Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Educating For a Sustainable Community

Albuquerque's Natural Environment

Volcanic

  1. TERRAIN - Aligned small volcanic cones surrounded by nearly level or eastward sloping lava flows which commonly end abruptly in cliffs up to 100 feet high. Surface slope is toward Rio Grande at 1-15%.

  2. CLIMATE AND AIR QUALITY - Description: moderate semi-arid climate, warm and dry. Mean annual precipitation from 7 to 10 inches (18 to 25 cm.); mean annual air temperature 58-60 F (13-16 C); 17-195 days frost-free season. Comments: snowfall less than 10 inches (25 cm.) per year; few relative extremes of any type; high incidence of solar insolation.

  3. GEOLOGY - Consists of lava and cinders extruded from five distinct cones and eight very small ones. Activity was relatively recent (Pleistocene) in time and centered upon the west side of the Rio Grande rift. Resources and Hazards: principal resource is Scotia for cinder blocks; possible earthquake hazards.

  4. SOILS - Associations: Alemeda-Akela. Description: generally shallow, well drained sandy loam, with cinders on moderately sloping, irregular basalt flows; 17% exposed basalt. Notable Characteristics: moderate to severe limitations to overcome for most engineering activities: septic tanks, foundations, underground utilities. Basalt cobbles, shallow bedrock and excess slope are problems.

  5. HYDROLOGY - Irregular arroyos and small depressions, normally dry, usually incised into lava and grade parallel toward Rio Grande. All major flows are in direct response to summer thunderstorms. Some runoff percolates into channel bottoms; the rest flows to the river, locally causing flood problems. Ground water is found at considerable depth; little information as to quantity or quality available. Some evidence of high mineralization.

  6. VEGETATION - Zone: Upper Sonora. Indicator Species: mid and short grasses, shrubs, and annuals, such as black grama grass, snake-weed winter fat, much cacti. Productivity; Sensitivity: only marginal productivity for grazing or browsing animals. Sensitive to overgrazing, prolonged drought, or intrusion by man as a collector of cacti, shrubs.

  7. WILDLIFE - Indicator Species: antelope, squirrel, coyote, skunk, many lizards, snakes, and predatory birds. Value: Excellent habitat for semi-desert species; good cover for burrowing animals; great variety. Provides home for relatively rare rock pocket mouse, which is endemic to lava flows.

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