Watts Point volcanic centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Watts Point volcanic centre |
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 Watts Point volcanic centre
Location in British Columbia
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | ~ 240 m (800 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Parent range | Britannia Range (North Shore Mountains) |
| Topo map | NTS 92G/11 Squamish |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | ~ 90,000–130,000 years |
| Mountain type | Subglacial mound |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Canadian Cascade Arc Garibaldi Volcanic Belt |
| Last eruption | ~ 90,000 years |
The Watts Point volcanic centre is a small area of volcanic rock found at Watts Point in British Columbia, Canada. This rock formed a very long time ago, during the Pleistocene Ice Age. It is located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Squamish and 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Vancouver.
This volcanic area is the most southerly part of the Squamish volcanic field. It is also part of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, which is itself a section of the larger Cascade Volcanic Arc. Scientists now believe that Watts Point is most likely a subglacial mound. This means it was formed when a volcano erupted under a thick sheet of ice or a glacier.
What is Watts Point Volcanic Centre?
The Watts Point volcanic centre is made of a solid mass of lava rock. This rock is called dacite, and it has small crystals and many cracks. It sits on top of much older rocks from the mid-Cretaceous period, known as the Coast Plutonic Complex. In some places, the volcanic rock is covered by clay and by glacial till. Glacial till is a mix of rock and dirt left behind by moving glaciers.
Size and Location
The volcanic rock at Watts Point starts below the current sea level. It then goes up the side of a steep hill, reaching over 240 meters (790 feet) high. The entire area of this volcanic rock is less than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) long. It covers about 0.4 square kilometers (0.15 square miles). The amount of lava that erupted to form it was roughly 0.02 cubic kilometers.
The area around Watts Point is covered in thick forests. The train tracks for BC Rail run through the lower part of the volcanic rock, about 40 meters (130 feet) above sea level.
Exploring the Rock
There are two rock quarries at Watts Point. Quarries are places where rock is dug out of the ground. One quarry is near the middle of the volcanic area, and the other is near the top. These quarries offer the best views of what the inside of the lava mass looks like.
BC Highway 99 also goes over the eastern side of this volcanic area. It then goes down towards the areas of the Stawamus Chief and Murrin Park, which are southeast of Squamish.
