The Goldfield Mountains rise above
a small valley, with Four Peaks in the background, in this northeast-looking view
from the Usery Mountains, near Apache Junction, Arizona.
In this picture, you can see several layers of volcanic rocks in the
foreground. These colorful formations are thick beds of pyroclastic ash and debris,
deposited by cataclysmic explosions of volcanic several miles to the southeast, during
the
period. Remnants of the calderas themselves are now masked by similar rock
formations that make up the famous Superstition
Mountains.
Four Peaks rises to an elevation of 7657 feet (2334 meters), and can be seen
from many places in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas. The peaks are made of
,
resting upon Precambrian , and are the source of Four Peaks Amethyst, a vivid purple natural precious
stone. The mine is located between the third and
fourth peaks, counting from the left.
You can read the tale of how Four Peaks
formed in my GeoStory (PDF version) called "Pendants Big and Small".
There are more GeoStories available, too.
Above is a nice example of Four Peaks ,
cut into a trillion shaped gemstone. This gem is one of GemLand's specialties! See
our Gemology section for more information.