WELLS GRAY-CLEARWATER VOLCANIC FIELD


The 'Wells Gray-Clearwater Volcanic Field' is a dormant volcanic field located in south-eastern British Columbia. The field consists of numerous small, basaltic volcanoes and extensive lava flows. It is located within Wells Gray Provincial Park, which also includes the 465 foot-high Helmcken Falls.

Contents
Geology
Hazards
List of volcanoes
See also
References
External links

Geology


The origin of the volcanism is yet unknown but is probably related to crustal thining. Many individual volcanoes in the field have been active for the past 3 million years during which time the region was covered by thick glacial ice at least twice, prior to the well known Fraser Glaciation (also known as the Wisconsin Glaciation). The last eruption in the field was at Kostal Cone about 400 years ago. Some of the lava flows in the field are similar to those that erupted at Volcano Mountain, which is called olivine nephelinite.

Hazards


The Wells Gray-Clearwater Volcanic Field is one of the top 10 volcanic areas in Canada with recent seismic activity, the others include: Castle Rock, Mount Edziza, Mount Cayley, Hoodoo Mountain, Lava Fork Valley, Crow Lagoon, Mount Silverthrone, Mount Meager and Mount Garibaldi. The field has had a long history of Strombolian eruptions. Since the region is mostly forested and the lava flows are likely to travel long distances from the volcanoes, it is possible that eruptions could start large forest fires, although many more types of eruptions are possible within the field, such as Whitehorse Bluffs, which was formed by repeated subaqueous explosive eruptions.

List of volcanoes


The volcanoes within the field include:

Boss Mountain
Buck Hill Cone
Dragon Cone
Fiftytwo Ridge
Flatiron
Flourmill Cone
Gage Hill
Hyalo Ridge

Ida Ridge
Jack's Jump
Jacques Lake
Kostal Cone
McLeod Hill
Mosquito Mound
Pillow Creek
Pointed Stick Cone

Pyramid Mountain
Quesnel Lake
Ray Mountain
Spanish Bonk
Spanish Lake Centre
Spanish Mump
Whitehorse Bluffs

See also



Helmcken Falls

List of volcanoes in Canada

References



Nature Wells Gray: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, Wildlife, Trails & More, , Trevor, Goward, Lone Pine Publishing, ,

Volcanoes of North America, , Charles A., Wood, Cambridge University Press, ,

Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia, , Bill, Mathews, Mountain Press Publishing Company, ,

External links



National Resources Canada

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