Diamond Craters is a volcanic field

Volcanic field

A volcanic field is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. They usually contain 10 to 100 volcanoes, such as cinder cones and are usually in clusters. Lava flows may also occur...

 or small shield volcano

Shield volcano

A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...

in southeastern Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of the town of Burns

Burns, Oregon

Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...

. It consists of a 23 sq mi (60 km²) area of basalt

Basalt

Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...

ic lava flows, cinder cone

Cinder cone

According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...

s, and maar

Maar

A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater that is caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption, an explosion caused by groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake. The name comes from the local Moselle...

s. The volcanoes are less than 60,000 years old, and some craters may be as recent as 6,000 years based on the sediment

Sediment

Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....

ation history in the lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

-filled Malheur Maar.

Diamond Craters and the nearby Diamond post office were named after the Diamond Ranch, established in the area by the pioneer Mace McCoy and his partner Albert Hugh Robie. The ranch used a diamond-shaped brand, hence the name.

Notable Vents

Name	Elevation	Coordinates	Last eruption
Big Bomb Crater	1308 metres (4,291 ft)	-	-
Central Crater Complex	1378 metres (4,521 ft)	-	-
Cloverleaf Crater	-	-	-
Dry Maar	1268 metres (4,160 ft)	-	-
East Twin Crater	1326 metres (4,350 ft)	-	-
Keyhole Explosion Crater	-	-	-
Lava Pit Crater	1305 metres (4,281 ft)	-	-
Little Red Cone	-	-	-
Malheur Maar	1286 metres (4,219 ft)	-	-
Nolf Crater	-	-	-
Oval Crater	-	-	-
Red Bomb Crater	1323 metres (4,341 ft)	-	-
West Twin Crater	1326 metres (4,350 ft)	-	-

External links

• Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area - Bureau of Land Management
• Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests - Diamond Craters
• Diamond Craters, Oregon at Volcano World
• Diamond Craters Recreation Area Management Plan