Shiprock, a towering rock formation known as a volcanic neck in New Mexico, rises nearly 1,583 feet above the desert plain. Composed of fractured volcanic breccia and black dikes of igneous rock, it is an erosional remnant of an ancient volcano's throat.

A volcanic neck forms when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano, sometimes leading to explosive eruptions. Shiprock's peak elevation reaches 7,177 feet, making it a prominent and culturally significant landmark on the Navajo Nation.

Photo Credits: Lee Mumford