Anahim Volcanic Belt facts for kids
The Anahim Volcanic Belt is a long line of volcanoes in British Columbia, Canada. It stretches almost from the west coast, near Vancouver Island, all the way inland to an area called the Interior Plateau. This belt is special because the volcanoes get younger the farther east you go!
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What is the Anahim Volcanic Belt?
The Anahim Volcanic Belt is a chain of volcanoes that runs across British Columbia. It starts near the Pacific Ocean and goes deep into the province's center. This belt is about 600 kilometers (370 miles) long. It shows us how Earth's plates move and create new landforms.
How Did These Volcanoes Form?
Scientists believe these volcanoes formed because of something called a "hotspot". Imagine a super hot spot deep inside the Earth. This hot spot stays in one place. But the North American continent, which is a giant land plate, is slowly sliding westward over it.
As the continent moves, the hotspot melts rock underneath. This melted rock, called magma, then rises to the surface. When it breaks through, it creates a volcano! Over millions of years, as the continent keeps moving, new volcanoes form over the hotspot. The older volcanoes are left behind, farther to the west. This is why the volcanoes in the Anahim belt get younger as you move east.
Famous Volcanoes in the Belt
The Anahim Volcanic Belt includes several interesting volcanic areas. Some of the well-known ones are the Rainbow Range, the Ilgachuz Range, and the Itcha Range. These are not just single volcanoes but groups of them.
The Nazko Cone is the youngest volcano in this belt. It is located closer to the eastern end of the belt. The Nazko Cone last erupted about 7,200 years ago. This might seem like a long time, but in geology, it's quite recent!
Images for kids
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Depth relationships and compositional correlation of plutonic, hypabyssal and volcanic rocks exposed in the western Anahim Belt
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The Itcha Range from the south
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Nazko Cone, the easternmost and youngest volcano in the Anahim Volcanic Belt
