Mono-Inyo Craters Volcano
Updated: Aug 11, 2025 18:03 GMT -
lava domes
California (Canada and USA (mainland)), 37.88°N / -119°W 
Summit height: 2796 m / 9,173 ft
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
The Mono-Inyo Craters for an elongated, 17 km long chain of lava domes, cinder cones and maars on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada between Mono Lake and Long Valley caldera, California. The last eruption at the Mono Craters took place about 600 years ago, nearly contemporaneously with the eruptions from Inyo Craters to the south. It formed tephra rings and obsidian lava domes, lava flows and locally extensive ash and pumice layers. The most known crater of the group is Panum crater.
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Mono-Inyo Craters volcano eruptions: 1350 ± 20, 1000 ± 200, 810 ± 300, 700 (?), 490 ± 100, 440 ± 100, 10 ± 200,
700 BC ± 1000, 3850 BC ± 1000, 6750 BC ± 1000
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Date and Time | Mag / Depth | Distance / Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 08:04 am (GMT -7) | 2.6 14 km | 26 km (16 mi) to the NE | 29 mi north of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California, United States I FELT IT | Info | |
| Tuesday, August 5, 2025 GMT (1 quake) | |||||
| Aug 5, 04:15 am (Universal Time) | 1.6 14 km | 26 km (16 mi) to the NE | 19 km SSE of Bodie, CA | Info | |
| Monday, August 4, 2025 GMT (1 quake) | |||||
| Aug 4, 03:48 am (Universal Time) | 0.3 3.9 km | 28 km (17 mi) to the SE | 11 km E of Mammoth Lakes, CA | Info | |
| Friday, August 1, 2025 GMT (1 quake) | |||||
| Aug 1, 07:06 am (Universal Time) | 0.2 1.5 km | 25 km (15 mi) to the SE | 11 km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA | Info | |
Background
The volcanic field is associated with an extension of the crust in a tectonic basin on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. Explosive eruptions started more than 50,000 years ago, but almost all of the exposed domes and flows are less than 10,000 years old. In the past few 1000 years, activity has shifted both to the north and south from the center of the chain.Significant volcanic eruptions: Mono-Inyo Craters volcano
No historic eruptions are known from Mono-Inyo Craters volcano, but evidence from at least 13 eruptions during the past 10,000 years can be found in the geological record.
The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Mono-Inyo Craters can be found on the news page of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano.
| Date | Note | VEI | Deaths | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo Craters (S Deadman, Obsidian, Glass Creek) | 4 | ||||
| Mono Craters (Panum Crater, nearby vents) | 4 | ||||
| Mono Craters (dome on NW edge of NW Coulee) | ? | ||||
| Southern Mono Craters (South Coulee area) | 4 | ||||
| Mono Craters (NW Coulee and Pumice Pit dome) | ? | ||||
| Southern Mono Craters | ? | ||||
| Mono Craters (South Coulee?) | ? | ||||
| Inyo Craters (Wilson Butte) | 3 | ||||
| Mono Craters (South Coulee?) | ? | ||||
| Central Mono Craters | ? | ||||
| Mono Craters (crater N of Punchbowl) | ? | ||||
| Inyo Craters (N of Deadman Creek) | ? | ||||
| Mono Craters (Punchbowl) | ? | ||||
Remark:
Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution
Mono-Inyo Craters Volcano FAQ
+When was the last eruption of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano?
The last confirmed eruption of Mono-Inyo Craters occurred around 1380 AD.
+When was the largest eruption of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano?
The largest eruption known from the younger geological history of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano occurred around 1380 AD. It only has a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of , likely because it was a mainly effusive eruption generating lava flows but very little ash.
Latest satellite images
Mono-Inyo Craters Volcano Maps
Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (world scale)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (world scale)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (region scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (local scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Terrain-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of 5-10 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mono-Inyo Craters volcano (scale of few kilometers)
