description Middle Butte (Idaho) Overview
Middle Butte is a volcanic landform on Idaho's Eastern Snake River Plain, near the cluster that also includes East Butte and Big Southern Butte. It is an elevated block of basalt formed when underlying rhyolitic magma pushed upward through the basaltic plain without breaking through the surface, making it a cryptodome rather than an ordinary exposed lava cone. The feature is of geographic and geological interest in studies of the region's volcanic history.
help Middle Butte (Idaho) FAQ
Where is Middle Butte?
Middle Butte is on Idaho’s Eastern Snake River Plain. It belongs to a volcanic cluster that also includes East Butte and Big Southern Butte.
How did Middle Butte form?
Middle Butte formed when underlying rhyolitic magma pushed upward through the basaltic plain without breaking through the surface. This produced an elevated block of basalt.
Is Middle Butte a volcano?
It is a volcanic landform, but its described formation involved magma pushing upward through existing basalt without erupting through the plain. It is part of the Eastern Snake River Plain volcanic landscape.
What other buttes are near Middle Butte?
Middle Butte is near East Butte and Big Southern Butte. Together they form a recognizable volcanic cluster on Idaho’s Eastern Snake River Plain.
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