Chipmunk Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chipmunk Mountain |
|
|---|---|
Summit of Chipmunk Mountain
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,390 m (7,840 ft) |
| Prominence | 540 m (1,770 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Chipmunk Mountain
Location in British Columbia
|
|
| Parent range | Pacific Ranges |
| Topo map | NTS 92J/10 |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 26.8 ± 1.4 Ma |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Pemberton Volcanic Belt Canadian Cascade Arc |
| Last eruption | Miocene age |
Chipmunk Mountain is a cool mountain in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It's about 23 km (14 mi) southwest of a town called Bralorne. This mountain stands tall at 2,390 m (7,840 ft), which is about 7,841 feet! It's the highest point on a long, rocky ridge that stretches to the east.
Chipmunk Mountain looks a bit like a pointy rocky tower, similar to The Black Tusk you might see in Garibaldi Provincial Park. It got its fun name in 1920. A group of climbers were having lunch at the top, and they shared their food scraps with a friendly chipmunk!
What is Chipmunk Mountain?
Chipmunk Mountain is actually what's left of an ancient, extinct volcano. It formed a very long time ago, during a period called the Miocene epoch. This means it's not active anymore and won't erupt.
How Did Chipmunk Mountain Form?
The rocks that make up Chipmunk Mountain cover an area of about 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi). These rocks are volcanic rocks, meaning they came from a volcano. They include different types like pyroclastic rocks (bits of rock and ash shot out by a volcano), and also sills and dikes (which are sheets of magma that pushed into older rocks).
The rocks here range from basalts (dark, fine-grained volcanic rock) to rhyolites (light-colored, silica-rich volcanic rock). Most of them are types called basaltic andesites and andesites. These rocks are linked to other volcanoes in the Pemberton Volcanic Belt. This tells us that Chipmunk Mountain was created by volcanism (volcanic activity) that was part of the Canadian Cascade Arc.
Scientists have figured out that these volcanic rocks are about 26.8 ± 1.4 million years old. This age matches up with when the Pemberton Belt volcanoes were active. So, Chipmunk Mountain is a cool reminder of Canada's fiery past!
