Maquinna (volcano) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maquinna |
|
|---|---|
| Summit depth | 2,500 m (8,202 ft) |
| Height | ~30 m (98 ft) |
| Location | |
| Location | 16-18 kilometers west of Vancouver Island |
| Country | Canada |
| Geology | |
| Type | Mud volcano |
| Age of rock | Holocene |
| Last eruption | Holocene (active) |
Maquinna is an active underwater mud volcano located off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It's about 16 to 18 kilometers (10-11 miles) west of Vancouver Island. This volcano rises about 30 m (98 ft) (around 100 feet) from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It sits right on top of a major crack in the Earth's crust called the Nootka Fault.
What is Maquinna?
Maquinna is one of the few mud volcanoes found in the northeast Pacific Ocean. It stretches about 1.5 km (1 mi) (nearly a mile) wide. It has a broken-down caldera (a large bowl-shaped hollow) and two smaller craters at its top.
How Maquinna Works
Scientists have studied Maquinna closely. They found strong signs of heat, tiny particles, and unusual oxygen levels extending 50 m (164 ft) (about 164 feet) above the volcano. This shows that the volcano is actively releasing warm, watery fluids from deep inside the Earth.
How Maquinna Formed
Maquinna formed because of two main things. First, a lot of mud and dirt piled up over time. Second, the Earth's plates pushed together horizontally. This happened near the west coast of Vancouver Island, where a part of the Earth's crust called an accretionary wedge was forming. These forces trapped fluids deep underground along the Nootka Fault, causing Maquinna to form and erupt mud.
See also
- You can learn more about this topic in Spanish here: Volcán Macuina para niños
