Geologists call the resulting large steam explosions hydrovolcanic or phreatic eruption and the pits created are known as maars.

All of the maar-forming eruptions sent out fallout debris that mantled a broad area around the volcanic field (dozens of steam explosions issued from Ubehebe alone).

The resulting light to dark gray cinder deposits consist of finely fragmented volcanic rock mixed with pulverized bedrock and are thickest immediately next to Ubehebe (80 feet; 24 m).

Miocene-aged mostly reddish orange-colored conglomerate makes up the exposed bedrock in Ubehebe's walls.

These sediments were deposited by streams and contain limestone, mudstone, quartzite and volcanic cobbles that are up to 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.

Within Ubehebe small alluvial fans have been built on the crater wall along with talus slumps from debris flows.