Boulevard, Balcony, and Sharks Mouth Caves
5. Silver, Post Office, Craig, and Fern Caves and Craig Temple, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 14 — Silver Cave
Map 15 — Post Office Cave
Map 16 — Craig Temple and Craig Cave
Map 17 — Fern Cave
6. Crystal Cave, Heppe Caves, Mammoth Crater-Hidden Valley Area and Breakdowns between Skull Cave and Three Bridges, Lava Beds National Monument, California.
Map 18 — Crystal Cave
Map 19 — Heppe Caves and Mammoth Crater-Hidden Valley Ara
Map 20 — Collapse Trenches Between Skull Cave and Three Bridges Area
FIGURES
1. Index map showing location of selected features in and near Lava Beds National Monument and distribution of the basalt of Mammoth Crater
2. Photograph showing Medicine Lake shield volcano from northern edge of Lava Beds National Monument
3. Photograph showing late afternoon panorama across Lava Beds National Monument to Medicine Lake volcano and Mount Shasta
4. Map showing cave locations and lava-tube systems in Lava Beds National Monument
5. Photograph showing ropy pahoehoe lava
6. Sketch of different lava types
7—12. Photographs showing:
7. Aa lava, Devils Homestead flow
8. Lava dripstone, Post Office Cave
9. Lava driblet, Fern Cave
10. Lava stalagmite, Post Office Cave
11. Lava dripstone and "pull out," Mushpot Cave
12. Lava bench, Crystal Cave
13. Sketch of rafted block called Cleopatras Grave, Catacombs Cave
14. Map showing cave locations, Cave Loop Road area
15. Photograph showing view of the Petroglyphs section of Lava Beds National Monument from the northeastern part of the monument
16. Sketch of the Mushpot bubble
17—21. Photographs showing:
17. Caliche on wall of Post Office Cave
18. False gold cave deposits on wall of Golden Dome Cave
19. Arch Cave interior
20. Wall of Indian Well Cave
21. Lava cascade in tube, Garden Bridges area
22. Sketch of tube-in-tube, Garden Bridges area
23—71. Photographs showing:
23. Interior of Golden Dome Cave
24. Low ceiling, Catacombs Cave
25. Shark-tooth-shaped lavacicles, Catacombs Cave
26. The Bathtub Drain, Catacombs Cave
27. Bighorn skulls found in Ovis Cave
28. Entrance, Ovis Cave
29. Collapsed floor, Paradise Alleys tube
30. Arch-shaped natural bridge of lava
31. Dripstone wall, Hercules Leg Cave
32. Collapse blocks on floor of Juniper Cave
33. Narrow passage, Sentinel Cave
34. Entrance, Valentine Cave
35. Lava benches, Valentine Cave
36. Schollendome, Captain Jacks Stronghold
37. Entrance area, Berthas Cupboard Cave
38. Surface collapse of tube allows entrance to Tickner Cave
39. Natural bridge near entrance to Tickner Cave
40. Benches near entrance, Tickner Cave
41. Buckled floor, Tickner Cave
42. Large pillar, Berthas Cupboard Cave
43. Curled lining, Berthas Cupboard Cave
44. Ross Chimneys spatter vents
45. Entrance, Merrill Ice Cave
46. Trench and hydraulic rampart near Merrill Ice Cave
47. Skull Cave entrance and collapse trench
48. The Boulevard, Boulevard Cave
49. Balcony, Balcony Cave
50. Balcony, Silver Cave
51. Stacked tubes in Silver Connector, Post Office Cave
52. Coated blocks of lava, Red Plaster Room, Post Office Cave
53. Cataract Connector, Post Office Cave
54. Small triangular-shaped tube, Post Office Cave
55. Exit, Post Office Cave
56. Basalt of Valentine Cave flow into Craig Cave collapse trench
57. Lava layers above entrance, Craig Cave
58. Entrance, Fern Cave
59. Lava gutter, Fern Cave
60. Pictographs, Fern Cave
61. Ice drapery, Crystal Cave
62. Ice stalactites and stalagmites meet in Crystal Cave
63. Red Ice Room, Crystal Cave
64. Ice crystals, Crystal Cave
65. Ice crystals form elongate features, Crystal Cave
66. Entrance, Lower Heppe Cave
67. Schonchin Butte
68. Aerial view of former lava lake
69. Edge of Callahan flow
70. Aerial view of lava-tube collapse trenches adjacent to Schonchin Butte flow
71. View of reclaimed Tule Lake and Gillem Bluff from north edge of Lava Beds National Monument near Captain Jacks Stronghold
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Dallas L. Peck, DirectorAny use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government
Library of congress cataloging-in-Publication Data
Waters, Aaron clement, 1905-
Selected caves and lava-tube systems in and near Lava Beds National Monument, California / by Aaron C. Waters, Julie M. Donnelly-Nolan, and Bruce W. Rogers.
p. cm.—(U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1673)
Includes bibliographical references.
Supt. of Docs. no.: | 19.3:1673
1. Lava tubes—California—Lava Beds National Monument. 2. Caves—California—Lava Beds National Monument. 3. Lava Beds National Monument (Calif.)
I. Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M. II. Rogers, Bruce W. III. Title. IV. Series.
QE75.B9 no. 1673
[GB649.L3] 557.3 s—dc20 90-3661 [551.4'.0979421] CIP
|
Many of the feature names used in this report and on the included maps were assigned by the authors. These names are not officially recognized or approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and are thus considered informal. |
A PDF copy of this report is also available.
| <<< Previous | <<< Contents >>> | Next >>> |
bul/1673/contents.htm
Last Updated: 29-Oct-2021