Iskut-Unuk River Cones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iskut-Unuk River Cones |
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 Iskut-Unuk River Cones
Location in British Columbia
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,880 m (6,170 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Parent range | Boundary Ranges (Coast Mountains) |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Pleistocene-to-Holocene |
| Mountain type | Volcanic field |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province |
| Last eruption | 1800 (?) |
The Iskut-Unuk River Cones are a collection of eight small volcanoes located in western North America. They are part of a larger chain of volcanoes called the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province. These cones are found in the Boundary Ranges, which are part of the big Coast Mountains.
These volcanoes are made of basalt, a common type of dark volcanic rock. Some of the oldest lava flows from this area are about 70,000 years old. However, most of the visible cones and lava flows erupted more recently, likely between 9,000 and a few hundred years ago.
The most recent lava flows came from a volcano known as The Volcano. This eruption happened about 150 years ago. One of the other cones, called Iskut Canyon Cone, produced at least 10 thick lava flows. These flows were so large that they blocked the Iskut River when they first erupted!
What are these Volcanoes?
The Iskut-Unuk River Cones are a type of volcanic field. This means they are an area with many small volcanoes, rather than one large central volcano. They are part of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province, which is a long chain of volcanoes stretching across western Canada.
These volcanoes are mostly cinder cones. A cinder cone is a steep, cone-shaped hill built from volcanic ash and rock fragments. These fragments are called cinders, and they pile up around the volcano's vent during an eruption.
History of Eruptions
The volcanoes in this field have been active for a long time. The oldest lava flows date back to the Pleistocene epoch, which ended about 11,700 years ago. More recent activity happened during the Holocene epoch, which is the current geological time period.
The last known eruption was from The Volcano around 1800. This means the volcanoes have been quiet for a while, but they are still considered part of an active volcanic region.
The Volcanoes in the Area
There are eight main volcanic cones that make up the Iskut-Unuk River Cones. Each one has its own unique features.
- Cinder Mountain
- Cone Glacier Volcano
- Iskut Canyon Cone
- King Creek Cone
- The Volcano
- Seconed Canyon Cone
- Snippaker Creek Cone
- Tom MacKay Creek Cone
The local Tlingit people have a special name for these mountains: Seikhulé. This name refers to how these mountains were not covered by water during Aangalakhú, which means "the Great Flood." They were important high places where people could find safety during that time.
