Mount Edziza volcanic complex
The Mount Edziza volcanic complex (/ədˈzaɪzə/; abbreviated MEVC) is a linear group of volcanoes and associated lava flows in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Located on the Tahltan Highland, it is 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Telegraph Creek and 85 kilometres (53 miles) southwest of Dease Lake. The complex encompasses a broad, steep-sided lava plateau that extends over 1,000 square kilometres (390 square miles). Its highest summit is 2,786 metres (9,140 feet) above sea level, making the MEVC the highest of four large complexes in an extensive north–south trending volcanic region. An ice cap obscures the highest summit which is characterized by several outlet glaciers stretching out to lower altitudes.
| Mount Edziza volcanic complex | |
|---|---|
| Mount Edziza–Spectrum Range complex | |
The northern half of the MEVC as seen from the southern end of the Big Raven Plateau. Cocoa and Coffee craters are at left foreground and left centre, respectively. Ice Peak is at upper right centre while Mount Edziza itself is at upper centre. | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Edziza |
| Elevation | 2,786 m (9,140 ft) |
| Coordinates | 57°42′55″N 130°38′04″W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 65 km (40 mi) |
| Width | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Area | 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) |
| Volume | 670 km3 (160 cu mi) |
| Geography | |
Mount Edziza volcanic complex Location in British Columbia | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | Cassiar Land District |
| Protected area | Mount Edziza Provincial Park |
| Parent range | Tahltan Highland |
| Topo map | NTS 104G15 Buckley Lake NTS 104G10 Mount Edziza NTS 104G7 Mess Lake |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, subglacial volcanoes, lava domes, cinder cones, calderas |
| Age of rock | Less than 12,000,000 years old |
| Type of rock | Alkali basalt, hawaiite, trachyte, rhyolite, trachybasalt, tristanite, mugearite, benmoreite |
| Volcanic region | Northern Cordilleran Province |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
The MEVC consists of several types of volcanoes, including stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, cinder cones and lava domes. These volcanoes have formed over the last 12 million years during five cycles of magmatic activity which spanned Earth's four most recent geologic epochs. Volcanic eruptions during these magmatic cycles issued a wide variety of volcanic rocks that comprise 13 geological formations. The most recent eruptions took place in the last 11,000 years but many of them remain undated. Current activity occurs exclusively in the form of hot springs. Future eruptions are likely to impact local streams and cause wildfires.
Several streams surround the MEVC, many of which drain the flanks of the volcanic complex. This includes the Little Iskut River along the southeastern flank, Kakiddi Creek along the northeastern flank, the Klastline River along the northern flank and Mess Creek along the western flank. The valleys of these streams contain several species of trees, including white spruce, trembling aspen and lodgepole pine. Animal species such as birds, rodents, bears, sheep, goats, moose and caribou inhabit the area. Warm summers and cold, snowy winters characterize the climate at the MEVC; snow and ice remain on the highest volcanoes year-round.
Indigenous peoples have lived adjacent to the MEVC for thousands of years. The local Tahltan people used volcanic glass from the MEVC to make tools and weaponry in prehistoric times. Intermittent geological work has been carried out at the volcanic complex since the 1950s, the most detailed studies having been conducted in the 1960s. A large provincial park dominates the MEVC which can only be accessed by aircraft or by a network of trails.