The Capricorn Assemblage, also known as the Capricorn Formation, is a
geological formation
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock expo ...
comprising the central portion of the
Mount Meager massif
The Mount Meager massif is a group of volcanic peaks in the of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc of western North America, it is located north of Vancouver at the northern end of the ...
in southwestern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. It is named after
Capricorn Mountain, the third highest subsidiary peak of Meager. The assemblage was formed during a period of volcanic activity about or less than 90,000 years ago.
Weathered
rhyodacite
Rhyodacite is a volcanic rock intermediate in composition between dacite and rhyolite. It is the extrusive equivalent of those plutonic rocks that are intermediate in composition between monzogranite and granodiorite. Rhyodacites form from r ...
is the main
volcanic rock
Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcan ...
comprising the Capricorn Assemblage. It forms the final of Capricorn Mountain and
Mount Job
Mount Job is one of six named volcanic peaks of the Mount Meager massif in British Columbia, Canada. It is a pile of rubble held together by volcanic ash and sand. The main summit of Mount Job is hard to climb because of difficult access and its ...
. The rhyodacite is characterized by
phenocryst
300px, Swiss side of the Mont Blanc massif, has large white plagioclase phenocrysts, triclinic minerals that give trapezoid shapes when cut through). 1 euro coins, 1 euro coin (diameter 2.3 cm) for scale.
A phenocryst is an early forming, relati ...
s of
plagioclase
Plagioclase is a series of tectosilicate (framework silicate) minerals within the feldspar group. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continuous solid solution series, more pro ...
,
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...
and
biotite
Biotite is a common group of phyllosilicate minerals within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . It is primarily a solid-solution series between the iron- endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more alum ...
. Capricorn Assemblage rhyodacite underlies
Plinth Assemblage
The Plinth Assemblage, also known as the Plinth Formation, is an accreted terrane of igneous rocks in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located just north of the Lillooet River and on the northern flank of the Mount Meager massif. It is named ...
rhyodacite on the south flank of
Plinth Peak
Plinth Peak, sometimes called Plinth Mountain, is the highest satellite cone of the Mount Meager massif, and one of four overlapping volcanic cones which together form a large volcanic complex in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt of the Canadian Cascade ...
.
See also
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Mosaic Assemblage
The Mosaic Assemblage is a rock unit of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the namesake of Mosaic Glacier, which is drained by Mosaic Creek. This geological formation formed 140,000 to les ...
*
Job Assemblage The Job Assemblage is a geological formation comprising a portion of the Mount Meager massif in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is named after Mount Job, a subsidiary peak of Meager. The rock unit was formed during a period of rhyodacite v ...
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The Devastator Assemblage
The Devastator Assemblage is a geological formation comprising a portion of the Mount Meager massif in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is named after Devastator Peak (also known as The Devastator), the lowest and southernmost subsidiary p ...
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Pylon Assemblage
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Volcanism of Western Canada
Volcanism of Western Canada has produced lava flows, lava plateaus, lava domes, cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, greenstone belts, submarine volcanoes, calderas, diatremes and maars, along with examples of more less common volcani ...
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List of Cascade volcanoes
This is a list of Cascade volcanoes, i.e. volcanoes formed as a result of subduction along the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The volcanoes are listed from north to south, by province or state: British Columbi ...
*
List of volcanoes in Canada
References
{{coord missing, British Columbia
Mount Meager massif
Volcanism of British Columbia
Geologic formations of British Columbia
Pleistocene volcanism