El Malpaís National Monument
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El Malpais National Monument is a
National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
located in western
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, in the
Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...
. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term '' Malpaís'', meaning ''
badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, ...
'', due to the extremely barren and dramatic
volcanic field A volcanic field is an area of Earth's Earth's crust, crust that is prone to localized volcano, volcanic activity. The type and number of volcanoes required to be called a "field" is not well-defined. Volcanic fields usually consist of clusters ...
that covers much of the park's area. It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated
New Mexico Scenic Byways Scenic and Historic Byways are highways in New Mexico known for their scenic beauty or historic significance. The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department Scenic and Historic Byways Program was made effective July 31, 1998 to establ ...
.Trail of the Ancients.
New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
There are many geologic features, including lava tubes and ice caves. There is also abundant wildlife to be encountered year round. Native Americans have used the area for centuries, and it became a National Monument in 1987.


Geography and geology

The lava flows, cinder cones, and other volcanic features of El Malpais are part of the
Zuni-Bandera volcanic field Zuni-Bandera volcanic field (also known as Bandera lava field, Grants Malpais and Malpais volcanic field) is a volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States. The volcanic field has been considered for geothermal exploitation ...
, the second largest volcanic field in the
Basin and Range Province The Basin and Range Province is a vast United States physiographic region, physiographic region covering much of the inland Western United States and Northern Mexico, northwestern Mexico. It is defined by unique basin and range topography, charac ...
. This volcanically active area on the southeast margin of the
Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States. This plateau covers an area of 336,700 km2 (130,000 mi2) within w ...
is located on the ancient
Jemez Lineament The Jemez Lineament is a chain of late Cenozoic volcanic fields, long, reaching from the Springerville and White Mountains volcanic fields in East-Central Arizona to the Raton-Clayton volcanic field in Northeastern New Mexico. The lineament w ...
, which provides the crustal weakness that recent magmatic intrusions and Cenozoic volcanism are attributed to. The rugged pahoēhoē and
ʻaʻā Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or unde ...
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
flows of the Zuni-Bandera eruptions (also called the Grants Lava Flows) filled a large basin, created by normal faulting associated with the Rio Grande Rift, between the high mesas of the
Acoma Pueblo Acoma Pueblo ( , ) is a Native American pueblo approximately west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. Four communities make up the village of Acoma Pueblo: Sky City (Old Acoma), Acomita, Anzac, and McCartys. These communities ...
to the east, Mt. Taylor to the north, and the Zuni Mountain anticline to the northwest. Vents associated with these flows include Bandera Crater, El Calderon, and several other cinder cones; more than a dozen older cinder cones follow a roughly north–south distribution along the Chain of Craters west of the monument.


Features

El Malpais has many
lava tube A lava tube, more rarely called a pyroduct, is a 'roofed conduit through which molten lava travels away from its vent'. If lava in the tube drains out, it will leave an empty cave. Lava tubes are common in low-viscosity volcanic systems. La ...
s; two are open to explore (unguided) with a free caving permit, available at NPS-staffed facilities. The two caves currently accessible by permit are Giant Ice in the Big Tubes area, and Lava Bomb in the Hoya de Cibola area. The Junction Bridge lava tube ia also accessible as part of the El Calderon trail. A nearby scenic overlook at Sandstone Bluffs offers spectacular panoramic views over the monument's lava flows.


Natural history

Some of the oldest
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''glauca'', or Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through ...
s (''Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca'') on Earth can be found living in El Malpais Monument. In 2020, a new population of
hart's-tongue fern ''Asplenium scolopendrium'', commonly known as the hart's-tongue fern, is an evergreen fern in the family Aspleniaceae native to the Northern Hemisphere. Description The most striking and unusual feature of the fern is its simple, strap-shaped u ...
s (''Asplenium scolopendrium'') was discovered inside of a cave with basaltic lava flows in El Malpais, which represents the first confirmed population of the species in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
or
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
west of the Mississippi; all other known populations of the fern are around the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
,
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. Genetic analyses and surveys are currently being performed to determine the population's variation and overall health. El Malpais’ lava flows and associated lava-tubes provide a unique and critical roosting habitat for bats. These underground structures offer stable temperatures, protection, and proximity to limited water resources, making them essential hibernacula for diverse bat species, setting the park apart from others with similar woodlands and water resources. Conservation efforts to preserve these lava-tubes are vital for safeguarding bat populations, especially in light of potential threats like White-nose syndrome. From December 2010 to June 2013, all caves were temporarily closed to recreational use to protect bats from the spread of
White Nose Syndrome White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease in North American bats which has resulted in the dramatic decrease of the bat population in the United States and Canada, reportedly killing millions as of 2018. The condition is named for a distinctiv ...
(WNS) until a permitting process, including visitor screening for WNS, could be implemented. Recent research at El Malpais shows that the bacterial microbiome of bats and the bacterial microbiome in the caves can affect each other, which may provide more insight into the connections between cave environments, defense systems of bats, and WNS.


History

The area around El Malpais was used for resources, settlement, and travel by
Oasisamerica cultures Oasisamerica is a cultural region of Indigenous peoples in North America. Their precontact cultures were predominantly agrarian, in contrast with neighboring tribes to the south in Aridoamerica. The region spans parts of Northwestern Mexico an ...
, Native Americans, and Spanish colonial and pioneer exploration. Archaeological sites remain in the park. People of the Acoma Pueblo used to utilize the lava tubes that would collect cold air as sanctuary to protect them from the heat above. Some caves hold ice year round, which can be 2,000 years old. The Acoma and Zuni Pueblos forged a trail through El Malpais that connected the Pueblos, a hundred miles apart. Along the trail, ice from the caves would be melted as a water source. In the 1940s the Malpais lava field was one of the eight candidate sites considered by the
Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...
to test detonate the first
atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...
, the Trinity nuclear test, which did occur to the south at
White Sands Proving Ground White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico. The range was originally established in 1941 as the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range, where the Trinity ( ...
. The Department of Defense did use the site as a bombing range to train pilots during World War II. After the war, the Bureau of Land Management became the administrator of the area. In 1987, President Reagan signed that created El Malpais National Monument and designated it a unit of the National Park Service. It is jointly managed with the nearby
El Morro National Monument El Morro National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. Located on an ancient east–west trail in the western part of the state, the monument preserves the remains of a large prehistoric pueblo atop ...
. The Acoma Pueblo did not want the United States to make the area a National Monument. They asked for their land back, as it was used for spiritual purposes. Congress did not agree and went ahead with the Monument, while allowing sections to be closed at the Pueblos' request for spiritual use.


Flora and fauna

Over 190 species of birds can be seen in El Malpais, occupying various habitats the area offers. Raptors including red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, peregrine falcons, great horned owls, and wester screech-owls may be seen. The region also has significant reptile and amphibian biodiversity, including bullsnakes that mimic rattlesnakes, horned lizards that can double their size in self defense, venomous rattlesnakes, collared lizards that warm up in the sun, and canyon treefrogs that lay their eggs in the tinajas. Mammals found in the area include black bears, coyotes, elk, and bats. Many moths and butterflies can also be encountered in the park, including Western Tiger and Black Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Mexican Tiger Moth, and Giant Leopard Moth. Conifers such as piñon, alligator juniper, oneseed juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and Douglas fir are found here. Shrubs include sagebrush, rabbitbrush, mountain mahogany, Apache plume, and more. Many wildflowers, such as paintbrush, evening primrose, and desert globemallow can be seen. Prickly pear, claret cup, and cane cholla cacti can be found as well. Cinder phacelia is a flowering plant that can only be found in El Malpais or in Sunset Crater National Monument. Moss and other bryophyte gardens also form in El Malpais, as a result of ice melting and dripping water along humid, cool, sunlit cave entrances. 95 mosses and 15 liverworts have been documented, included species that aren't usually found in New Mexico's climate. Four vegetative communities are identified in the area, competing for space and resources. They are Grass-Shrub, Piñon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, and Lava Complex.


Protection and management

The U.S.
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
protects, manages, and interprets El Malpais National Monument. El Malpais Visitor Center (formerly The Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center) is just south of Exit 85 off I-40 in Grants, New Mexico. The adjacent El Malpais National Conservation Area is protected and managed by the U.S.
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
. They staff the El Malpais National Conservation Area Ranger Station 8 miles down State Highway 117 south of I-40 Exit 89. The
Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, US. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name wa ...
conserves large natural areas, wildlife, and
habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s in the surrounding region as well.


In literature

The second portion of the 1932 book ''
Brave New World ''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hier ...
'' by
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction novel, non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the ...
takes place on the "savage reservation", which is located on land encompassing the park's area. The ''malpais'' is the setting for a western story, "Flint" (November, 1960) by
Louis L'Amour Louis Dearborn L'Amour (; né LaMoore; March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known West ...
. Flint is a successful business man who thinks he is dying of cancer and returns to a hidden campsite within the ''malpais'' he had learned of in his youth. A scene in
Cormac McCarthy Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr.; July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023) was an American author who wrote twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, spanning the Western, post-apocalyptic, and Southern Got ...
's 1985 novel ''
Blood Meridian ''Blood Meridian Or The Evening Redness in the West'' is a 1985 epic historical novel by American author Cormac McCarthy, classified under the Western, or sometimes the anti-Western, genre. McCarthy's fifth book, it was published by Random Hou ...
'' takes place on the malpais.


See also

*
List of national monuments of the United States The United States has 138 protected areas known as national monuments. The president of the United States can establish a national monument by presidential proclamation, and the United States Congress can do so by legislation. The president's a ...


References


Further reading

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External links


Official website
at th






TopoQuest USGS Quad Map
{{authority control Malpaíses (landform) National Park Service national monuments in New Mexico Caves of New Mexico Lava tubes Natural arches of New Mexico Volcanic fields of New Mexico Protected areas established in 1987 Archaeological sites in New Mexico Pre-Columbian cultural areas Great Divide of North America Protected areas of Cibola County, New Mexico Landforms of Cibola County, New Mexico 1987 establishments in New Mexico Lava fields Badlands of the United States