Bandelier National Monument

Volcanic ash, pumice, and tephra ejected in volcanic eruptions ultimately falls back to Earth where it covers the ground. These deposits may be the thin dustings or may be many tens of feet (meters) thick near an eruptive vent. Volcanic ash and tephra can present geohazards that are present great di

In the 1920s and 1930s the National Park Service (NPS) began to focus on education as a key part of its mission. New exhibits were being created in NPS museums throughout the country. Many Native Americans, like Legoria Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo, were hired to demonstrate their traditional cultur

Volcanic tuff is strong enough to hold a vertical canyon wall and soft enough to dig with hand tools. Two eruptions put 160 cubic miles of it here, and the Ancestral Puebloans built into it.