Marker Name: Fossil Fumaroles
Marker Text: The history of the strange rock formations in front of you began about 7,700 years ago when the eruptions of Mt. Mazama were reaching their climax. Torrents of red-hot, gas-charged pumice poured down Mazama’s slopes at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 kph). On top of this came a flow of heavier rocks called scoria. These glowing avalanches flooded downslope for many miles, leaving deep deposits in their wake.
Temperatures in the deposits may have exceeded 750° F (400° C). Plumes of vapors appeared, as gasses escaped from the settling rocks through vents called fumaroles. Minerals in the gasses, combined with extreme heat, welded the sides of the fumaroles in the shape of slender cones. Since then, Annie Creek has eroded a canyon through the deposits, exposing the fossil fumaroles as pinnacles and columns.
The depth of the canyon here at Godfrey Glen is about 250 feet (75 m).
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