Meehaz Mountain facts for kids

Meehaz Mountain is a special kind of mountain located in British Columbia, Canada. It's found in the northern part of the province, near the start of the Teslin River. What makes Meehaz Mountain unique is how it was formed. It's actually a type of subglacial volcano, which means it grew underneath a thick sheet of ice! This happened during a time called the Pleistocene period, also known as the Ice Age.

What is Meehaz Mountain?

Meehaz Mountain is not a typical pointy mountain. It's known as a subglacial mound. Imagine a volcano trying to erupt, but instead of breaking through the air, it's pushing up against a huge glacier. That's how Meehaz Mountain was created. It's part of a group of volcanoes in the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province.

A Mountain Born from Ice

A subglacial mound forms when lava erupts under a glacier or ice sheet. The ice acts like a giant mold. As the hot lava meets the cold ice, it cools very quickly. This fast cooling creates a special type of rock called pillow lava. The lava builds up, forming a mound shape underneath the ice. Meehaz Mountain never fully broke through the ice that covered it. This is why it has its unique shape and is called a subglacial mound.

How Volcanoes Erupt Under Ice

When a volcano erupts beneath a glacier, the heat from the lava melts the ice. This melting creates a lake of water trapped under the ice. The lava then flows into this water. The extreme difference in temperature makes the lava cool down very fast. It forms rounded, pillow-like shapes. As more lava flows, it stacks up, creating the mound. Sometimes, if the eruption is big enough, the lava can melt a hole all the way through the ice. But for Meehaz Mountain, the ice stayed on top.

The Ice Age: When Meehaz Mountain Formed

Meehaz Mountain was formed during the Pleistocene period. This was a time in Earth's history when large parts of the planet were covered by massive ice sheets. This period lasted from about 2.6 million years ago to about 11,700 years ago. It's often called the Ice Age. During the Pleistocene, glaciers grew and shrank many times.

Life During the Pleistocene

The world during the Pleistocene was very different from today. Giant mammals like woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and giant ground sloths roamed the Earth. Early humans also lived during this time. The climate was much colder, and vast areas were covered in ice.

The Land of British Columbia Long Ago

During the Ice Age, much of what is now British Columbia was covered by a thick ice sheet. This ice sheet was thousands of feet thick in some places. It shaped the landscape we see today. Valleys were carved out, and lakes were formed by the moving ice. Meehaz Mountain is a reminder of this icy past. It shows us that even under immense ice, powerful geological forces like volcanoes were at work.

Where is Meehaz Mountain?

Meehaz Mountain is located in a region of British Columbia known as the Cassiar Country. It's part of the Stikine Plateau, a large area of high ground. The mountain sits on the north side of the headwaters of the Teslin River. Its coordinates are 59 degrees North latitude and 131 degrees West longitude. It stands at an elevation of 1,608 meters (about 5,276 feet) above sea level.