Horse Lava Tube System

Horse Lava Tube System
Vulture Cave of the Horse Lava Tube System
LocationDeschutes County, Oregon, United States
GeologyHorse Cave lobe; basalt of Lava Top Butte
DifficultyEasy to Moderate
AccessVaried
Cave surveyOngoing

The Horse Lava Tube System (or Horse system) is a series of lava tubes within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The system starts within the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano and heads north into and near the city of Bend.[1][2] The system continues north to Redmond and includes the Redmond Caves. The flow diverts into the Redmond Dry Canyon, where the last known segment is known to exist; however, the basalt flow that created the system goes beyond to Crooked River Ranch and terminates just short of the Crooked River Gorge.[2][3] The lava flow that created the Horse system is also referred to as the Horse Cave lobe[4] and it filled the ancient channel of the Deschutes River which at that time flowed around the east side of Pilot Butte.[2] The Horse Cave lobe is a part of the basalt of Lava Top Butte which also consists of the Arnold Lava Tube System, the Badlands rootless shield, and the Lava Top butte basalt.[4][5] All have a geologic age around 80,000 years old.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NAKAMURA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Champion, Duane E., Mapping Newberry Volcano's Extensive North Flank Basalts, vol. 2002-05-14, abstract, archived from the original on 2011-06-08, retrieved 2009-07-19
  3. ^ Skeels (2009-02-13). "Horse Lava Tube System Book". Oregon High Desert Grotto. Archived from the original on 2017-12-25. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  4. ^ a b Jensen, Robert A. (2009), A field guide to Newberry Volcano, Oregon; The Geological Society of America, Field Guide 15, pp. 53–79.
  5. ^ a b Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M., Magnetic Excursion Recorded in Basalt at Newberry Volcano, Central Oregon, vol. 2004, abstract, Bibcode:2004AGUFMGP43B0861C