You won’t find an active volcano in Arkansas, but you may be surprised about the location of the volcanic crater hiding in the Natural State. You know Arkansas has the only open-to-the-public diamond mine in the world, right? And that, in the past, a lucky teenager found a huge diamond there? Well, you’ll be interested to know that there’s something even more impressive about Crater of Diamonds State Park than the shiny gems you can find there. What you’re actually doing when you mine at Crater of Diamonds State Park is digging into the remains of an ancient Arkansas volcano.
Crater of Diamonds is really a volcanic pipe, and it’s part of a 95 million-year-old eroded volcano.
The gems lucky folks find at Crater of Diamonds were actually brought up to the surface by magma from the upper mantle.
If your elementary school education is fading (like mine is), then maybe this will help you remember where the upper mantle is:
So when you’re digging for diamonds in the fields of Crater of Diamonds State Park . . .
. . . what you’re really doing is searching through a volcanic crater looking for ancient treasure that came from within the earth millions upon millions of years ago.
Now that you know you’re interacting with an ancient volcano, doesn’t Crater of Diamonds State Park seem even more exceptional?
You’re right to think it’s extra special, because even for a diamond mine, it formed under unusual circumstances.
You see, almost all diamond mines are formed from kimberlite or alluvial deposits of diamonds weathered from kimberlite. The diamonds found at Crater of Diamonds are different.
Arkansas diamonds are formed from lamproite.
Except for that diamond pictured above, of course, which is formed from human creativity out of wood and rocks.
No matter how much of the science you know, Crater of Diamonds State Park is a total delight, and it truly is a wonder of the world right here in the Natural State.
So, did you know that Crater of Diamonds State Park was actually the remnants of an ancient volcano in Arkansas? Ever done some digging inside the Arkansas volcano? If so, did you find any treasures? Tell us!
This volcano in Arkansas is just one of the state’s many wonders. There are lots more, including these incredible natural wonders in Arkansas. Want to know which sites shouldn’t be missed? Check out our Arkansas bucket list and start planning your next in-state adventure.
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