Lava River Cave (Arizona)
Lava River Cave is a lava tube in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona .
The 1.2 km long cave was discovered by woodworkers in 1915. The entrance is approximately 23 km west of Flagstaff . The cave is administered by the United States Forest Service .
Emergence
The cave was formed about 700,000 years ago when molten lava emerged from a nearby volcano . As a result, the edges of this mass cooled and solidified while the interior flowed off. The temperatures of the cave formed in this way are only just above freezing point.
Web links
- Coconino National Forest Recreation - Lava River Cave. In: usda.gov. www.fs.usda.gov, accessed June 23, 2016 .
Coordinates: 35 ° 20 '32.2 " N , 111 ° 50' 8.2" W.