The 12,500+ Foot Wide Volcanic Explosion Crater with Gemstones; Kilbourne Hole in New Mexico

Within New Mexico is a more than 12,500 foot wide hole in the ground which is volcanic in origin. Being known as the Kilbourne Hole, it formed in a massive volcanic eruption less than 30,000 years ago. And, this hole in the ground contains chunks of the Earth’s mantle via green olivine crystals. This video will discuss this feature, the Rio Grande Rift, and how the Kilbourne Hole formed. Note: Collecting any rocks and/or minerals including olivine/peridot at the Kilbourne Hole is forbidden as the site is part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Rock samples shown in this video were all presumably photographed on site and not removed outside of it. Thumbnail Photo Credit: Google Earth imagery © Google. Image was then overlayed with a text overlay, text bordered by black then overlayed with white text, GeologyHub logo overlay added, orange border overlay added. If you would like to support this channel, consider becoming a patron at