Kawdy Mountain facts for kids

Kawdy Mountain is a unique mountain located in the wild and scenic northwestern part of British Columbia, Canada. It stands tall on the Kawdy Plateau, which is the northernmost section of a larger area called the Stikine Plateau. This mountain is special because of how it was formed.

What is Kawdy Mountain?

Kawdy Mountain is known as a subglacial mound. This means it's a type of volcano that erupted and grew underneath a thick layer of ice or a glacier. Imagine a volcano trying to erupt, but with a giant ice blanket on top! The ice shaped the mountain as the lava flowed.

How it Formed

Kawdy Mountain was formed during a very old time period called the Pleistocene epoch. This was a time when much of the Earth was covered in glaciers and ice sheets.

• The mountain is made up of different kinds of volcanic rocks.
• Near the top, you'll find layers of basaltic lava. These are dark, fine-grained volcanic rocks that flowed out like thick syrup.
• Below these lava layers, there are other types of broken-up volcanic rocks. These rocks point outwards, showing how the volcano pushed up from underneath the ice.
• The last time Kawdy Mountain erupted was also during the Pleistocene epoch.

Where is it Located?

Kawdy Mountain is part of a larger group of volcanoes called the Stikine Volcanic Belt. This belt is part of an even bigger volcanic area known as the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province.

• This whole region has many volcanic features.
• These volcanoes are forming because the North American tectonic plate is slowly stretching and moving towards the west.
• When the Earth's plates stretch, it can create cracks where molten rock, or magma, can rise to the surface and cause eruptions.

Kawdy Mountain is a great example of how powerful natural forces like glaciers and plate tectonics can shape our planet's landscape over millions of years.