Cinder Mountain facts for kids

Cinder Mountain is a special kind of volcano found in British Columbia, Canada. It's called a cinder cone and it's located near the start of Snippaker Creek. This mountain is part of a group of volcanoes known as the Iskut-Unuk River Cones.

Long ago, Cinder Mountain erupted and sent out a flow of basaltic lava. This lava flow stretched about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north into a place called Copper King Creek. Scientists can still see signs of this ancient eruption today.

What is Cinder Mountain?

Cinder Mountain is a cinder cone. Imagine a volcano that looks like a tall, steep hill. It's made mostly of volcanic ash and small, bubbly rocks called cinders. These cinders are thrown out during an eruption and pile up around the volcano's vent.

Over time, wind and rain can wear down a cinder cone. This is why Cinder Mountain is described as "partly eroded." It means some of its original shape has been worn away.

Where is Cinder Mountain Located?

Cinder Mountain is in the beautiful province of British Columbia, Canada. It sits in a wild and rugged area. Specifically, it's found in the Boundary Ranges, which are part of a larger mountain system.

The mountain is at the very beginning, or "head," of Snippaker Creek. This creek flows through the landscape, shaped by the geology of the area.

The Lava Flow from Cinder Mountain

When Cinder Mountain erupted, it produced a lava flow. Lava is melted rock that comes out of a volcano. The lava from Cinder Mountain was basaltic. Basalt is a common type of volcanic rock.

This lava flow traveled quite a distance, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). It moved north and ended up in Copper King Creek. Scientists have found interesting rock formations there.

Some of these formations are "subaerial basalt flows." This means they were lava flows that cooled on land. There are also "pillow lava" formations. Pillow lava forms when lava erupts underwater or flows into water. It creates rounded, pillow-like shapes as it cools quickly.

These lava rocks rest on layers of clay and till. Clay is a fine-grained soil, and till is a mix of rocks and sediment left behind by glaciers. This tells us about the ancient environment when the volcano erupted.

When Did Cinder Mountain Erupt?

Cinder Mountain last erupted during a time called the Pleistocene epoch. The Pleistocene was a very long period in Earth's history. It started about 2.6 million years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago.

This epoch is famous for its many ice ages. During these ice ages, large parts of the Earth were covered in glaciers. So, Cinder Mountain was active a very long time ago, when the world was a much colder place.

Part of a Volcanic Family

Cinder Mountain is not alone. It's one of several volcanoes in the Iskut-Unuk River Cones group. This group is part of a larger volcanic area in British Columbia. These volcanoes are called "monogenetic," which means they typically erupt only once or a few times over a short period.

Studying volcanoes like Cinder Mountain helps scientists understand Earth's history. It also teaches us about how our planet's surface has changed over millions of years.