Basaltic Ridge Leading to Volcanic Plug, Shiprock, NM Shiprock is composed of fractured volcanic breccia and black dikes of igneous rock.
Shiprock, located in northwest New Mexico on the Navajo Nation, is a prominent volcanic neck or plug that rises about 1,583 feet above the surrounding terrain. It was formed about 27 million years ago by the intrusion of a magma chamber that solidified within the throat of a volcano, which has since been eroded away. Shiprock is composed of relatively rare alkaline volcanic rocks, including breccia and phonolite, which have unique chemical and mineralogical characteristics. The intrusion of magma that formed Shiprock was part of a larger episode of volcanic activity that created a number of other volcanic centers in the region, and was accompanied by faulting and uplift. The uplift and erosion of the surrounding rock eventually exposed the solidified magma, leaving the distinctive formation visible today. Shiprock is of significant interest to geologists studying the structural geology, petrology, and volcanology of the region, and it remains an important cultural and spiritual site for the Navajo people.
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