Split Butte
{{Short description|Volcanic crater in Idaho, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Split Butte
| photo =
| photo_caption =
| elevation_ft = 6,227
| elevation_ref =
| prominence_ft =
| prominence_ref =
| location = Butte County, Idaho,
United States
| range =
| coordinates = {{coord|44.25|N|111.73|W|type:mountain_region:US|display=inline,title}}
| topo = USGS Split Butte
| type = Lava dome
| age = 300,000 years
| volcanic_arc/belt =
| last_eruption =
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
| embedded = {{designation list | embed = yes
| designation1 =
| designation1_date =
}}
}}
Split Butte is a volcanic crater of the Quaternary age{{Cite journal|last1=Womer|first1=M. B.|last2=Greely|first2=R.|last3=King|first3=J. S.|date=1980-09-01|title=The geology of split butte — A maar of the south-central snake river plain, Idaho|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02597685|journal=Bulletin Volcanologique|language=en|volume=43|issue=3|pages=453–471|doi=10.1007/BF02597685|bibcode=1980BVol...43..453W |s2cid=129237469|issn=1432-0819|url-access=subscription}} located in Fremont county in Idaho.{{Cite web|title=Mindat.org|url=https://www.mindat.org/feature-5608391.html|access-date=2021-10-25|website=www.mindat.org}}
The National Park Service called Split Butte one of the most unique features of the Snake River Plain.{{Cite book|last=Service|first=United States National Park|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o6xb1H4HgdQC&dq=Split+Butte&pg=PA8|title=Reconnaissance Survey: Expansion of Craters of the Moon National Monument|date=1989|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service|language=en}}{{Rp|page=8}}
Name
The name of the crater comes from gap in the upper tephra layers at the eastern side of the butte.{{Cite web|title=The Great Rift Zone|url=https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/geo/greatrft/greatrft.htm|access-date=2021-10-25|website=digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu}}
Geology
Split Butte is also a maars and a tuff cone.{{Cite book|last1=Orr|first1=William N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6HaCDwAAQBAJ&dq=Split+Butte&pg=PA122|title=Geology of the Pacific Northwest: Third Edition|last2=Orr|first2=Elizabeth L.|date=2018-12-20|publisher=Waveland Press|isbn=978-1-4786-3883-4|pages=122|language=en}} At one point it had a lava lake.
The split, which is located on the east side is believed to be caused by wind erosion. The winds have also caused more pyroclastic debris to the east side.
It is slightly surrounded by lava flows from the Wapi lava field{{Cite web|title=Wapi Lava Field|url=https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/wapi-lava-field|access-date=2021-10-25|website=www.usgs.gov}} the butte contains vitric ash that forms a ring.{{Cite book |last1=Wood |first1=Charles A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyDRib-FJh4C&dq=Split+Butte&pg=PA253 |title=Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada |last2=Kienle |first2=Jurgen |date=1992-11-27 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43811-7 |language=en}}{{Rp|252}}