Round Rock (Apache County, Arizona)
| Round Rock | |
|---|---|
 South aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,310 ft (1,923 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 920 ft (280 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Matthews Peak (9,550 ft)[1] |
| Isolation | 10.59 mi (17.04 km)[1] |
| Coordinates | 36°29′53″N 109°33′17″W / 36.4981437°N 109.5547256°W[3] |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Tsé Nikání (Navajo) |
| Geography | |
  Round Rock Location in Arizona  Round Rock Round Rock (the United States) | |
| Location | Navajo Reservation Apache County, Arizona, U.S. |
| Parent range | Colorado Plateau[2] |
| Topo map | USGS Many Farms NE |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Late Triassic |
| Mountain type | Mesa |
| Rock type | Wingate Sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 5.x climbing[1] |
Round Rock is a 6,310-foot-elevation (1,923-meter) summit in Apache County, Arizona, United States.
Description
[edit]Round Rock is located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of the community of Round Rock on Navajo Nation land, and can be seen from Highway 191. Round Rock is a mesa composed of cliff-forming Triassic Wingate Sandstone overlaying slope-forming Chinle Formation.[4][5] Little Round Rock is a 6,113-foot-elevation (1,863-meter) butte less than two miles to the north.[6] Precipitation runoff from this irregularly-shaped mesa's slopes drains into Agua Sal Wash and Chinle Wash which are part of the San Juan River drainage basin.[2] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 700 feet (213 meters) above the surrounding terrain of Chinle Valley in one-quarter mile (0.4 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Los Gigantes Buttes, 10.5 miles (16.9 km) to the northeast.[1][2] The landform's toponym was officially adopted on April 7, 1915, by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[3] The Navajo call the mesa Tsé Nikání which means round flat-topped rock.[3][7] According to legend, the Navajo used Round Rock as a fortress to escape from foes, by climbing it with braided ropes made out of yucca, then hauled the ropes up to leave their enemies behind.[8] However, a different story claims that Navajos do not climb the sacred rock out of fear of punishment from lightning, snakes, bears, or whirlwinds.[9]
Climate
[edit]Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Round Rock. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and highs rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Round Rock - 6,310' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ a b c d "Round Rock, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ a b c "Round Rock". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Geologic Map of Navajo and Apache Counties, Arizona, Eldred D. Wilson, 1960, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Stratigraphy of the Uppermost Triassic and the Jurassic Rocks of the Navajo Country, J.W. Harshbarger, USGS, 1957, p. 8.
- ^ "Little Round Rock". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Peter Iverson, Diné: A History of the Navajos, UNM Press, 2002, ISBN 9780826327154, p. 88.
- ^ Cindy Yurth, Navajo Times, Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Diné Bikéyah, Richard F. Van Valkenburgh, Office of Indian Affairs, US Department of the Interior, 1941, p. 127.
- ^ Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona
External links
[edit]- Weather forecast: Round Rock
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