Pinacate Peaks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pinacate Peaks (Sierra Pinacate) are a group of volcanic peaks and cinder cones located mostly in the Mexican state of Sonora along the international border adjacent to the U.S. state of Arizona, surrounded by the vast sand dune field of the Gran Desierto. They lie just north of the fishing resort of Puerto Peñasco. The tallest of the peaks is Cerro del Pinacate (also called Volcan Santa Clara), elevation 3,904 feet (1,190 m). The Mexican Spanish word pinacate is derived from the Nahuatl word for the endemic desert stink beetle, pinacatl.

The volcanoes here have erupted here sporadically since about 4 million years ago, probably in association with the opening of the Gulf of California. The most recent activity was about 11,000 years ago. In 1698, Padre Eusebio Kino, founder of Mission San Xavier del Bac south of Tucson visited here, returning several times. From 1965 to 1970, NASA sent its astronauts here to train for lunar excursions given the similarity of the terrain to the lunar surface.

The Mexican and Sonoran governments maintain a biosphere reserve which includes the Pinacate Peaks (see El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar).