Franklin Glacier Volcano

Franklin Glacier Volcano

Satellite image of Franklin Glacier Volcano
Elevation 2,252 m (7,388 ft)
Listing

List of volcanoes in Canada

List of Cascade volcanoes

Location
Location British Columbia, Canada
Range Pacific Ranges
Coordinates 51°20′N 125°24′W / 51.333°N 125.400°WCoordinates: 51°20′N 125°24′W / 51.333°N 125.400°W
Geology
Type Caldera[1]
Age of rock Miocene
Volcanic arc/belt

Canadian Cascade Arc

Pemberton/Garibaldi Belt

Last eruption Pliocene

Franklin Glacier Volcano is a deeply eroded and huge 20 km (12 mi) long and 6 km (4 mi) wide caldera[1] complex in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located east-southeast of the Silverthrone Caldera in the Hoodoo Creek and Franklin Glacier area on the northwest flank of the Waddington Massif of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains. Franklin Glacier Volcano consists of a series of dikes and high-level magma intrusions.

Geology

Origins

The still largely unexplained tectonic causes of the volcanism that has produced Franklin Glacier Volcano are a matter of ongoing research. Franklin is not above a hotspot as are Nazko or Hawaii. However, with the existence of andesite, basalt, and rhyodacite, it may be a product of the Cascadia subduction zone because such volcanic rocks are products of subduction volcanism.[2] At issue are the current plate configuration and rate of subduction but Franklin's chemistry indicates that Franklin is subduction related.[3][4]

Eruptive history

The eruptive history of Franklin Glacier Volcano is poorly known and poorly understood.[5] Franklin Glacier Volcano is considerably older than Silverthrone Caldera, its nearest prominent neighbour.[5] Potassium-argon dates from some of the high-level intrusions indicate Franklin Glacier Volcano has had at least two distinct eruptive events.[5] The first event began between six and eight million years ago, and the other between two and three million years ago, indicating Franklin Glacier Volcano has long periods of inactivity and has a period of activity about every three million years.[5] At least some intrusions of Franklin Glacier Volcano were sources for the two distinct volcanic events.[5] Volcanics include dacite breccia, minor lava flows, tuffs, and scarce remnants of hornblende andesite lava flows that reach thicknesses of 450 m (1,476 ft).[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jürgen (2001). Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-521-43811-7. OCLC 27910629.
  2. ↑ USGS. "Washington State Volcanoes and Volcanics". Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  3. ↑ "Activity Sheet 2: Eruption Primer". Petty M. Donna. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  4. ↑ "Impact of varied slab age and thermal structure on enrichment processes and melting regimes in sub-arc mantle: Example from the Cascadia subduction system". Nathan L., A. Krishna Sinha. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes: Franklin Glacier