Miles Canyon Basalts facts for kids
The Miles Canyon Basalts are special rocks. They are made of basalt lava flows and cones. These rocks formed when volcanoes erupted long ago. The lava flowed across the land in south-central Yukon. This happened before the big ice ages.
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Where to Find Miles Canyon Basalts
You can best see these volcanic rocks at Miles Canyon. The Yukon River cuts through them there. This spot is just south of Whitehorse. In spring, you can also see them near the Yukon River hydro dam in Whitehorse. This dam was built to use the power of the White Horse Rapids.
How the Basalts Shaped Whitehorse
The White Horse Rapids and Miles Canyon were a big challenge. They were hard for gold-seekers during the Klondike Gold Rush. These rapids also marked the end of the line for paddle-wheel river boats. Because of the Miles Canyon Basalts, a town called Closeleigh started here. It later became the City of Whitehorse.
Alligator Lake Volcanic Complex
The largest amount of these rocks is found southwest of Whitehorse. This area is called the Alligator Lake volcanic complex. Here, you can see many lava flows and cinder cones.
How Old Are These Rocks?
Scientists first thought the Miles Canyon Basalts were from the Pleistocene age. This is a time period that ended about 11,700 years ago. However, new scientific tests show they are much older.
Dating the Rocks
The rocks at Miles Canyon along the Yukon River are about 8.4 million years old. This means they formed during the Miocene epoch. The lava flows at Alligator Lake are about 3.2 million years old. These formed during the Pliocene epoch. The cones at Alligator Lake might be even younger. However, glaciers have changed them over time.
See also
In Spanish: Basaltos del Cañón Miles para niños
