Death Valley Junction is the nearest town to Death Valley National Park, California on the northwest side. The town is unincorporated, making it small, but a good stopping point before entering the park. Visitors who want to see the Mojave Desert and its park offerings may be interesting in Ubehebe Crater.
Ubehebe Crater was formed by a volcano in the northern section of the park. Geographical information has the crater on the tip of Cottonwood Mountains. It is about a half mile wide and 500 to 777 feet deep depending on the section one is looking at. The crate is dated from 2,000 to 7,000 years old. The crater was formed by magma which rose to the surface heating the ground water and steaming the sky. Old rock was pulverized and then new magma formed an alluvial fan across the valley floor. There is also a fault within Tin Mountain which helped the magma move.
It caused an uplift in the Cottonwood Mountains range, finally sinking and melting the rock until the crater was left behind. Eruptions have not occurred in modern times, but it was estimated the eruptions reached 20 feet at the height of the volcanic activity.
