Atlin Volcanic Field
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| Atlin Volcanic Field | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,880 metres (6,168 feet) |
| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Range | Pacific Coast Ranges |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Cinder cones |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province |
| Age of rock | Holocene |
| Last eruption | Unknown, possible eruptions in 1898. |
The Atlin Volcanic Field, also called the Llangorse Volcanic Field and the Surprise Lake Volcanic Field, is a group of late-Pleistocene to Holocene cinder cones that lies on the Teslin Plateau east of Atlin Lake. The largest volcanic feature is the 1880-m-high Ruby Mountain which has been partially dissected by Pleistocene and post-Wisconsin glaciation. Two basaltic cinder cones at the heads of Cracker Creek and Volcanic Creek lie within glacially dissected U-shaped valleys and may be of postglacial age.
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[edit] November 8 1898 eruption
A Yukon newspaper reported in 1898 that an eruption was occurring near Atlin about 80 km south of Gladys Lake, near the end of the 19th century. Miners working in the area reportedly were able to work during the dark nights, due to the glow of the eruption. The article also reported that a group of people were going down from the Yukon to investigate the eruption, but no further reports were apparently made. Several recent studies, including a summary by Edwards et al. (2004) published by the Geological Survey of Canada, have determined that Ruby Mountain was definitely not the site of a historic eruption. Nor were Cracker Creek or Volcanic Creek cones.
One possible explanation for the story is that placer miners found gold bearing gravels beneath an ancient lava flow at the base of Ruby Mountain, and were actively tunneling under the old lava flow to mine the gravels. As its name suggests, Ruby Mountain is ruby-colored due to the scoriaceous tephra that covers much of its summit. So, with miners working by the light of the summer sun shining off of the ruby-red flanks of the volcano, it's easy to see how such a rumor would have started. There have been no evidence of the eruption found in the region, however, the volcanic activity in the region is young enough to have been the site of an historical eruption, although the 19th century report of the eruption is considered uncertain.[1]
[edit] Volcanoes
Volcanoes within the field include:
- Volcanic Creek Cone
- Cracker Creek Cone
- Ruby Mountain
- Llangorse Mountain
