Lava Beds National Monument Butte is just outside the boundary of the monument, the Callahan flow is in Lava Beds and is the youngest flow in the monument. Spatter cones are built out of thicker lava. The lava is thrown out of the vent and builds, layer by layer, a chimney surrounding the vent. Fleener Chimneys and Black Crater are examples of spatter cones. Roughly ninety percent of the lava in the Lava Beds Monument is basaltic. There are primarily two kinds of basaltic lava flows: pahoehoe and 'a'a. Pahoehoe is smooth, often ropy and is the most common type of lava in Lava
Lava Cast Forest 1942, the United States Forest Service designated 5,120 acres as part of the Lava Cast Forest Geological Area and were promoted as a tourist attraction. In 1963, scientists from NASA became interested in the lava fields because they had very little erosion and they suspected it might be what they would find on the surface of the Moon. From 1964 to 1966, at least 46 astronauts trained for lunar missions in the area. James B. Irwin delivered a rock from one of Oregon's lava flows to the lunar surface to commemorate NASA's experiences in central Oregon. Lava Cast Forest Lava