Earth:East Butte

East Butte
East Butte
	West-northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,572 ft (2,003 m)
Prominence	1,542 ft (470 m)
Parent peak	Big Southern Butte (7,550 ft)
Isolation	19.33 mi (31.11 km)
Coordinates	[ ⚑ ] : 43°30′05″N 112°39′45″W / 43.5012984°N 112.6624884°W
Geography
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Country	United States of America
State	Idaho
County	Bingham
Parent range	Snake River Plain; Rocky Mountains
Topo map	USGS Little Butte SW
Geology
Age of rock	600,000 years old
Mountain type	Lava dome
Type of rock	Rhyolite

Short description: Lava dome in the state of Idaho

East Butte is a 6,572-foot elevation (2,003 m) summit located in Bingham County, Idaho, United States.

Description

East Butte and line parent Big Southern Butte were major landmarks for early explorers and pioneers.^[4] The remote mountain is situated over 40 miles east of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, 32 miles west of the community of Idaho Falls, and can be seen from Highway 20 midway between Idaho Falls and Arco at milepost 274. East Butte is set on land belonging to the Idaho National Laboratory so access is restricted even though a road leads to multiple radio towers at the top. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises over 1,200 feet (370 meters) above the Eastern Snake River Plain in one mile. This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[4]

Geology

East Butte is a lava dome composed of aphanitic rhyolite. It formed around 600,000 years ago as sialic magma flowed through a conduit in the basalt plain which surrounds the peak.^[5]

Climate

East Butte is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with warm summers and cold winters (Köppen BSk).^[6] Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −20 °F. Precipitation is relatively sparse.