Mount Bachelor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mount Bachelor | |
|---|---|
 Mount Bachelor from Sparks Lake |
|
| Elevation | 9,068 feet (2,764 metres) |
| Location | Oregon, USA |
| Range | Cascade Volcanic Arc, Cascade Range |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Bachelor |
| Type | Stratovolcano (on top of a shield volcano) |
| Age of rock | < 15000 years |
| Last eruption | 8,000-10,000 years ago |
| Easiest route | ski lift |
Mount Bachelor is a stratovolcano (called Bachelor Butte until the 1980s) built atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon. The entire cone of Mount Bachelor is now a ski area.
The volcano lies at the northern end of a 25 km long chain of small shield volcanoes and cinder cones.
Contents |
[edit] Geology
Mount Bachelor was born between 11,000-15,000 years ago as a shield volcano, but was later capped with a stratovolcano as the eruptions apparently became more explosive over time. It is the youngest prominent volcano in the Three Sisters area of Oregon. Bachelor is composed mainly of basalt and basaltic andesite.
It last erupted between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago, and is entirely covered with Mazama ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Mazama about 6,845 years ago. There is no geothermal activity at present, although the volcano itself probably cannot be considered truly extinct.
[edit] Skiing
Mount Bachelor is also a ski area, with lifts reaching all the way to the glacier at the summit of the volcano. The resort is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, with a skiable area of 3683 acres (14.9 km²) and a vertical drop of 3365 feet (1025 m).
[edit] Namesake
Mount Bachelor is so called because it "stands apart" from the Three Sisters, a group of three volcanic mountains that are northwest of Mount Bachelor. In early days it was frequently called "Brother Jonathan". (Information from "Oregon Geographic Names" by Lewis A. McArthur)
[edit] External links
- Mt. Bachelor ski area
- Information on Mt. Bachelor's various ski lifts
- Global Volcanism Program
- USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory Description: Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
- Surrounding area map from Google Maps
- Location in the United States from the Census Bureau
