Missouri's Volcanic Past - St. Francois Mountains
Q. Where is there evidence of volcano calderas in Missouri? A. "The St. Francois Mountains is a region of formerly extensive volcanic terrane comprising several calderas, cauldron subsidence structures, ring intrusions, and resurgent cauldrons. Three calderas are recognized: the Taum Sauk, the Butler Hill, and the Hawn Peak [sic]." -- https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=MOpCAv%3B0 (The term Hawn Peak is used in error, it is actually Hawn Park Caldera. Verified 3/11/2020, Geologic Survey Program, Missouri Geological Survey.)
The St. Francois Mountains are sometimes referred to as The St. Francois Mountains Volcanic Supergroup. A supergroup is defined thusly: "A lithostratigraphic unit composed of several associated groups or of associated formations and groups with significant lithologic features in common." -- Jackson, J.A. and Bates, R.L. (1997) Glossary of Geology. 4th Edition, American Geological Institute, Alexandria,
- Aerial Geologist - St. Francois Mountains Trip - MissouriAerial Geologist blog entry, Monday, February 13, 2012, posted by James Berglund
- ERUPTIVE STYLE OF MESOPROTEROZOIC A-TYPE CALDERAS IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI, USADepartment of Geosciences, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Revista Brasileira de Geociencias, 30(4):745-748, dezembro de 2000,
Gary R. Lowell - Exploring the St. Francois MountainsMidwestern Geology blog post, Jan. 26, [2015?]
- Geologic Column - Vol. 3, Issue 1, Summer 2008
A Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources publication, this issue examines Missouri's volcanic past - Geology and metallogeny of Archean and Proterozoic basement terranes in the northern midcontinent, U.S.A. an overviewBy P.K. SIMS, U.S. Geological Survey, and EVA B. KISVARSANYI, Missouri Geological Survey, and G.B. MOREY, Minnesota Geological Survey
- IGNEOUS GEOLOGY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: VOLCANIC FEATURES , GRANITE EMPLACEMENT, INTRUSIONS AND MINERALIZATIONASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI GEOLOGISTS FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK 56TH ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 16-17, 2009
FARMINGTON, MISSOURI - Missouri's Mountains: Then and NowSierraScape April - May 2006, text and photos by Becky Denney
- Nature of BatholithsBy Warren Hamilton and W. Bradley Myers, Shorter Contributions to General Geology, Geological Survey Professional Paper 554-C (1967). This contains information about St. Francois Mountains, MO
- St. Francois Mountains Volcanic SupergroupAn USGS resource.
- Silver lining in Taum Sauk disaster Uncovering an ancient mountain rangeDaily Journal Online, By PAULA BARR, Oct 6, 2008. "“The best known caldera is at Yellowstone. It is 35 miles by 25 miles,” Seeger said. “Right here, we’re on the edge of the Taum Sauk caldera, which is about 12 miles in diameter.” Unlike Hawaiian volcanoes that spew liquid lava, calderas erupt explosively. “Think Mt. St. Helens, only huge,” Seeger related. “If you think of St. Helen’s (eruption) as the size of an espresso cup, Yellowstone was a 50-gallon bag and ours was a 30-gallon bag.” -- Cheryl Seeger, geologist for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
- Elephant RocksMissouri Dept. of Conservation
- St. Francois Mountains – Hawn State ParkMidwestern geology blog by Justin Cowart
- Guidebook to the Geology and Ore Deposits of the St. Francois Mountains, MissouriMO Dept. of Natural Resources, Div. of Geology and Land Survey, by Eva B. Kisvarsanyl, Arthur W. Hebrank & Richard F. Ryan
- ERUPTIVE STYLE OF MESOPROTEROZOIC A-TYPE CALDERAS IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI, USADepartment of Geosciences, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Revista Brasileira de Geociencias, 30(4):745-748, dezembro de 2000,
Gary R. Lowell
- The Butler Hill Caldera: a mid-Proterozoic ignimbrite-granite complexAbstract of an article boy Gary R. Lowell which appeared in Precambrian Research, Volume 51, Issues 1–4, June 1991, Pages 245-263
- Geologic Unit: Butler HillNational Geologic Map Database
- KnoblickNational Geologic Map Database
- St. Francois Mountains – Knob Lick (& Butler Hill caldera)Midwestern Geology blog by Justin Cowart. This blog entry discusses the Butler Hill caldera
- STRUCTURAL STATE OF THE K. FELDSPAR IN THE BUTLER HILL-BREADTRAY GRANITE, ST. FRANCOIS MOUNTAINS, SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURIPlymate, Thomas G., Christopher G. Daniel, and Mark E. Cavaleri. "STRUCTURAL STATE OF THE K. FELDSPAR IN THE BUTLER HILL-BREADTRAY GRANITE, ST. FRANCOIS MOUNTAINS, SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI." Can. Mineral 30 (1992): 367-376.
- Effects of the Upper Taum Sauk Reservoir Embankment Breach on the Surface-Water Quality and Sediments of the East Fork Black River and the Black River, Southeastern Missouri—2006–07U.S. Geological Survey, Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5111
- Flooding caused by Taum Sauk reservoir breach reveals area's history to geologistsSoutheast Missourian, Monday, October 20, 2008,By PAULA BARR ~ (Park Hills) Daily Journal
- Geology of the Ketcherside Mountain area, southeastern Missouri, and the source of Grassy Mountain IgnimbriteGeological Society of America Bulletin, J. RONALD SIDES, doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1981)92<686:GOTKMA>2.0.CO;2
v. 92 no. 9 p. 686-693 This article abstract mentions the Taum Sauk caldera and the Butler Hill caldera - Guidebook to the Geology and Ore Deposits of the St. Francois Mountains, MissouriMO Dept. of Natural Resources, Div. of Geology and Land Survey, by Eva B. Kisvarsanyl, Arthur W. Hebrank & Richard F. Ryan
- Precambrian volcanics associated with the Taum Sauk Caldera, St. Francois Mountains, Missouri, U.S.A.Abstract of article: Berry, A.W. & Bickford, M.E. Bull Volcanol (1972) 36: 303. doi:10.1007/BF02596873
- Silver lining in Taum Sauk disaster Uncovering an ancient mountain rangeDaily Journal Online, By PAULA BARR, Oct 6, 2008. "“The best known caldera is at Yellowstone. It is 35 miles by 25 miles,” Seeger said. “Right here, we’re on the edge of the Taum Sauk caldera, which is about 12 miles in diameter.” Unlike Hawaiian volcanoes that spew liquid lava, calderas erupt explosively. “Think Mt. St. Helens, only huge,” Seeger related. “If you think of St. Helen’s (eruption) as the size of an espresso cup, Yellowstone was a 50-gallon bag and ours was a 30-gallon bag.” -- Cheryl Seeger, geologist for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
- St. Francois Mountains – Johnson’s Shut-Ins Pt. 1Midwestern geology blog by Justin Cowart
- St. Francois Mountains – Johnson’s Shut-Ins Pt 2Midwestern geology blog by Justin Cowart
Special Topic - Hughes Mountain, Devil's Honeycomb
Hughes Mountain, Devil's Honeycomb. Image by By Cliff White, Art Director - Missouri Department of Conservation, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6659892
- St. Francois Mountains – Devil’s HoneycombMidwestern Geology blog entry,, April 19, [2015?]
- This Epic Mountain In Missouri Will Drop Your JawA commercial website, it includes photos of the volcanic Devil's Honeycomb structure
Hotspots
- East Coast mantle hotspot could explain massive Missouri quakesars technica article by Scott K. Johnson - Sept 18 2013
- Seismic data reveal 'hotspot' passed under United States 2011 Virginia earthquake points to scars from ancient mantle plumeNature: International Weekly Journal of Science, article by Sid Perkins, 15 September 2013
- Hotspot (geology)ScienceDaily.com, "The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Hotspot (geology)", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License."
- Hotspot (geology)Encyclopaedia Britannica
Missouri's Icy Past - Glaciers
- Missouri's Icy PastA Missouri Conservationist article on glacial effects in Missouri, published on Dec. 2, 2001, rev. Nov. 10, 2010, written by Tom Nagel
- Missouri's Northern PlainsFrom the Missouri Conservationist Magazine, October 2005 Issue, Publish Date: Oct 02, 2005
Revised Date: Nov 22, 2010