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134-408: Ice Peak is the prominent south peak of Mount Edziza in northwestern British Columbia , Canada . It is the eroded remains of a stratovolcano predating the main edifice of Mount Edziza and contains a 2,500-metre-high (8,200-foot) summit which represents the western rim of a small caldera . The Ice Peak stratovolcano has been largely destroyed by glacial erosion but it was volcanically active during

268-787: A mid-ocean ridge , such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , has volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates whereas the Pacific Ring of Fire has volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the crust's plates, such as in the East African Rift and the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and Rio Grande rift in North America. Volcanism away from plate boundaries has been postulated to arise from upwelling diapirs from

402-482: A 101,171-hectare (250,000-acre) recreation area surrounding the 132,000-hectare (330,000-acre) park was also established in 1972. In 1989, Mount Edziza Provincial Park roughly doubled in size when 96,770 hectares (239,100 acres) was annexed from the Mount Edziza Recreation Area . In doing so, the recreation area was greatly reduced in size to around 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres). This small remnant of

536-493: A common feature at explosive volcanoes on Earth. Pyroclastic flows have been found on Venus, for example at the Dione Regio volcanoes. A phreatic eruption can occur when hot water under pressure is depressurised. Depressurisation reduces the boiling point of the water, so when depressurised the water suddenly boils. Or it may happen when groundwater is suddenly heated, flashing to steam suddenly. When water turns into steam in

670-628: A few hundred years ago. The cause of volcanic activity in the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province is thought to be due to rifting of the North American Cordillera driven by changes in relative plate motion between the North American and Pacific plates. A wide variety of volcanic rocks comprise Mount Edziza, the main mafic rock being basalt which comprises lava flows, cinder cones and ash beds on

804-425: A lava flow to cool rapidly. This splinters the surface of the lava, and the magma then collects into sacks that often pile up in front of the flow, forming a structure called a pillow. A’a lava has a rough, spiny surface made of clasts of lava called clinkers. Block lava is another type of lava, with less jagged fragments than in a’a lava. Pahoehoe lava is by far the most common lava type, both on Earth and probably

938-409: A mechanical standpoint it is a water filled crevasse turned upside down. As magma rises into the vertical crack, the low density of the magma compared to the wall rock means that the pressure falls less rapidly than in the surrounding denser rock. If the average pressure of the magma and the surrounding rock are equal, the pressure in the dike exceeds that of the enclosing rock at the top of the dike, and

1072-564: A million years), any traces of it have long since vanished. There are small traces of unstable isotopes in common minerals, and all the terrestrial planets , and the Moon, experience some of this heating. The icy bodies of the outer solar system experience much less of this heat because they tend to not be very dense and not have much silicate material (radioactive elements concentrate in silicates). On Neptune's moon Triton , and possibly on Mars, cryogeyser activity takes place. The source of heat

1206-537: A moon of Saturn . The ejecta may be composed of water, liquid nitrogen , ammonia , dust, or methane compounds. Cassini–Huygens also found evidence of a methane-spewing cryovolcano on the Saturnian moon Titan , which is believed to be a significant source of the methane found in its atmosphere. It is theorized that cryovolcanism may also be present on the Kuiper Belt Object Quaoar . A 2010 study of

1340-488: A more moderate climate put an end to the neoglacial period in the 19th century which has resulted in rapid glacial recession throughout the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. This rapid glacial recession is apparent from the lack of vegetation on the barren, rocky ground between the glaciers and their trim lines which are up to 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) apart. Mount Edziza has an elevation of 2,786 metres (9,140 feet), making it

1474-455: A partially molten core. However, the Moon does have many volcanic features such as maria (the darker patches seen on the Moon), rilles and domes . The planet Venus has a surface that is 90% basalt , indicating that volcanism played a major role in shaping its surface. The planet may have had a major global resurfacing event about 500 million years ago, from what scientists can tell from

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1608-480: A phreatic eruption, it expands at supersonic speeds, up to 1,700 times its original volume. This can be enough to shatter solid rock, and hurl rock fragments hundreds of metres. A phreatomagmatic eruption occurs when hot magma makes contact with water, creating an explosion. One mechanism for explosive cryovolcanism is cryomagma making contact with clathrate hydrates . Clathrate hydrates, if exposed to warm temperatures, readily decompose. A 1982 article pointed out

1742-477: A prominent cinder cone 2,100 metres (6,900 feet) in elevation. Eve Cone , 1,740 metres (5,710 feet) in elevation, is a symmetrical cone between Buckley Lake and Mount Edziza. The northernmost cinder cone in the Desolation Lava Field is Sidas Cone which consists of two symmetrical halves and reaches an elevation of 1,540 metres (5,050 feet). Mount Edziza is drained on all sides by streams within

1876-562: A regional glaciation that occurred during the Early Pleistocene . The lowermost basalt flow contains basal pillows , directly overlies hyaloclastites and is brecciated and deformed, suggesting it may have been extruded onto a glacier or an ice sheet . Its extrusion onto glacial ice is also evident due to the lack of fluvial and lacustrine sediments at the base of the basalt flow which suggests it did not extrude into lakes or streams. The steep sides and unusually large thicknesses of

2010-797: A remote location that is only accessible during summer and early autumn. There is no established road access to the mountain, although the Stewart–Cassiar Highway to the east and the Telegraph Creek Road to the northwest both extend within 40 kilometres (25 miles) of Mount Edziza. Extending from these roads are horse trails that provide access to the mountain. From Telegraph Creek, the Buckley Lake Trail extends about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) southeast along Mess Creek and Three Mile Lake. It then traverses about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) northeast along Dagaichess Creek and Stinking Lake to

2144-494: A rigid open channel, in the lithosphere and settles at the level of hydrostatic equilibrium . Despite how it explains observations well (which newer models cannot), such as an apparent concordance of the elevation of volcanoes near each other, it cannot be correct and is now discredited, because the lithosphere thickness derived from it is too large for the assumption of a rigid open channel to hold. Unlike silicate volcanism, where melt can rise by its own buoyancy until it reaches

2278-536: A separate volcanic zone called the east slope centres. The Sheep Track Member is the product of an explosive eruption that originated from the southwestern flank of Ice Peak. It was deposited on all lava flows and cinder cones in the Snowshoe Lava Field with the exception of The Saucer which likely postdates the Sheep Track eruption. The source of the Sheep Track pumice is unknown but it probably originated from

2412-399: A series of rhyolite and trachyte domes. Basalt flows and smaller amounts of trachyte, tristanite , trachybasalt , benmoreite and mugearite produced during the second stage about 1 million years ago comprise Ice Peak , the glacially eroded remains of a stratovolcano in the form of a pyramid-shaped horn . The third and fourth stages 0.9 million years ago created basalt ridges and

2546-425: A small crater at its summit; the current peak is an erosional remnant etched from the eastern crater rim. High on the eastern rim of Ice Peak are two glaciated volcanic cones called Icefall Cone and Ridge Cone , both of which are about 2,285 metres (7,497 feet) in elevation. Punch Cone on the western flank of Ice Peak protrudes through Mount Edziza's ice cap whereas Koosick Bluff and Ornostay Bluff , also on

2680-446: A uniform subsurface ocean, may instead take place from discrete liquid reservoirs. The first way these can form is a plume of warm ice welling up and then sinking back down, forming a convection current. A model developed to investigate the effects of this on Europa found that energy from tidal heating became focused in these plumes, allowing melting to occur in these shallow depths as the plume spreads laterally (horizontally). The next

2814-705: A vent hidden under Tencho Glacier. Holocene in age, the Big Raven Formation has yielded dates of 6520 BCE ± 200 years, 750 BCE ± 100 years, 610 CE ± 150 years and 950 CE ± 6000 years. Underlying the aforementioned geological formations is the Tenchen Member of the Nido Formation , one of many stratigraphic units forming the Big Raven Plateau. Basalt flows and pyroclastic rocks of this Pliocene geological member are exposed north of Raspberry Pass on

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2948-466: Is 1,920 metres (6,300 feet) in elevation and has a diameter of about 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 square miles). The Desolation Lava Field contains at least 10 cinder cones, most of which are clustered near the northern trim line of Mount Edziza's ice cap. Sleet Cone and Storm Cone are rounded, mostly soil-covered, conical mounds that reach elevations of 1,783 metres (5,850 feet) and 2,135 metres (7,005 feet), respectively. North of Storm Cone are

3082-413: Is a nearly symmetrical stratovolcano, its symmetry having been broken by several steep-sided lava domes. Its eastern flank has been eroded by a narrow cirque which is bounded by near-vertical headwalls that breach the eastern summit crater rim. A system of radial meltwater channels has moderately eroded the upper flanks and summit crater rim elsewhere. Lesser modification by erosion has taken place on

3216-430: Is a partially buried lava dome on the northeastern flank of Mount Edziza. Remnants of a volcanic pile called Pharaoh Dome occur along the eastern flank of Mount Edziza. They lie at an elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) between Tennaya Creek and Cartoona Ridge. Cinder Cliff is a 210-metre-high (690-foot) barrier of volcanic rocks on the eastern side of Mount Edziza at an elevation of 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) in

3350-592: Is a switch from vertical to horizontal propagation of a fluid filled crack. Another mechanism is heating of ice from release of stress through lateral motion of fractures in the ice shell penetrating it from the surface, and even heating from large impacts can create such reservoirs. When material of a planetary body begins to melt, the melting first occurs in small pockets in certain high energy locations, for example grain boundary intersections and where different crystals react to form eutectic liquid , that initially remain isolated from one another, trapped inside rock. If

3484-424: Is almost completely surrounded by ice. Cocoa Crater is the largest cone in the Snowshoe Lava Field and is 2,117 metres (6,946 feet) in elevation. To the southeast is Coffee Crater which has an elevation of 2,000 metres (6,600 feet). Keda Cone , 1,980 metres (6,500 feet) in elevation, lies just south of Coffee Crater on the south side of upper Taweh Creek . A saucer -shaped mound of lava called The Saucer

3618-516: Is characterized by several outlet glaciers stretching out to lower altitudes. All sides of Mount Edziza are drained by tributaries of Mess Creek and Kakiddi Creek which are situated within the Stikine River watershed . Mount Edziza consists of several types of volcanic rocks and at least six geological formations that formed during six distinct stages of volcanic activity . The first stage 1.1 million years ago produced basalt flows and

3752-447: Is driven by exsolution of volatiles that were previously dissolved into the cryomagma, similar to what happens in explosive silicate volcanism as seen on Earth, which is what is mainly covered below. Silica-rich magmas cool beneath the surface before they erupt. As they do this, bubbles exsolve from the magma. As the magma nears the surface, the bubbles and thus the magma increase in volume. The resulting pressure eventually breaks through

3886-598: Is entirely in the form of water, which freezes into ice on the frigid surface. This process is known as cryovolcanism , and is apparently most common on the moons of the outer planets of the Solar System . In 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft observed cryovolcanoes (ice volcanoes) on Triton , a moon of Neptune , and in 2005 the Cassini–Huygens probe photographed fountains of frozen particles erupting from Enceladus ,

4020-462: Is external (heat from the Sun) rather than internal. Decompression melting happens when solid material from deep beneath the body rises upwards. Pressure decreases as the material rises upwards, and so does the melting point. So, a rock that is solid at a given pressure and temperature can become liquid if the pressure, and thus melting point, decreases even if the temperature stays constant. However, in

4154-477: Is formed when fluids and gases under pressure erupt to the surface, bringing mud with them. This pressure can be caused by the weight of overlying sediments over the fluid which pushes down on the fluid, preventing it from escaping, by fluid being trapped in the sediment, migrating from deeper sediment into other sediment or being made from chemical reactions in the sediment. They often erupt quietly, but sometimes they erupt flammable gases like methane. Cryovolcanism

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4288-527: Is instead translated as "kutlves" in the Tahltan language. An explanation listed in the BC Parks brochure is that Edziza means "cinders" in the Tahltan language. Another explanation proposed by Canadian volcanologist Jack Souther is that Edziza is a corruption of Edzerza, the name of a local Tahltan family. Misspellings of Edziza include Eddziza, Eddiza, Edidza, Edzia and Etseza. Mount Edziza rises from within

4422-503: Is much more than the ambient pressure. Not only that, but any volatiles in the water will exsolve. The combination of these processes will release droplets and vapor, which can rise up the fracture, creating a plume. This is thought to be partially responsible for Enceladus's ice plumes. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging , and because most of Earth's plate boundaries are underwater, most volcanoes are found underwater. For example,

4556-502: Is one of seven ecosections comprising the Boreal Mountains and Plateaus Ecoregion , a large ecological region of northwestern British Columbia encompassing high plateaus and rugged mountains with intervening lowlands . Boreal forests of black and white spruce occur in the lowlands and valley bottoms of this ecoregion whereas birch , spruce and willow form forests on the mid-slopes. Extensive alpine altai fescue covers

4690-506: Is partially exposed above the ice cap as a discontinuous series of spires and serrated nunataks . Spires forming the southern end of the ridge are the highest and consist of greenish grey, sparsely porphyritic trachyte . They comprise well-formed, small diameter rock columns that rise nearly vertically more than 90 metres (300 feet) above the ice cap. Nunataks elsewhere on the summit ridge are more subdued, consisting of pyroclastic debris that has been glacially reworked. The eastern side of

4824-460: Is pressurised in the same way. For a crack in the ice shell to propagate upwards, the fluid in it must have positive buoyancy or external stresses must be strong enough to break through the ice. External stresses could include those from tides or from overpressure due to freezing as explained above. There is yet another possible mechanism for ascent of cryovolcanic melts. If a fracture with water in it reaches an ocean or subsurface fluid reservoir,

4958-551: Is sparsely covered by trachyte of the Edziza Formation while the western edge of the ridge overlaps with a large flow of Edziza trachyte. Tsekone Ridge is an isolated volcanic pile adjacent to Pillow Ridge consisting of basaltic pillow lava and tuff breccia that has been cut by vertical north-trending feeder dikes . This ridge is elliptical in structure, containing a nearly 2-kilometre-long (1.2-mile), north–south trending axis. Nearly surrounding Tsekone Ridge are trachyte flows of

5092-644: Is the Pyramid Formation which formed during a period of volcanic activity 1.1 million years ago. Another period of volcanic activity about 1 million years ago deposited the Ice Peak Formation on the southern part of the Pyramid Formation. The Pillow Ridge and Edziza formations were formed by two periods of volcanic activity 0.9 million years ago, both of which overlie the Ice Peak Formation. A period of volcanic activity 0.3 million years ago deposited

5226-399: Is the glacially eroded remains of an older stratovolcano whose northern flank is buried under the younger edifice of Mount Edziza. The southern and western flanks are approximal to those of the original stratovolcano whereas the eastern flank has been almost completely destroyed by headward erosion of glacial valleys. At its climax, the stratovolcano had a symmetrical profile and contained

5360-461: Is the eruption of volatiles into an environment below their freezing point. The processes behind it are different to silicate volcanism because the cryomagma (which is usually water-based) is normally denser than its surroundings, meaning it cannot rise by its own buoyancy. Sulfur lavas have a different behaviour to silicate ones. First, sulfur has a low melting point of about 120 degrees Celsius. Also, after cooling down to about 175 degrees Celsius

5494-463: Is the only location where mugearites and benmoreites are found in the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. Felsic volcanic rocks such as trachyte and rhyolite form the central stratovolcano of Mount Edziza, the upper part of Ice Peak and several lava domes and flows, as well as pyroclastic rocks. Mount Edziza is subdivided into at least six geological formations , each the product of a distinct stage of volcanic activity. The oldest geological formation

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5628-691: The Holocene . Ice Peak and the main mass of Mount Edziza are wholly known to the local Tahltan as Tenh Dẕetle which translates to Ice Mountain. This article related to a mountain, mountain range, or peak in British Columbia , Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a location in the Interior of British Columbia , Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mount Edziza Mount Edziza ( / ə d ˈ z aɪ z ə / əd-zy-zə ), known to

5762-509: The Stikine River watershed . Elwyn Creek is a westward-flowing stream originating from the northwestern flank of Mount Edziza. It contains one named tributary , Kadeya Creek , which flows northwest from Mount Edziza. Sezill Creek is a westward-flowing stream originating from the western flank of Mount Edziza. It is a tributary of Taweh Creek which flows northwest from just south of Mount Edziza. Elwyn Creek and Taweh Creek are tributaries of Mess Creek which flows northwestward into

5896-436: The contact angle of the melted material allows the melt to wet crystal faces and run along grain boundaries , the melted material will accumulate into larger quantities. On the other hand, if the angle is greater than about 60 degrees, much more melt must form before it can separate from its parental rock. Studies of rocks on Earth suggest that melt in hot rocks quickly collects into pockets and veins that are much larger than

6030-626: The core–mantle boundary , 3,000 kilometers (1,900 mi) deep within Earth. This results in hotspot volcanism , of which the Hawaiian hotspot is an example. Volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. In 1912–1952, in the Northern Hemisphere, studies show that within this time, winters were warmer due to no massive eruptions that had taken place. These studies demonstrate how these eruptions can cause changes within

6164-405: The grain size, in contrast to the model of rigid melt percolation . Melt, instead of uniformly flowing out of source rock, flows out through rivulets which join to create larger veins. Under the influence of buoyancy , the melt rises. Diapirs may also form in non-silicate bodies, playing a similar role in moving warm material towards the surface. A dike is a vertical fluid-filled crack, from

6298-476: The 1950s where gold , silver and other metals were discovered. This mineral exploration was conducted by several mineral exploration companies into the early 1990s. Mount Edziza and the surrounding area was made into a large provincial park in the early 1970s to showcase the volcanic landscape. The mountain and provincial park can only be accessed by aircraft or by a network of footpaths from surrounding roads. A number of explanations have been made regarding

6432-475: The Big Raven Plateau where Eve Cone, Sidas Cone and Tsekone Ridge are visible along the route. Most of the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route is marked by a series of rock cairns from Tsekone Ridge onwards. The distance between Buckley Lake and Mowdade Lake is about 70 kilometres (43 miles) but the hiking length between these two lakes varies depending on the route taken; it can take a minimum of 7 days to hike

6566-399: The Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. The weather can change extremely fast along this hiking trail. Mount Edziza can also be accessed by float plane or helicopter, both of which are available for charter at the communities of Iskut and Dease Lake. Kakiddi Lake, Nuttlude Lake, Mowdade Lake, Mowchilla Lake and Buckley Lake are large enough to be used by float-equipped aircraft. Landing on

6700-566: The Desolation Lava Field, the Snowshoe Lava Field, Icefall Cone, Ridge Cone, Cinder Cliff and the Sheep Track Member . All of these features consist of alkali basalt and hawaiite with the exception of the Sheep Track Member which comprises a small volume of trachyte pumice. Some of the lava flows comprising the Desolation Lava Field issued from vents adjacent to the northern trim line of the summit ice cap where meltwater interacted with

6834-460: The Earth's atmosphere. Large eruptions can affect atmospheric temperature as ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscure the Sun and cool Earth's troposphere . Historically, large volcanic eruptions have been followed by volcanic winters which have caused catastrophic famines. Earth's Moon has no large volcanoes and no current volcanic activity, although recent evidence suggests it may still possess

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6968-420: The Edziza Formation has yielded an age of 0.9 ± 0.3 million years. The Kakiddi Formation consists of the remains of thick trachyte flows and associated pyroclastic rocks. They are lithologically and geomorphologically similar to Edziza Formation trachytes but occur south of the central stratovolcano of Mount Edziza. The remains of a nearly 1-kilometre-wide (0.62-mile), rubble-covered trachyte flow are present on

7102-474: The Edziza Formation which is slightly younger than the Pillow Ridge Formation. Fission track dating of apatite from partially fused granitic xenoliths in contaminated Pillow Ridge Formation basalt has yielded ages of 0.9 ± 0.3 million years and 0.8 ± 0.25 million years. In contrast, potassium–argon dating has yielded an anomalously old age of 5.9 ± 0.9 million years which is inconsistent with

7236-552: The Edziza Formation. From Cartoona Ridge north to Tennaya Creek are isolated remnants of Pharaoh Dome, the main mass of which comprises flow-layered rhyolite and is buried under basalt of the Ice Peak Formation. The Ice Peak Formation consists of lava and pyroclastic rocks that originated mainly from Ice Peak about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) south of the summit of Mount Edziza. Two stratigraphic units comprise this once symmetrical stratovolcano, both of which are lithologically distinct. The lower stratigraphic unit, which forms much of

7370-554: The European Mars Express spacecraft has found evidence that volcanic activity may have occurred on Mars in the recent past as well. Jupiter 's moon Io is the most volcanically active object in the Solar System because of tidal interaction with Jupiter. It is covered with volcanoes that erupt sulfur , sulfur dioxide and silicate rock, and as a result, Io is constantly being resurfaced. There are only two planets in

7504-449: The Hawk vein. Further geochemical and geological surveying was performed by Moongold Resources from 1987 to 1989. Mineral exploration conducted by Columbia Gold Mines from 1990 to 1992 consisted of rock sampling, trenching and 7,066 metres (23,182 feet) of drilling in 50 holes. Mount Edziza and the surrounding area was designated as a provincial park in 1972 to showcase the volcanic landscape;

7638-402: The Ice Peak Formation has yielded ages of 1.6 ± 0.2 million years, 1.5 ± 0.4 million years and 1.5 ± 0.1 million years. These dates being older than those of the Pyramid Formation may be due to excess argon in the Ice Peak Formation and are therefore considered unreliable. Ice Peak Formation basalt flows on the northwestern flank of Mount Edziza are interbedded with diamictites recording

7772-632: The Kakiddi Formation which also overlies the Ice Peak Formation. The youngest geological formation comprising Mount Edziza is the Big Raven Formation which was formed by a period of volcanic activity in the last 20,000 years. The Pyramid Formation is exposed along the deeply eroded eastern flank of Mount Edziza where rhyolite and trachyte flows, domes and pyroclastic rocks of this formation comprise ridges and prominent cliffs. A basaltic lava flow sequence up to 65 metres (213 feet) thick overlies

7906-726: The Klastline River. After entering Mount Edziza Provincial Park, the Klastline River Trail traverses northwest along the Klastline River for about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) and then crosses the river north of the MEVC. From there, the Klastline River Trail traverses west for about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) to the northeastern end of Buckley Lake where it meets with the Buckley Lake Trail and the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. The Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route traverses south from Buckley Lake along Buckley Creek and gradually climbs onto

8040-480: The Koosick and Ornostay bluffs, both of which are thick lobes of trachyte that originated under the summit ice cap. Both bluffs are similar in geomorphology and composition, consisting of several lava flows up to 75 metres (246 feet) thick. The Neck, which forms a prominent 215-metre-high (705-foot) buttress on Sorcery Ridge, is also part of the Ice Peak Formation. Potassium–argon dating of pantelleritic trachyte from

8174-483: The Spectrum property by Consolidated Silver Ridge Mines and Newhawk Mines between 1976 and 1981. Consolidated Silver Ridge Mines also built an airstrip and carried out 3,232 metres (10,604 feet) of drilling in 28 holes during this time period. Additional work on the Spectrum property by Newhawk Mines during this time period included the construction of an access road and 313 metres (1,027 feet) of underground development on

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8308-506: The Stikine River. Tsecha Creek is a northeast-flowing stream originating from the northern flank of Mount Edziza. Nido Creek flows northeastward from the eastern side of Mount Edziza into Nuttlude Lake . Flowing from the eastern flank of Mount Edziza just southeast of The Pyramid is Tenchen Creek. Shaman Creek flows east and north into Kakiddi Lake from the southern flank of Mount Edziza. Tennaya Creek flows northeastward from

8442-601: The Stikine or Iskut rivers, potentially destroying salmon runs and threatening river bank villages. Like other volcanoes in Canada, Mount Edziza is not monitored closely enough by the Geological Survey of Canada to ascertain its activity level. The Canadian National Seismograph Network has been established to monitor earthquakes throughout Canada, but it is too far away to provide an accurate indication of activity under

8576-525: The Tahltan Central Government, said "Mount Edziza and the surrounding area has always been sacred to the Tahltan Nation. The obsidian from this portion of our territory provided us with weaponry, tools and trading goods that ensured our Tahltan people could thrive for thousands of years." The mountain was labelled Edziza Peak on Geological Survey of Canada maps as early as 1926. This name for

8710-522: The Tahltan people. This volcanic glass was used in the manufacturing of projectile points and cutting blades which were widely traded throughout the Pacific Northwest . Artifacts made of this obsidian have been recovered from archaeological sites over an area of more than 2,200,000 km (850,000 sq mi) across Alaska, Alberta , Yukon and the British Columbia Coast , making it

8844-520: The Triplex Cones, a group of three eroded circular mounds reaching an elevation of 1,785 metres (5,856 feet). Twin Cone , 1,430 metres (4,690 feet) in elevation, is a pyroclastic cone whose southeastern side has been breached. Moraine Cone has an elevation of nearly 2,135 metres (7,005 feet) and has been nearly destroyed by alpine glaciation. The northeastern side of Mount Edziza contains Williams Cone ,

8978-413: The age of the underlying and overlying formations. This date being much older than the fission track dates most likely results from contamination and introduction of excess argon from the partially fused granitic and gneissic xenoliths in Pillow Ridge Formation basalt. The Edziza Formation consists mainly of trachyte that straddles the pantelleritic trachyte and comenditic trachyte boundary. It includes

9112-496: The basal trachytic surge deposit of the Pyramid Formation; it is included as a part of this formation due to it being coeval with the early stages of Pyramid felsic volcanism. Potassium–argon dating of the Pyramid Formation has yielded ages of 1.2 ± 0.4 million years and 1.2 ± 0.03 million years from comenditic glass , as well as 0.94 ± 0.12 million years and 0.94 ± 0.05 million years from trachyte. The Pyramid Formation includes Sphinx Dome, Pharaoh Dome and The Pyramid which were

9246-455: The case of water, increasing pressure decreases melting point until a pressure of 0.208 GPa is reached, after which the melting point increases with pressure. Flux melting occurs when the melting point is lowered by the addition of volatiles, for example, water or carbon dioxide. Like decompression melting, it is not caused by an increase in temperature, but rather by a decrease in melting point. Cryovolcanism , instead of originating in

9380-485: The central stratovolcano of Mount Edziza, as well as several satellitic features on its summit and flanks. Inside the summit crater of the stratovolcano is a succession of at least four lava lakes that are exposed in the breached eastern crater rim. They are represented by at least four cooling units, the lower two of which are about 30 metres (98 feet) thick. The two upper cooling units reach thicknesses of about 90 metres (300 feet) and may have originated from Nanook Dome,

9514-715: The central trachyte stratovolcano of Mount Edziza, respectively. Thick trachyte flows were issued during the fifth stage 0.3 million years ago, most of which have since eroded away. The sixth stage began in the last 20,000 years with the eruption of cinder cones, basalt flows and minor trachyte. Renewed volcanism could block local streams with lava flows, disrupt air traffic with volcanic ash and produce floods or lahars from melting glacial ice. Indigenous peoples have lived adjacent to Mount Edziza for thousands of years. The Tahltan people historically used volcanic glass from Mount Edziza to make tools and weaponry. Mineral exploration just southeast of Mount Edziza commenced in at least

9648-416: The cryomagma less dense), or with the presence of a densifying agent in the ice shell. Another is to pressurise the fluid to overcome negative buoyancy and make it reach the surface. When the ice shell above a subsurface ocean thickens, it can pressurise the entire ocean (in cryovolcanism, frozen water or brine is less dense than in liquid form). When a reservoir of liquid partially freezes, the remaining liquid

9782-462: The deformation of a body's shape due to mutual gravitational attraction, which generates heat. Earth experiences tidal heating from the Moon , deforming by up to 1 metre (3 feet), but this does not make up a major portion of Earth's total heat . During a planet's formation , it would have experienced heating from impacts from planetesimals , which would have dwarfed even the asteroid impact that caused

9916-538: The density of impact craters on the surface. Lava flows are widespread and forms of volcanism not present on Earth occur as well. Changes in the planet's atmosphere and observations of lightning have been attributed to ongoing volcanic eruptions, although there is no confirmation of whether or not Venus is still volcanically active. However, radar sounding by the Magellan probe revealed evidence for comparatively recent volcanic activity at Venus's highest volcano Maat Mons , in

10050-532: The difference in height between the basin and the height of the surrounding terrain could allow eruption of magma which otherwise would have stayed beneath the surface. A 2011 article showed that there would be zones of enhanced magma ascent at the margins of an impact basin. Not all of these mechanisms, and maybe even none, operate on a given body . Silicate volcanism occurs where silicate materials are erupted. Silicate lava flows, like those found on Earth, solidify at about 1000 degrees Celsius. A mud volcano

10184-576: The eastern and western flanks of Mount Edziza. Much of the Tenchen Member as well as the southern edge of the Ice Peak volcanic pile are underlain by the Armadillo Formation which consists of Miocene comendite, trachyte and alkali basalt. Most of Mount Edziza is also underlain by Miocene basalt flows of the Raspberry Formation which form the base of prominent escarpments east and west of

10318-509: The eastern flank of Ice Peak in Sorcery Valley and in the south fork of Tennaya Valley where it is divided into two tributary branches. In Kakiddi Valley, the lava flow appears to have spread out to form a once continuous, terminal lobe at least 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) wide; remnants of this terminal lobe are present in the form of isolated outcrops adjacent to Kakiddi Lake and Nuttlude Lake. The source of this Kakiddi flow remains unknown but

10452-881: The eastern side of Mount Edziza into Nuttlude Lake. All five streams are tributaries of Kakiddi Creek , a north-flowing tributary of the Klastline River which flows north into the Stikine River. Mount Edziza is part of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province , a broad area of shield volcanoes, lava domes, cinder cones and stratovolcanoes extending from northwestern British Columbia northwards through Yukon into easternmost Alaska . The dominant rocks comprising these volcanoes are alkali basalts and hawaiites , but nephelinite , basanite and peralkaline phonolite , trachyte and comendite are locally abundant. These rocks were deposited by volcanic eruptions from 20 million years ago to as recently as

10586-433: The enrichment of magma at the top of a dike by gas which is released when the dike breaches the surface, followed by magma from lower down than did not get enriched with gas. The reason the dissolved gas in the magma separates from it when the magma nears the surface is due to the effects of temperature and pressure on gas solubility . Pressure increases gas solubility, and if a liquid with dissolved gas in it depressurises,

10720-486: The erupting lava to form tuff rings . These tuff rings composed of quenched breccia later transitioned into normal subaerial cinder cones as the progressing eruptions displaced ice and meltwater. The Snowshoe Lava Field contains subglacial and subaerial cones, as well as transitional cones which consist of both subaqueous and subaerial ejecta . Eruptions on the heavily eroded eastern flank of Mount Edziza created Icefall Cone, Ridge Cone and Cinder Cliff which comprise

10854-544: The extinction of dinosaurs . This heating could trigger differentiation , further heating the planet. The larger a body is, the slower it loses heat. In larger bodies, for example Earth, this heat, known as primordial heat, still makes up much of the body's internal heat, but the Moon, which is smaller than Earth, has lost most of this heat. Another heat source is radiogenic heat, caused by radioactive decay . The decay of aluminium-26 would have significantly heated planetary embryos, but due to its short half-life (less than

10988-420: The flanks of the mountain. Basalt at Mount Edziza is in the form of alkali basalt and hawaiite; the latter is thought to be the product of partial fractional crystallization in subterranean magma chambers . Volcanic rocks of intermediate composition such as trachybasalt , tristanite , mugearite and benmoreite are restricted to Ice Peak where they form the upper part of this subsidiary peak. Ice Peak

11122-427: The form of ash flows near the summit and on the northern flank. However, the interpretation of the flows as ash flows has been questioned. There are several extinct volcanoes on Mars , four of which are vast shield volcanoes far bigger than any on Earth. They include Arsia Mons , Ascraeus Mons , Hecates Tholus , Olympus Mons , and Pavonis Mons . These volcanoes have been extinct for many millions of years, but

11256-605: The gas in the ash as it expands chills the magma fragments, often forming tiny glass shards recognisable as portions of the walls of former liquid bubbles. In more fluid magmas the bubble walls may have time to reform into spherical liquid droplets. The final state of the colloids depends strongly on the ratio of liquid to gas. Gas-poor magmas end up cooling into rocks with small cavities, becoming vesicular lava . Gas-rich magmas cool to form rocks with cavities that nearly touch, with an average density less than that of water, forming pumice . Meanwhile, other material can be accelerated with

11390-432: The gas will tend to exsolve (or separate) from the liquid. An example of this is what happens when a bottle of carbonated drink is quickly opened: when the seal is opened, pressure decreases and bubbles of carbon dioxide gas appear throughout the liquid. Fluid magmas erupt quietly. Any gas that has exsolved from the magma easily escapes even before it reaches the surface. However, in viscous magmas, gases remain trapped in

11524-462: The gas, becoming volcanic bombs . These can travel with so much energy that large ones can create craters when they hit the ground. A colloid of volcanic gas and magma can form as a density current called a pyroclastic flow . This occurs when erupted material falls back to the surface. The colloid is somewhat fluidised by the gas, allowing it to spread. Pyroclastic flows can often climb over obstacles, and devastate human life. Pyroclastic flows are

11658-425: The heat transport rate a million-fold. The occurrence of volcanism is partially due to the fact that melted material tends to be more mobile and less dense than the materials from which they were produced, which can cause it to rise to the surface. There are multiple ways to generate the heat needed for volcanism. Volcanism on outer solar system moons is powered mainly by tidal heating . Tidal heating caused by

11792-497: The highest point of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex . However, it had an elevation of at least 3,396 metres (11,142 feet) before its formerly cone-shaped summit was likely destroyed by a violent eruption in the geologic past; its current flat summit contains an ice-filled, 2-kilometre-in diameter (1.2-mile) crater . The mountain contains several lava domes , cinder cones and lava fields on its flanks, as well as an ice cap that

11926-503: The highest point of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. It has been considered by some to be the highest volcano in Canada, but other sources give higher elevations of 2,860 and 3,160 metres (9,380 and 10,370 feet) for the Silverthrone volcanic complex in southwestern British Columbia. The nearly flat summit of Mount Edziza contains a circular ridge that surrounds an ice-filled, 2-kilometre-in diameter (1.2-mile) crater . This ridge

12060-400: The ice cap near the head of Tennaya Creek . At the head of Tenchen Creek is Tenchen Glacier , a debris-covered glacier on the eastern side of the ice cap. Tencho Glacier at the southern end of the ice cap is the largest outlet glacier. At the head of Tennaya Creek on the eastern side of the ice cap is Tennaya Glacier . As a part of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, Mount Edziza

12194-423: The largest of three lava domes consisting of Edziza Formation trachyte. Nanook Dome is about 750 metres (2,460 feet) in diameter whose structure appears to be nearly identical to its original form. The other two Edziza Formation trachyte domes, Glacier Dome and Triangle Dome, are elliptical in structure and contain concentric flow layering. Potassium–argon dating of pantelleritic trachyte or comenditic trachyte from

12328-527: The latter two lakes with a private aircraft requires a letter of authorization from the BC Parks Stikine Senior Park Ranger. Volcanism For volcanism to occur, the temperature of the mantle must have risen to about half its melting point. At this point, the mantle's viscosity will have dropped to about 10 Pascal-seconds . When large scale melting occurs, the viscosity rapidly falls to 10 Pascal-seconds or even less, increasing

12462-433: The lava rapidly loses viscosity, unlike silicate lavas like those found on Earth. When magma erupts onto a planet's surface, it is termed lava . Viscous lavas form short, stubby glass-rich flows. These usually have a wavy solidified surface texture. More fluid lavas have solidified surface textures that volcanologists classify into four types. Pillow lava forms when a trigger, often lava making contact with water, causes

12596-646: The local Tahltan people as Tenh Dẕetle ( / ˈ t ɛ n ˌ θ ɛ t . l ʌ h / ten-thet-luh ), is a volcanic mountain in Cassiar Land District of northwestern British Columbia , Canada. It is located on the Big Raven Plateau of the Tahltan Highland which extends along the western side of the Stikine Plateau . Mount Edziza has an elevation of 2,786 metres (9,140 feet), making it

12730-426: The magma even after they have exsolved, forming bubbles inside the magma. These bubbles enlarge as the magma nears the surface due to the dropping pressure, and the magma grows substantially. This fact gives volcanoes erupting such material a tendency to ‘explode’, although instead of the pressure increase associated with an explosion, pressure always decreases in a volcanic eruption. Generally, explosive cryovolcanism

12864-503: The main agencies that would respond to an erupting volcano in Canada, an eruption close to the Canada–United States border or any eruption that would affect Canada. Mount Edziza lies within the traditional territory of the Tahltan people which covers an area of more than 93,500 square kilometres (36,100 square miles). Historically, Mount Edziza and other volcanoes of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex were sources of obsidian for

12998-402: The main sources of the rhyolites and trachytes of this geological formation. The Pyramid is a prominent trachyte dome whose structure has not been greatly modified by erosion, nor has it been buried under younger lavas. In contrast, much of the southern edge of Sphinx Dome has been destroyed by headward erosion of Cook Creek; the western half of this rhyolite dome is also buried under trachyte of

13132-441: The middle of the Big Raven Plateau, a barren plateau in Cassiar Land District bounded on the west by Mess Valley, on the north by Klastline Valley , on the east by Kakiddi Valley and on the south by Chakima and Walkout valleys, the latter two of which are separated by mountainous terrain . It lies at the northern end of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex which also includes the smaller Arctic Lake and Kitsu plateaus to

13266-452: The most powerful eruptions around the world; parts of northwestern Canada could be affected by an ash column if an explosive eruption were to happen from the volcano. Ash columns can drift for thousands of kilometres downwind and often become increasingly spread out over a larger area with increasing distance from an erupting vent. Mount Edziza lies under a major air route from Vancouver , British Columbia to Whitehorse , Yukon, suggesting

13400-552: The most widely distributed obsidian in western North America. The Hidden Falls archaeological site in Alaska has yielded a hydration date of 10,000 years for Edziza obsidian , suggesting the area was being exploited as an obsidian source soon after ice sheets of the Last Glacial Period retreated. Two obsidian flows of the Pyramid Formation occur on The Pyramid and are exposed as two outcrops; they were quarried as evidenced by

13534-400: The mountain is characterized by a series of ridges with intervening valleys. Among these ridges are Idiji Ridge and Sorcery Ridge which are the namesakes of Idiji Glacier and Sorcery Creek , respectively. About 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) south of the summit is Ice Peak , the south peak of Mount Edziza. This prominent pyramid-shaped horn has an elevation of 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) and

13668-609: The mountain was adopted by the Geographical Names Board of Canada on September 24, 1945, as identified on the 1926 Geological Survey of Canada map sheet 309A. The name Edziza Mountain appeared in the 1930 BC Gazetteer in which it was erroneously spelled Edzia. On December 3, 1974, the form of name was changed from Edziza Peak to Mount Edziza in accordance to a 1927 British Columbia Land Surveyors report, two world aeronautical charts published in 1950 and three British Columbia maps published in 1931, 1933 and 1943. The form of name

13802-835: The mountain. These geological formations are underlain by the Stikinia terrane , a Paleozoic and Mesozoic suite of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that accreted to the continental margin of North America during the Jurassic . Natural Resources Canada considers Mount Edziza a high threat volcano because it has had the highest eruption rate in Canada throughout the Holocene. However, its extremely remote location makes it less hazardous than Mount Garibaldi , Mount Price , Mount Cayley and Mount Meager in southwestern British Columbia. Mount Edziza trachyte and rhyolite have silica -rich compositions that are comparable to those associated with

13936-453: The mountain. Edzerza was buried on Mount Edziza but his surname was erroneously spelled "Edzertza" on his grave marker. Williams Cone on the northeastern side of Mount Edziza was named in honour of Hank Williams. Eve Cone between Mount Edziza and Buckley Lake was named in honour of Johnny Edzerza's wife, Eve Brown Edzerza. Mount Edziza continues to be an important cultural resource for the Tahltan people. In 2021, Chad Norman Day, president of

14070-426: The mountain. It may sense an increase in seismic activity if Mount Edziza becomes highly restless, but this may only provide a warning for a large eruption; the system might detect activity only once the volcano has started erupting. If Mount Edziza were to erupt, mechanisms exist to orchestrate relief efforts. The Interagency Volcanic Event Notification Plan was created to outline the notification procedure of some of

14204-419: The north fork of Tenchen Creek. The Neck , 1,830 metres (6,000 feet) in elevation, is a circular volcanic plug on the southeastern flank of Ice Peak. The Snowshoe Lava Field on the west flank of lce Peak contains at least 12 volcanic cones, a handful of which are named. Tennena Cone is a symmetrical volcanic cone high on the west side of Ice Peak. It has an elevation of 2,350 metres (7,710 feet) and

14338-526: The northeastern end of Buckley Lake where it meets with the Klastline River Trail and the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. To the east, the roughly 50-kilometre-long (31-mile) Klastline River Trail begins at the community of Iskut on the Stewart–Cassiar Highway. It extends northwest and west along the Klastline River for much its length. The trail enters Mount Edziza Provincial Park at about 25 kilometres (16 miles) where Kakiddi Creek drains into

14472-419: The northwest and 85 kilometres (53 miles) to the northeast, respectively. Mount Edziza is covered with snow year-round, containing a 15-kilometre-long (9.3-mile) and 9-kilometre-wide (5.6-mile) ice cap which covers an area of 70 square kilometres (27 square miles). Several small outlet glaciers extending down to altitudes of 1,700 to 2,000 metres (5,600 to 6,600 feet) drain the ice cap; outlet glaciers on

14606-449: The occurrence of Pyramid obsidian in at least five archaeological sites outside of Tahltan territory. The Ice Peak Formation contains two obsidian flows on Sorcery Ridge that were also exploited as an obsidian source. Sorcery Ridge obsidian occurs in at least two archaeological sites outside of Tahltan territory. In or before 1974, two Tahltan men named Johnny Edzerza and Hank Williams were killed in an avalanche while they were crossing

14740-522: The origin of the name Edziza. A 1927 report by J. Davidson of the British Columbia Land Surveyors claims that Edziza means "sand" in the Tahltan language , referring to the deep volcanic ash deposits or pumice -like sand covering large portions of the Big Raven Plateau around Mount Edziza. According to David Stevenson of University of Victoria 's Anthropology Department, "sand" or "dust"

14874-672: The other terrestrial planets. It has a smooth surface, with mounds, hollows and folds. A volcanic eruption could just be a simple outpouring of material onto the surface of a planet, but they usually involve a complex mixture of solids, liquids and gases which behave in equally complex ways. Some types of explosive eruptions can release energy a quarter that of an equivalent mass of TNT . Volcanic eruptions on Earth have been consistently observed to progress from erupting gas rich material to gas depleted material, although an eruption may alternate between erupting gas rich to gas depleted material and vice versa multiple times. This can be explained by

15008-443: The possibility that the production of pressurised gas upon destabilisation of clathrate hydrates making contact with warm rising magma could produce an explosion that breaks through the surface, resulting in explosive cryovolcanism. If a fracture reaches the surface of an icy body and the column of rising water is exposed to the near-vacuum of the surface of most icy bodies, it will immediately start to boil, because its vapor pressure

15142-509: The pressure of the rock is greater than that of the dike at its bottom. So the magma thus pushes the crack upwards at its top, but the crack is squeezed closed at its bottom due to an elastic reaction (similar to the bulge next to a person sitting down on a springy sofa). Eventually, the tail gets so narrow it nearly pinches off, and no more new magma will rise into the crack. The crack continues to ascend as an independent pod of magma. This model of volcanic eruption posits that magma rises through

15276-624: The property included copper , gold , lead , silver and zinc . Mineral exploration on the Spectrum property began in at least 1957 when Torbit Silver Mines performed surface work on the gold-bearing Hawk vein . This was followed by drilling of the Hawk vein by Shawnigan Mining and Smelting in 1967. Exploration by Mitsui Mining and Smelting in 1970 involved geophysical and geochemical surveying. From 1971 to 1973, Imperial Oil conducted geophysical, geological and geochemical surveying, as well as 463 metres (1,519 feet) of drilling in four holes. Geochemical and geological surveys were conducted on

15410-577: The recreation area lied east of Mount Edziza until 2003 when it was disestablished. Mount Edziza Provincial Park now covers an area of 266,180 hectares (657,700 acres), making it one of the largest provincial parks in British Columbia. In 2021, an approximately 3,528-hectare (8,720-acre) conservation area called the Mount Edziza Conservancy was established east of Mount Edziza along the eastern border of Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It

15544-461: The ridge has been breached by active cirques where remnants of several lava lakes are exposed inside the crater. Formation of the summit crater was likely caused by a violent eruption at the zenith of the mountain's growth. Prior to its formation, the summit of the mountain was at least 610 metres (2,000 feet) higher than it is today, having possibly risen as a narrower summit cone. The central, 2,786-metre-high (9,140-foot) edifice of Mount Edziza

15678-417: The shallow crust, in cryovolcanism, the water (cryomagmas tend to be water based) is denser than the ice above it. One way to allow cryomagma to reach the surface is to make the water buoyant, by making the water less dense, either through the presence of other compounds that reverse negative buoyancy, or with the addition of exsolved gas bubbles in the cryomagma that were previously dissolved into it (that makes

15812-442: The solar system where volcanoes can be easily seen due to their high activity, Earth and Io. Its lavas are the hottest known anywhere in the Solar System, with temperatures exceeding 1,800 K (1,500 °C). In February 2001, the largest recorded volcanic eruptions in the Solar System occurred on Io. Europa , the smallest of Jupiter's Galilean moons , also appears to have an active volcanic system, except that its volcanic activity

15946-534: The south. This complex of shield volcanoes , stratovolcanoes , lava domes , calderas and cinder cones forms a broad, intermontane plateau at the eastern edge of the Tahltan Highland , a southeast-trending upland area extending along the western side of the Stikine Plateau . Mount Edziza is in the Southern Boreal Plateau Ecosection which consists of several upland summits as well as wide river valleys and deeply incised plateaus. It

16080-401: The southern and northwestern flanks of the stratovolcano. Along the north side of Tenchen Valley on the eastern flank of the stratovolcano are 850-metre-high (2,790-foot) cliffs exposing explosion breccias , trachyte lavas and landslide or lahar deposits. Although Mount Edziza is surrounded by relatively flat terrain of the Big Raven Plateau to the north, west and south, the terrain east of

16214-415: The surface, and the release of pressure causes more gas to exsolve, doing so explosively. The gas may expand at hundreds of metres per second, expanding upward and outward. As the eruption progresses, a chain reaction causes the magma to be ejected at higher and higher speeds. The violently expanding gas disperses and breaks up magma, forming a colloid of gas and magma called volcanic ash . The cooling of

16348-456: The trachyte flows comprising Koosick and Ornostay bluffs is attributed to them having been extruded through glacial ice. The Pillow Ridge Formation is restricted to Pillow Ridge and Tsekone Ridge on Mount Edziza's northwestern flank, both of which are glaciovolcanic in origin. Pillow Ridge is a nearly 4-kilometre-long (2.5-mile), northwesterly-trending ridge of basaltic pillow lava, pillow breccia, tuff breccia and dikes . Its upper surface

16482-616: The tributary branch that descended Tennaya Valley probably originated from a vent near the summit of Ice Peak that is now covered by glaciers. Another plausible source is Nanook Dome on the southeastern crater rim of Mount Edziza. A relatively small trachyte flow descended from a vent on the western flank of Ice Peak and spread onto the Big Raven Plateau. Potassium–argon dating of the Kakiddi Formation has yielded ages of 0.31 ± 0.07 million years from mugearite, as well as 0.30 ± 0.02 million years, 0.29 ± 0.02 million years and 0.28 ± 0.02 million years from trachyte. The Big Raven Formation includes

16616-543: The upper slopes but barren rock is abundant at higher elevations. The region is characterized by warm summers and cold, snowy winters; temperatures are warmest in mid-summer during the day when they may hit the 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) range. However, temperatures can drop below freezing during summer nights, making snow or freezing rain a possibility at any time of the year. The closest weather stations to Mount Edziza are located at Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake , which lie about 40 kilometres (25 miles) to

16750-480: The volcanic pile, is an assemblage of mostly thin basalt flows. Lavas of intermediate composition such as tristanite, trachybasalt and mugearite are very limited in extent. The upper stratigraphic unit is a highly varied succession of lavas and pyroclastic rocks forming the high, central edifice of Ice Peak. It consists of basalt, trachyte and a variety of intermediate rocks such as tristanite, trachybasalt, benmoreite and mugearite. The Ice Peak Formation also includes

16884-456: The volcano poses a potential threat to air traffic. Volcanic ash reduces visibility and can cause jet engine failure, as well as damage to other aircraft systems. Lava flows are also a potential hazard as they have formerly dammed local streams. Another potential hazard at Mount Edziza is the ignition of wildfires by eruptions as the surrounding area has vegetation. An eruption under the ice cap could produce floods or lahars that may flow into

17018-439: The water to exsolve into gas. The elastic nature of the ice shell would likely prevent the fracture reaching the surface, and the crack would instead pinch off, enclosing the gas and liquid. The gas would increase buoyancy and could allow the crack to reach the surface. Even impacts can create conditions that allow for enhanced ascent of magma. An impact may remove the top few kilometres of crust, and pressure differences caused by

17152-459: The water would rise to its level of hydrostatic equilibrium, at about nine-tenths of the way to the surface. Tides which induce compression and tension in the ice shell may pump the water farther up. A 1988 article proposed a possibility for fractures propagating upwards from the subsurface ocean of Jupiter's moon Europa. It proposed that a fracture propagating upwards would possess a low pressure zone at its tip, allowing volatiles dissolved within

17286-423: The western flank of Ice Peak, extend westward onto the surrounding Big Raven Plateau. The northeastern side of Mount Edziza contains The Pyramid , a pyramid-shaped lava dome 2,199 metres (7,215 feet) in elevation. Pillow Ridge on the northern side of Mount Edziza has an elevation of 2,400 metres (7,900 feet) while Tsekone Ridge northwest of Mount Edziza has an elevation of 1,920 metres (6,300 feet). High on

17420-422: The western side of Mount Edziza is Triangle Dome , an elliptical lava dome 2,680 metres (8,790 feet) in elevation. Glacier Dome reaches an elevation of 2,225 metres (7,300 feet) on Mount Edziza's lower northeastern flank. A circular lava dome on the southeastern crater rim of Mount Edziza called Nanook Dome has an elevation of 2,710 metres (8,890 feet). Sphinx Dome , 2,380 metres (7,810 feet) in elevation,

17554-462: The western side of the ice cap spread in broad lobes onto the Big Raven Plateau while distributary glaciers on the eastern side drape down steep slopes to form discontinuous icefalls . The Mount Edziza ice cap is the only one worthy of note on the Stikine Plateau. Four glaciers of the ice cap are named, all of which have names of Tahltan origin. Idiji Glacier descends from the eastern side of

17688-551: Was also changed to reflect entrenched local usage and in conformation with Mount Edziza Provincial Park which was established in 1972. Ice Peak was officially named on January 2, 1980, to retain Mount Edziza's Tahltan name, Ice Mountain, which translates to Tenh Dẕetle in the Tahltan language. Just southeast of Mount Edziza was the Spectrum or Red Dog property, a block of mineral claims that covered quartz , pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization in fractured sedimentary and volcanic rocks of Late Triassic age. Commodities on

17822-458: Was covered by a regional ice sheet during the Pleistocene which receded and advanced periodically until about 11,000 years ago when deglaciation was essentially complete in a steadily warming climate. This warming trend ceased about 2,600 years ago, causing glaciers to advance from Mount Edziza and elsewhere along the volcanic complex as a part of the neoglaciation . The present trend towards

17956-601: Was established in collaboration with Skeena Resources, BC Parks , the Tahltan Central Government and the Nature Conservancy of Canada after Skeena Resources returned their mineral tenures on the Spectrum property. The name of this conservation area was changed to the Tenh Dẕetle Conservancy in 2022 to better reflect the culture, history and tradition of the Tahltan First Nation . Mount Edziza lies in

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