Nothing left but a stopper… – Volcanic Plugs

Shiprock, from the air, 2012 (© Doc Searls, via Flickr)
The author’s description reads: Shiprock ( or Tsé Bitʼaʼí, “rock with wings” in Navajo), is a monadnock or inselberg – in this case a volcanic plug, standing nearly 1600 feet above the surrounding desert in San Juan County and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Formed about 27 million years ago, during the Oligocene epoch, Shiprock was once a vast and broad volcano, now eroded to its deepest hard parts. Its peak is 7,177 feet above sea level, and it is the preeminent landmark in northwestern New Mexico and the Four Corners area. It is also sacred in the Navajo people. Climbing, once done often, is no longer allowed.

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