This podcast episode features a discussion with a Geological Survey and Services Program Manager Jason D. McClaughry regarding the unique characteristics of the Wildcat Mountain Caldera in Oregon. A caldera is described as a massive volcanic depression formed when a volcano collapses into its own emptied magma chamber. Unlike famous landmarks like Crater Lake, the Wildcat Mountain Caldera is approximately 41.8 million years old, meaning its circular shape has been hidden by millions of years of erosion. The experts use a puzzle analogy to explain how mapping and data collection allow geologists to reconstruct the history of these ancient, invisible landscapes.
For more reading:
DOGAMI Bulletin 108, Geology of the North Half of the Lower Crooked River Basin, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, and Wheeler Counties, Oregon, by Jason D. McClaughry, Mark L. Ferns, and Caroline L. Gordon; https://pubs.oregon.gov/dogami/B/B108/p-B-108.htm. This map and report fully describes the geology and geologic history of the Wildcat Mountain caldera. Published in 2021.
Field trip guide to the middle Eocene Wildcat Mountain Caldera, Ochoco National Forest, Crook County, Oregon, by Jason D. McClaughry, Caroline L. Gordon, and Mark L. Ferns Ore Bin / Oregon Geology magazine / journal. Published in 2009.
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