Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex
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The Mount Edziza volcanic complex ( ; abbreviated MEVC) is a group of
volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
es and associated
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
flows in northwestern
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Located on the
Tahltan Highland The Tahltan Highland is an upland area of plateau and relatively lower mountain ranges in British Columbia, Canada, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River (the east fork of the Taku River). Its eastern boundary is formed ...
, it is southeast of Telegraph Creek and southwest of Dease Lake. The complex encompasses a broad, steep-sided lava plateau that extends over . Its highest
summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
is in elevation, making the MEVC the highest of four large complexes in an extensive north–south trending volcanic region. It is obscured by an
ice cap In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than are termed ice sheets. Description By definition, ice caps are not constrained by topogra ...
characterized by several outlet glaciers that stretch out to lower altitudes. The MEVC consists of several types of volcanoes, including
stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
es,
shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava ...
es,
cinder cone A cinder cone or scoria cone is a steep, volcanic cone, conical landform of loose pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic ash, clinkers, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are forme ...
s and
lava dome In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular, mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions ...
s. These volcanoes have formed over the last 7.5 million years during five cycles of
magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
tic activity which spanned four geologic epochs. Volcanic eruptions during these magmatic cycles produced a wide variety of
volcanic rock Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and me ...
s that comprise 13 
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 ...
s. The most recent eruptions took place in the last 11,000 years but none of them have been precisely dated. Current activity occurs exclusively in the form of
hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...
s which exist along the western side of the volcanic complex. 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. They include 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 White spruce is a common name for several species of spruce (''Picea'') and may refer to: * '' Picea engelmannii'', native to the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountains of the United States and Canada * ''Picea glauca ''Picea glauca'', the whi ...
, trembling aspen and
lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...
. 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 There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
have lived adjacent to the MEVC for thousands of years. Historically, the local
Tahltan The Tahltan or Nahani are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. The Tahltan constitute the fourth division of the ''Nahan ...
people used
volcanic glass Volcanic glass is the amorphous (uncrystallized) product of rapidly cooling magma. Like all types of glass, it is a state of matter intermediate between the closely packed, highly ordered array of a crystal and the highly disordered array of liqu ...
from the MEVC to make tools and weaponry. Intermittent geological work has been carried out at the volcanic complex since at least the 1950s, the most detailed studies having been conducted in the 1960s. A large provincial park, which can only be accessed by aircraft or by a network of horse trails, dominates the MEVC.


Names and etymology

The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is sometimes referred to as the Mount Edziza–Spectrum Range complex or the Mount Edziza Plateau. Stratigraphically, it has also been referred to as the Mount Edziza Group or the Edziza Group. A number of explanations have been made regarding the origin of the name Edziza. A 1927 report by J. Davidson of the British Columbia Land Surveyors claims that Edziza means "sand" in the
Tahltan language Tahltan, Tāłtān, also called Tałtan ẕāke ("Tahltan people language"), dah dẕāhge ("our language") or didene keh ("this people’s way") is a poorly documented and endangered Northern Athabaskan language spoken by 235 of the Tahltan, Tah ...
, referring to the deep
volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, produced during volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used to r ...
deposits or
pumice Pumice (), called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of extremely vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicula ...
-like sand covering large portions of the
Big Raven Plateau The Big Raven Plateau is an intermontane plateau in Cassiar Land District of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It lies on the Tahltan Highland and is surrounded by several valleys, including those of Mess Creek, Kakiddi Creek, Chakima Creek ...
around Mount Edziza. According to David Stevenson of
University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...
's Anthropology Department, "sand" or "dust" is instead translated as "kutlves" in the
Tahltan The Tahltan or Nahani are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. The Tahltan constitute the fourth division of the ''Nahan ...
language. An explanation listed in the
BC Parks BC Parks is an Government agency, agency of the British Columbia British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy that manages all of the, as of 2020, 1,035 List of British C ...
brochure is that Edziza means "cinders" in the Tahltan language. Another explanation proposed by Canadian
volcanologist A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, col ...
Jack Souther Jack Gordon Souther (April 25, 1924 – June 1, 2014) was an American Canadian, American-born Canadian geologist, volcanologist, professor and engineer. He contributed significantly to the early understanding of Quaternary, recent volcanic activi ...
is that Edziza is a
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
of Edzerza, the name of a local Tahltan family.


Geography and geomorphology


Structure

The
geomorphology Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand wh ...
of the MEVC is in some ways similar to that of the
Eyjafjallajökull Eyjafjallajökull (; "glacier of (the mountain) Eyjafjöll"), sometimes referred to by the numeronym E15, is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano wi ...
volcano in Iceland. This includes its overall elongated structure, its flanking
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic
lava field A lava field, sometimes called a lava bed, is a large, mostly flat area of lava flows. Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava, and can extend for tens or hundreds of kilometers across the underlying terrain. Morp ...
s and its summit
ice cap In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than are termed ice sheets. Description By definition, ice caps are not constrained by topogra ...
surrounded by
silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...
-rich volcanic rocks. The elongated structure of the MEVC is about long and wide. It comprises a broad, steep-sided, intermontane plateau that rises from a base elevation of . Its sides tower above adjacent valleys that serve as drainageways for several streams. The edges of the plateau have been deeply incised by creeks that flow eastward and westward into Mess Creek, Kakiddi Creek and the Iskut River. A northerly-trending, elliptical, composite
shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava ...
consisting of multiple flat-lying lava flows forms the plateau.


Location

The MEVC is surrounded on the east by the Skeena Mountains and the Klastline Plateau whereas to the west it is flanked by the
Coast Mountains The Coast Mountains () are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the British Columbia Coast, Coast of British Columbia sout ...
. It lies on the eastern edge of the
Tahltan Highland The Tahltan Highland is an upland area of plateau and relatively lower mountain ranges in British Columbia, Canada, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River (the east fork of the Taku River). Its eastern boundary is formed ...
, a southeast-trending upland area extending along the western side of the Stikine Plateau between the
Boundary Ranges The Boundary Ranges, also known in the singular and as the Alaska Boundary Range, are the largest and most northerly subrange of the Coast Mountains. They begin at the Nass River, near the southern end of the Alaska Panhandle in the Canadian pro ...
in the west and the
head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
of the Iskut River in the east. The width of the Tahltan Highland varies from about in the north to about in the south where the
Stikine River The Stikine River ( ) is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and ...
crosses the
highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
. The MEVC is in the Southern Boreal Plateau Ecosection which consists of several upland summits as well as wide river valleys and deeply incised plateaus. It is one of seven
ecosection An ecosection is a biogeographic unit smaller than an ecoregion that contains minor physiographic, macroclimatic or oceanographic variations. They are a virtual ecological zone in the Canadian province of British Columbia, which contains 139 ecose ...
s comprising the Boreal Mountains and Plateaus Ecoregion, a large ecological region of northwestern
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
encompassing high plateaus and rugged
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s with intervening
lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
s.
Boreal forest Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by pinophyta, coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. I ...
s of
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
and
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...
occur in the lowlands and valley bottoms of this ecoregion whereas
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
, spruce and
willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...
form forests on the mid-slopes. Extensive alpine altai fescue covers the upper slopes but barren rock is abundant at higher elevations.


Landforms

Four central volcanoes dominate the MEVC, Mount Edziza being the highest with an elevation of . It is a large ice-covered
stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
rising well above the general level of the Tahltan Highland. Ice Peak is a composite stratovolcano in elevation that has been reduced to a steep-walled
pyramidal peak A pyramidal peak, sometimes called a glacial horn in extreme cases, is an angular, sharply pointed mountain peak which results from the cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from a central point. Pyramidal peaks are often examples o ...
with active
cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
s on all of its sides. The Spectrum Range has an elevation of and consists of a nearly circular, more than wide dome with a thickness of up to . Armadillo Peak represents the eroded remains of a small
caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...
whose summit is capped by a thick sequence of ponded lava flows. Various stages of
erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...
have modified these central volcanoes; in some cases, only a few small remnants of their original surface remain. The degree of erosion becomes less pronounced on those that have more recently formed. Several
cinder cone A cinder cone or scoria cone is a steep, volcanic cone, conical landform of loose pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic ash, clinkers, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are forme ...
s dotting the plateau surface rise up to above the surrounding
terrain Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...
, most of which occur in three lava fields. The Desolation Lava Field on the northern slope of Mount Edziza contains 10 cinder cones, namely
Eve Cone Eve Cone, sometimes referred to as Eve's Cone, is a cinder cone in Cassiar Land District of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of and is one of several volcanic cones in the Desolation Lava Field at the northern end of t ...
, Storm Cone, Moraine Cone, Williams Cone, Sleet Cone, Twin Cone, Sidas Cone and the three Triplex Cones. Five named cones occur in the
Snowshoe Lava Field The Snowshoe Lava Field (SLF) is a largely buried volcanic field at Mount Edziza in British Columbia, Canada. It reaches an elevation of and engulfs more than of the Big Raven Plateau and adjacent valleys with blocky lava flows. The Snowshoe L ...
on the southwestern flank of Ice Peak: Tennena Cone, Keda Cone, Coffee Crater,
Cocoa Crater Cocoa Crater, sometimes called Cocoa Cone, is a cinder cone in Cassiar Land District of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of and is one of several volcanic cones in the Snowshoe Lava Field at the southern end of the ...
and The Saucer. The Ash Pit is the only named cinder cone in the
Mess Lake Lava Field The Kitsu Plateau is a small intermontane plateau in Cassiar Land District of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It lies on the Tahltan Highland and is surrounded by several valleys, including those of Mess Creek, Nagha Creek and Raspber ...
which lies at the south-central end of the MEVC. Isolated cinder cones include Icefall Cone and Ridge Cone on the eastern slope of Mount Edziza, Nahta Cone at the extreme southern end of the MEVC, Kana Cone on the extreme northern flank of the MEVC and two unnamed cones in Walkout Creek valley. The MEVC contains three named subplateaus, the largest and northernmost of which is the Big Raven Plateau. Its dominant feature is Mount Edziza which rises from within the middle of the plateau. Two lava fields are present on the Big Raven Plateau; the Desolation Lava Field at the northern end of the plateau covers more than whereas the Snowshoe Lava Field covers about at the southern end of the plateau. At the northwestern end of the Spectrum Range is the Kitsu Plateau; its dominant feature is the even smaller Mess Lake Lava Field which covers . The Arctic Lake Plateau is the southernmost of the three subplateaus; it consists of a nearly flat upland containing Outcast Hill, Tadekho Hill, Wetalth Ridge, Nahta Cone, Source Hill, Thaw Hill and Exile Hill. In the north fork of Tenchen Creek is Cinder Cliff, a high barrier of volcanic rocks. Koosick Bluff and Ornostay Bluff are just southwest of Mount Edziza near the head of Sezill Creek. Northwest and east of Coffee Crater are Hoia Bluff and Kaia Bluff, respectively. Hoia Bluff is a prominent west-facing cliff whereas Kaia Bluff is a steep-sided hill. On the northwestern side of Raspberry Pass is an isolated, flat-topped hill with steep sides called Gnu Butte. The Mess Creek Escarpment is a long, often cliff-like feature forming the western edge of the MEVC. It runs along the eastern side of Mess Creek and exposes thick, flat-lying lava flows. Artifact Ridge is a crescent-shaped mountain
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
east of the Kitsu Plateau and just north of Artifact Creek. Just south of Artifact Ridge and Artifact Creek is Obsidian Ridge, a mountain ridge containing high-quality
obsidian Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...
. Destell Pass is a narrow rock cleft northwest of Artifact Ridge that provides access between the broad upland valleys of Artifact Creek and Raspberry Creek. It is one of two named
mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...
es in the MEVC, the other being Raspberry Pass between the heads of Bourgeaux Creek and Raspberry Creek. Raspberry Pass is a broad east–west valley separating the Spectrum Range in the south from the Mount Edziza area in the north.


Lakes

The eastern side of the MEVC is flanked by Mowdade Lake, Kakiddi Lake, Mowchilla Lake and Nuttlude Lake in Kakiddi Valley; the last three drain north into the Klastline River. Buckley Lake is the main lake bordering the northern side of the MEVC whereas Mess Lake is the main lake bordering the western side of the MEVC. Southeast of the MEVC is 180 Lake, so-named because it is large enough for the Cessna 180 Skywagon to safely operate. The southern end of the MEVC is flanked by Arctic Lake which gets its name from the surrounding barren and treeless landscape. Two small lakes are named on the southern portion of the MEVC. At the head of the Little Iskut River is Little Ball Lake, also called Kounugu Lake after the guardian of fresh water in Tahltan
folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
. It lies immediately south of Kounugu Mountain in the Spectrum Range and east of Ball Creek. Little Arctic Lake lies northeast of Arctic Lake near the northeastern flank of Wetalth Ridge.


Drainage

The MEVC is drained on all sides by streams within the Stikine River watershed. To the west, Mess Creek flows north along the Mess Creek Escarpment inside a broad valley paralleling the MEVC. It then flows northwest into the Stikine River near the community of Telegraph Creek. Several short
tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...
of Mess Creek drain the western half of the MEVC where they have cut steep-sided
canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
s into the volcanic plateau. This includes Crayke Creek which flows to the southwest, Elwyn Creek which flows to the west, Kitsu Creek which flows to the northwest, Raspberry Creek which flows to the northwest, Tadekho Creek which flows to the northwest and Taweh Creek which flows to the northwest. Many of these Mess Creek tributaries also contain tributaries; the only named tributary of Elwyn Creek is Kadeya Creek which flows northwest from Mount Edziza. Kitsu Creek contains one named tributary, Nagha Creek, which flows northwest from the Spectrum Range. Walkout Creek is the only named tributary of Raspberry Creek; it flows west in a canyon west of the Armadillo Highlands and also contains only one named tributary, Flyin Creek, which flows northwest from near the west side of Cache Hill. The only named tributary of Taweh Creek is Sezill Creek which flows northwest in a canyon southwest of Mount Edziza. To the east, the MEVC overlooks a
drainage divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a single ...
that lies in a broad hummocky lowland. Its upper eastern half is drained by tributaries of Kakiddi Creek. This includes Nido Creek, Tenchen Creek and Tennaya Creek which flow to the northeast from the eastern side of Mount Edziza, Shaman Creek and Sorcery Creek which flow to the east and north from near Kaia Bluff and Tsecha Creek which flows to the northeast from near Williams Cone. Shaman Creek contains one named tributary, Chakima Creek, which flows to the east and north. The rapidly eroding
headwall In physical geography and geology, the headwall of a glacier, glacial cirque (landform), cirque is its highest cliff. The term has been more broadly used to describe similar geomorphic features of non-glacial origin consisting of a concave depress ...
s and steep spurs on the eastern side of the MEVC have deposited glacial and
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...
debris into these tributaries. Transportation of this debris into Kakiddi Valley has produced several large
alluvial fan An alluvial fan is an accumulation of sediments that fans outwards from a concentrated source of sediments, such as a narrow canyon emerging from an escarpment. They are characteristic of mountainous terrain in arid to Semi-arid climate, semiar ...
s behind which Kakiddi Lake, Mowchilla Lake, Mowdade Lake and Nuttlude Lake have formed. The lower eastern half and south end of the MEVC are drained by tributaries of the Iskut River. This includes Ball Creek which flows to the south from the southeastern side of the Spectrum Range, More Creek which flows to the southeast from the southern side of the Spectrum Range and the Little Iskut River which flows to the southeast from the southeastern side of the Spectrum Range. The only named tributary of Ball Creek is Chachani Creek which flows to the southeast from the eastern end of the Arctic Lake Plateau. Tributaries of the Little Iskut River include Stewbomb Creek, which flows eastwards from the eastern side of the Spectrum Range, and Bourgeaux Creek which flows to the east from Raspberry Pass. The only named tributary of Stewbomb Creek is Artifact Creek which flows to the southeast between Artifact Ridge and Obsidian Ridge. Bourgeaux Creek contains one named tributary, Gerlib Creek, which flows southwards from between Tadeda Peak and Armadillo Peak. Several small, unnamed streams drain the youthful northern side of the MEVC. They flow north into the Klastline River and contain shallowly incised channels.


Climate

The surrounding area is characterized by warm summers and cold, snowy winters; Mount Edziza itself is covered by snow year-round. Temperatures are warmest in mid-summer during the day when they may hit the range. However, temperatures can drop below freezing during summer nights, making snow or freezing rain a possibility at any time of the year. The closest
weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasting, weather forecasts and to study the weather and clima ...
s to the MEVC are located at Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake, which lie about to the northwest and to the northeast, respectively.
Meteorological Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agriculture ...
data from the Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake weather stations suggest that the MEVC area has a temperature gradient of around per increase in elevation. The data also suggest that precipitation likely increases with altitude. At Mess Creek, the mean annual temperature is probably around while the annual precipitation likely amounts to of snow and rain. The mean annual temperature at an elevation of is likely about where annual precipitation amounts to approximately .


Animals and plants

Arctic ground squirrel The Arctic ground squirrel (''Urocitellus parryii'') (Inuktitut: ''ᓯᒃᓯᒃ, siksik'') is a species of ground squirrel in the squirrel family Sciuridae that is native to the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in N ...
s are abundant above the timberline where
grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...
s are occasionally seen. The alpine and
subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
zones between Mount Edziza and the western
escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...
contain small herds of Osborn caribou. The western escarpment, the Spectrum Range and the eastern, western and southern flanks of Mount Edziza contain
mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a cloven-footed mammal that is endemic to the remote and rugged mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to truly alpine species, it is a s ...
s and stone sheep. Other mammals in the area include moose, black bears and
wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
. Several species of birds are also present in the area, including scaup,
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
s,
goldeneye ''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional Secret Intelligence Service, MI6 agent James Bond (lit ...
,
grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Most grebes f ...
s,
gyrfalcon The gyrfalcon ( or ) (), also abbreviated as gyr, is a bird of prey from the genus ''Falco'' (falcons and kestrels) and the largest species of the family Falconidae. A high-latitude species, the gyrfalcon breeds on the Arctic coasts and tundra, ...
s,
white-winged scoter The white-winged scoter (''Melanitta deglandi'') is a large Merginae, sea duck. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''melas'' "black" and ''netta'' "duck". The species name commemorates French ornithologist Côme-Damien Degland. Descri ...
s,
raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
s,
grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order (biology), order Galliformes, in the family (biology), family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the Tribe (biology), tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetr ...
and
ptarmigan ''Lagopus'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains four living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas. Taxonomy and etymology The genus ''L ...
s. The area between Buckley Lake and Telegraph Creek contains
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...
s,
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
fields and wet
grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...
s. It is characterized by long, severe winters with short growing seasons and deeply frozen soils. The Mess Creek, Kakiddi and Klastline valleys are intermixed with white spruce, trembling aspen and
lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...
, the latter two of which occur in drier areas.
Balsam poplar ''Populus balsamifera'', commonly called balsam poplar, bam, bamtree, eastern balsam-poplar, hackmatack, tacamahac poplar, tacamahaca, is a tree species in the balsam poplar species group in the poplar genus, ''Populus.'' The genus name ''Populus ...
grows on
delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
soils and near lakes and creeks. The MEVC plateau is characterized by alpine and subalpine vegetation zones.


Glaciation

The MEVC was covered by a regional ice sheet during the
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
which receded and advanced periodically until about 11,000 years ago when
deglaciation Deglaciation is the transition from full glacial conditions during ice ages, to warm interglacials, characterized by global warming and sea level rise due to change in continental ice volume. Thus, it refers to the retreat of a glacier, an ice shee ...
was essentially complete in a steadily warming climate. This warming trend ceased about 2,600 years ago, causing glaciers to advance from Mount Edziza, Ice Peak, the Spectrum Range and the Armadillo Highlands as part of the neoglaciation. As these glaciers advanced they built up to high terminal
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
s on the plateau surface which comprise the trim lines of the current mountain glaciers. The present trend towards a more moderate climate put an end to the neoglacial period in the 19th century, resulting in rapid glacial recession throughout the MEVC. This rapid glacial recession is apparent from the lack of vegetation on the barren, rocky ground between the glaciers and their trim lines which are up to apart. The MEVC has been extensively modified by local and regional glaciations as evidenced by the existence of
drumlin A drumlin, from the Irish word ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or groun ...
s and
glacial striation Glacial striations or striae are scratches or gouges cut into bedrock by glacial abrasion. These scratches and gouges were first recognized as the result of a moving glacier in the late 18th century when Swiss alpinists first associated them ...
s, which record ice movement to the north-northwest across the western portion of the plateau. Evidence of ice stagnation is present in the form of outflow channels,
esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
s,
kame A kame, or ''knob'', is a glacial landform, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the g ...
s, kettles and morainal ridges on the northern side of the MEVC adjacent to Buckley Lake. Deglaciation of unstable and oversteepened valley walls has caused several landslides in the geologic past, especially along the Mess Creek Escarpment. This instability is attributed to the low-yield strength of the highly fractured, poorly consolidated rocks comprising the MEVC. Most peaks greater than in elevation have glaciers. Small separate glaciers are largely restricted to the southern half of the MEVC where they occur in the Spectrum Range, on Armadillo Peak and elsewhere. In contrast, Mount Edziza and Ice Peak are obscured by a relatively large ice cap that covers an area of . The western side of this ice cap is drained by many outlet glaciers that spread in broad lobes onto the Big Raven Plateau whereas the eastern side is drained by distributary glaciers that drape down steep slopes to form discontinuous
icefall An icefall is a portion of certain glaciers characterized by relatively rapid flow and chaotic crevassed surface, caused in part by gravity. The term ''icefall'' is formed by analogy with the word ''waterfall'', which is a similar phenomenon of ...
s. Five officially named glaciers are situated at the northern and southern ends of the MEVC. Idiji Glacier lies southeast of Mount Edziza on the eastern side of the MEVC. At the head of Nagha Creek in the western portion of the Spectrum Range is Nagha Glacier. Tenchen Glacier is a debris-covered glacier on the eastern side of Mount Edziza at the head of Tenchen Creek. South of Mount Edziza lies Tencho Glacier, the largest glacier of the MEVC. Tennaya Glacier lies at the head of Tennaya Creek on the southeastern side of Mount Edziza. The informally named Yeda Glacier existed at the head of Ball Creek south of
Yeda Peak Yeda Peak is a volcanic peak of the Spectrum Range on the Tahltan Highland of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Tatogga and south of Kitsu Peak. It is believed Yeda Peak last erupted during the Pliocene period. See ...
in the Spectrum Range in 1988.


Geology


Background

The MEVC is part of the
Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province The Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province (NCVP), formerly known as the Stikine Volcanic Belt, is a geologic province defined by the occurrence of Miocene to Holocene volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest of North America. This belt of volcanoes ex ...
(NCVP), a broad area of shield volcanoes,
lava dome In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular, mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions ...
s, cinder cones and stratovolcanoes extending from northwestern British Columbia northwards through
Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...
into easternmost
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. The dominant rocks comprising these volcanoes are alkali basalts and
hawaiite Hawaiite is an olivine basalt with a composition between alkali basalt and mugearite. It was first used as a name for some lavas found on the island of Hawaii. It occurs during the later stages of volcanic activity on oceanic islands such as Ha ...
s, but nephelinite,
basanite Basanite () is an igneous, volcanic ( extrusive) rock with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is composed mostly of feldspathoids, pyroxenes, olivine, and calcic plagioclase and forms from magma low in silica and enriched in alkali metal ox ...
and peralkaline
phonolite Phonolite is an uncommon shallow intrusive or extrusive rock, of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic, with texture ranging from aphanitic (fine-grained) to porphyritic (mixed fine- and coarse-grained). Phonolite is a var ...
,
trachyte Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava (or shallow intrus ...
and comendite are locally abundant. These rocks were deposited by volcanic eruptions from 20 million years ago to as recently as a few hundred years ago. The cause of volcanic activity in the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province is thought to be due to
rift In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben ...
ing of the
North American Cordillera The North American Cordillera, sometimes also called the Western Cordillera of North America, the Western Cordillera, or the Pacific Cordillera, is the North American portion of the American Cordillera, the mountain chain system along the Pacifi ...
driven by changes in relative plate motion between the
North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...
and
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
plates. The MEVC is part of a subdivision of the NCVP called the Stikine Subprovince. This subprovince, confined to the Stikine region of northwestern British Columbia, includes three other volcanic complexes: Heart Peaks, Hoodoo Mountain and Level Mountain. The four complexes differ petrologically and/or volumetrically from the rest of the NCVP. Heart Peaks, Level Mountain and the MEVC are the largest NCVP centres by volume, the latter two having experienced
volcanism Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...
for a much longer timespan than any other NCVP centre. Level Mountain, Hoodoo Mountain and the MEVC are the only NCVP centres that contain volcanic rocks of both mafic and intermediate to felsic composition. The highest of the four complexes is the MEVC at , followed by Level Mountain at , Heart Peaks at and Hoodoo Mountain at .


Composition

The most voluminous rocks comprising the MEVC are mafic alkali basalts and hawaiites, which comprise about 60% of the volcanic complex. MEVC hawaiites are thought to be the product of partial fractional crystallization and the accumulation of
feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...
inside rising columns of mantle-derived alkali basaltic magma. Volcanic rocks of intermediate composition such as benmoreite,
trachybasalt Trachybasalt is a volcanic rock with a composition between trachyte and basalt. It resembles basalt but has a high content of alkali metal oxides. Minerals in trachybasalt include alkali feldspar, calcic plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene and l ...
,
mugearite Mugearite () is a type of oligoclase-bearing basalt, comprising olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides. The main feldspar in mugearite is oligoclase. Mugearite is a sodium-rich member of the alkaline magma series. In the TAS classification of volc ...
and tristanite are present in relatively small volumes and are the result of alkali basaltic magma having undergone fractional crystallization in
magma chamber A magma chamber is a large pool of liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth. The molten rock, or magma, in such a chamber is less dense than the surrounding country rock, which produces buoyant forces on the magma that tend to drive it u ...
s on a longer timespan. Felsic peralkaline rocks such as trachyte, comendite and pantellerite form about 40% of the MEVC; they are the product of prolonged fractional crystallization of mantle-derived basaltic magma in magma chambers and mainly comprise lava domes and central volcanoes.


Basement

Underlying In finance, a derivative is a contract between a buyer and a seller. The derivative can take various forms, depending on the transaction, but every derivative has the following four elements: # an item (the "underlier") that can or must be bou ...
the MEVC is the Stikinia
terrane In geology, a terrane (; in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust fragment formed on a tectonic plate (or broken off from it) and accreted or " sutured" to crust lying on another plate. The crustal block or fragment preserves its d ...
, a
Paleozoic The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...
and
Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...
suite of volcanic and
sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...
s that accreted to the
continental margin A continental margin is the outer edge of continental crust abutting oceanic crust under coastal waters. It is one of the three major zones of the ocean floor, the other two being deep-ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges. The continental marg ...
of North America during the
Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...
. Rocks of Paleozoic age such as
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
, bedded
tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...
and volcanic rocks of intermediate composition underlie the western and southern portions of the MEVC. Mesozoic rocks underlie most of the MEVC and include
andesite Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...
, basaltic andesite, volcanic sandstone,
siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility. Although its permeabil ...
,
shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
,
greywacke Greywacke or graywacke ( ) is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness (6–7 on Mohs scale), dark color, and Sorting (sediment), poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or sand-size Lith ...
, limestone and
chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...
. The youngest basement rocks are those of the Sloko Group which comprises Early Tertiary intermediate
calc-alkaline The calc-alkaline magma series is one of two main subdivisions of the subalkaline magma series, the other subalkaline magma series being the tholeiitic series. A magma series is a series of compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic ...
volcanic rocks and related subvolcanic
pluton In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...
s. These rocks were tilted, cut by
normal fault In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
s and heavily eroded before volcanism began at the MEVC in the
Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...
, such that the volcanic complex was built on a mature, gently rolling
Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...
erosion surface In geology and geomorphology, an erosion surface is a surface of rock (geology), rock or regolith that was formed by erosion and not by construction (e.g. lava flows, sediment deposition) nor fault (geology), fault displacement. Erosional surfaces ...
.


Faulting

The MEVC lies on the eastern shoulder of Mess Creek valley, a long and narrow
graben In geology, a graben () is a depression (geology), depressed block of the Crust (geology), crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults. Etymology ''Graben'' is a loan word from German language, German, meaning 'ditch' or 't ...
-like depression possibly linked to volcanism of the volcanic complex. The eastern edge of the valley is bounded by north-trending faults, one of which has been traced for more than . This fault shows signs of having been active contemporaneously with volcanism of the MEVC; it has vertically displaced
Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...
basalt flows by and older basalt flows by , such that the western side of the fault has moved downward. The downthrowing of this fault during the Holocene may have been due to the draining of magma chambers following eruptions at the MEVC. The existence of peralkaline rocks at the MEVC and the presence of normal faults along Mess Creek valley support the conclusion that the MEVC lies in an area of continental rifting. Many
tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitation (chemistry), precipitate out of water in ambient temperature, unheated rivers or lakes. hot spring, Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less ...
terraces along the fault zone contain pressure ridges high and long, suggesting these faults are still active. This was confirmed by a local trapper in 1992 who noted that new pressure ridges appeared each year.


Subdivisions

The MEVC was originally subdivided into 15
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 ...
s, two of which are no longer used:


Volcanism

The MEVC is a highly active volcanic system with a nearly continuous record of activity dating from the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
. It covers and comprises of volcanic material, making it the second largest eruptive centre in the NCVP after Level Mountain. The MEVC is also the second most long-lived eruptive centre in the NCVP after Level Mountain, having started erupting at least 7.4 million years ago. The eruption sequence and style of the MEVC, along with its chemistry,
mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...
and isotopic composition, is similar to continental peralkaline volcanism at the Rainbow Range of central British Columbia, the Afar Depression of
East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
and parts of the
Great Basin The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
of the western United States. Five cycles of magmatic activity created the MEVC; one in the Miocene, one in the
Plio-Pleistocene The Plio-Pleistocene is an informally described geological pseudo-period, which begins about 5 million years ago (Mya) and, drawing forward, combines the time ranges of the formally defined Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs—marking from about 5&n ...
, two in the Pleistocene and one in the Holocene. Several eruptions of the latest magmatic cycle have not been quantitatively dated. Instead, a Holocene age is inferred because their eruptive products do not show evidence of having been glaciated by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which retreated from the area about 11,000 years ago. Therefore, many of these inferred Holocene eruptions may have occurred as early as the time of glacial retreat. An eruption recurrence interval of 379 years has been calculated for the MEVC by dividing 11,000 years by the number of demonstrable Holocene eruptions, of which there are at least 29. This would make the MEVC the most active eruptive centre in Canada throughout the Holocene. It is also one of the most widespread areas of recent volcanism in Canada. Eruptions have occurred subaqueously, subglacially and subaerially throughout the long eruptive history of the MEVC. Interactions between ice and volcanism are well-documented at the MEVC, occurring in seven of the 13 geological formations comprising the volcanic complex. This includes the Pyramid, Ice Peak, Pillow Ridge, Edziza, Arctic Lake, Klastline and Big Raven formations which have all formed within the last two million years. Volcano-ice interactions at these formations is represented by
pillow lava Pillow lavas are lavas that contain characteristic pillow-shaped structures that are attributed to the extrusion of the lava underwater, or ''subaqueous extrusion''. Pillow lavas in volcanic rock are characterized by thick sequences of discontinu ...
, tuff breccia,
hyaloclastite Hyaloclastite is a volcanoclastic accumulation or breccia consisting of glass (from the Greek ''hyalus'') fragments (clasts) formed by quench fragmentation of lava flow surfaces during submarine or subglacial extrusion. It occurs as thin marg ...
,
glacial till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
interbedded In geology, interbedding occurs when beds (layers of rock) of a particular lithology lie between or alternate with beds of a different lithology. For example, sedimentary rocks may be interbedded if there were sea level variations in their sedimen ...
with lava flows, and massive lava with well-developed slender columnar joints. The MEVC has been scoured by regional glaciations at least twice during its eruptive history, as well as several smaller advances of local alpine glaciers.


Hydrothermal activity

The MEVC is volcanically dormant but it still remains
hydrothermal Hydrothermal circulation in its most general sense is the circulation of hot water (Ancient Greek ὕδωρ, ''water'',Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with th ...
ly active. Four
hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...
areas are found along the western flank of the MEVC at Mess Lake, Mess Creek, Elwyn Creek and Sezill Creek, the latter three of which have recorded water temperatures of , and , respectively. Discharge at the Sezill Creek, Elwyn Creek and Mess Lake hot springs may be linked to shallow hydrothermal systems driven by residual magmatic heat as they are adjacent to recently active eruptive centres. In contrast, the Mess Creek Hot Springs may be discharging from a deeply circulating
hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...
system along a major fault on the western side of Mess Creek valley. Estimated subsurface temperatures, as derived from geothermometers, are based on silica concentrations and based on
sodium Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...
-
potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...
-
calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...
ratios. This makes the MEVC a potential high-temperature geothermal resource area but it does not warrant subsurface exploration due to its remote location. The Mess Lake Hot Springs are situated near the southeastern corner of Mess Lake. They lie at an elevation of and have created massive deposits of tufa that cover more than . These springs had a vigorous flow of warm water in 1965, but by 1992 they were discharging water below human body temperature. The Mess Creek Hot Springs south of Mess Lake are on the western side of Mess Creek where they attain an elevation of . Along the banks of Elwyn Creek at an elevation of are the Elwyn Hot Springs which have created thick tufa deposits. The Taweh Hot Springs extend along Sezill Creek at an elevation of and emit thermal waters containing
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...
; extensive tufa deposits occur at these springs.


Hazards and monitoring

Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; ; )Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for natural r ...
considers the MEVC a high threat volcanic complex because it has had the highest eruption rate in Canada throughout the Holocene. However, its extremely remote location makes it less hazardous than volcanoes in southwestern British Columbia. MEVC trachyte and rhyolite have silica-rich compositions that are comparable to those associated with the most powerful eruptions around the world; parts of northwestern Canada could be affected by an
ash column An eruption column or eruption plume is a cloud of super-heated ash and tephra suspended in gases emitted during an explosive volcanic eruption. The volcanic materials form a vertical column or plume that may rise many kilometers into the air ...
if an
explosive eruption In volcanology, an explosive eruption is a volcanic eruption of the most violent type. A notable example is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Such eruptions result when sufficient gas has dissolved under pressure within a Viscosity, viscous ...
were to happen at the MEVC. Ash columns can drift for thousands of kilometres downwind and often become increasingly spread out over a larger area with increasing distance from an erupting vent. The MEVC lies under a major
air route In the United States, airways or air routes are defined by the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in two ways: "VOR Federal airways and Low/Medium Frequency (L/MF) (Colored) Federal airways" These are desi ...
from
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, British Columbia to
Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
, Yukon, suggesting the volcanic complex poses a potential threat to air traffic. Volcanic ash reduces visibility and can cause jet engine failure, as well as damage to other aircraft systems. Lava flows are also a potential hazard as they have formerly dammed the Klastline and Stikine rivers, the latter of which contains a major
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
fishery. Another potential hazard at the MEVC is the ignition of wildfires by eruptions as the surrounding area has vegetation. An eruption under the ice cap would possibly produce floods or
lahar A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley. Lahars are o ...
s that could flow into the Stikine or Iskut rivers, potentially destroying
salmon run A salmon run is an annual fish migration event where many salmonid species, which are typically hatched in fresh water and live most of their adult life downstream in the ocean, swim back against the stream to the upper reaches of rivers to s ...
s and threatening
river bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrain alongsid ...
villages. Like other volcanic complexes in Canada, the MEVC is not monitored closely enough by the
Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; , CGC) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Earth Science ...
to ascertain its activity level. The Canadian National Seismograph Network has been established to monitor earthquakes throughout Canada, but it is too far away to provide an accurate indication of activity under the complex. It may sense an increase in seismic activity if the MEVC becomes highly restless, but this may only provide a warning for a large eruption; the system might detect activity only once the complex has started erupting. If the MEVC were to erupt, mechanisms exist to orchestrate relief efforts. The Interagency Volcanic Event Notification Plan was created to outline the notification procedure of some of the main agencies that would respond to an erupting volcano in Canada, an eruption close to the
Canada–United States border The international border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world by total length. The boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Canada' ...
or any eruption that would affect Canada.


Human history


Indigenous peoples

The MEVC lies within the traditional territory of the Tahltan people which covers an area of more than . Historically, the MEVC was a significant source of obsidian for the Tahltan people. This volcanic glass was used in the manufacturing of projectile points and cutting blades which were widely traded throughout the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
. Obsidian from the MEVC has been recovered from
archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...
s in Alaska, Yukon, western
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
and along the
British Columbia Coast The British Columbia Coast, popularly referred to as the BC Coast or simply the Coast, is a geographic region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. As the entire western continental coastline of Canada ...
, making Edziza obsidian the most widely distributed obsidian in western North America. Edziza obsidian from the Hidden Falls archaeological site in Alaska has yielded a hydration date of 10,000 years; this suggests the MEVC was being exploited as an obsidian source soon after
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacier, glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Ice s ...
s of the last glacial period retreated. The MEVC continues to be an important cultural resource for the Tahltan people. In 2021, Chad Norman Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government, said "Mount Edziza and the surrounding area has always been sacred to the Tahltan Nation. The obsidian from this portion of our territory provided us with weaponry, tools and trading goods that ensured our Tahltan people could thrive for thousands of years."


Telegraphy

Along the western side of the MEVC and through its central portion at Raspberry Pass are the remains of the Yukon Telegraph Line. This was a nearly long
telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
system built by the Dominion Government Telegraph Service between 1897 and 1901 to send messages between
Ashcroft, British Columbia Ashcroft is a village municipality that straddles the Thompson River in the Thompson Country region of south central British Columbia, Canada. East of British Columbia Highway 1, BC Highway 1 and on British Columbia Highway 97C, BC Highway 97C, t ...
in the south to
Dawson City Dawson City is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon. History Prior t ...
, Yukon in the north. A trail built to serve the line extended along much of its length and provided a route to the Yukon
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
fields. Log cabins housing two men were built every along the Yukon Telegraph Trail for maintenance. One of these maintenance cabins existed at Raspberry Creek in the central portion of the MEVC. The Yukon Telegraph Line and trail were maintained until 1936 when they were abandoned with the advent of radio communication. Remnants of this telegraphy system include collapsed cabins, telegraph wire and a few telegraph poles.


Geological studies

The MEVC is one of the best-studied volcanic centres in the NCVP. It was identified by the mapping program of Operation Stikine in 1956 along with Level Mountain, the Iskut-Unuk River Cones and many smaller volcanoes in the
Canadian Cordillera The Pacific Cordillera, also known as the Western Cordillera or simply The Cordillera, is a top-level physiographic region of Canada, referring mainly to the extensive cordillera system in Western and Northwestern Canada that constitutes the northe ...
. Their identification played a role in the closing of Canada's gap in the
Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes. It is about long and up to about wide, and surrounds most of the Pa ...
because it allowed them to be added on the world volcanic map. The mapping program of Operation Stikine, masterminded by Jack Souther, was carried out over the Stikine River area using a
Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
helicopter. Souther began detailed mapping of the MEVC in 1965 when he was given the job of working on the volcanic complex by the Geological Survey of Canada. Japanese volcanologist Hisashi Kuno visited the MEVC with Souther in 1966; Kuno Peak in the Spectrum Range was named in his honour. A three-month period of earthquake monitoring was conducted at the MEVC in 1968 after
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
s of the Geological Survey of Canada suggested that there may still be magma movement under the volcanic complex. About 20  microearthquakes potentially associated with the MEVC were recorded by
seismograph A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground displacement and shaking such as caused by quakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions. They are usually combined with a timing device and a recording device to form a seismograph. The out ...
s installed at Buckley Lake and Nuttlude Lake, but a seismological analysis suggested that they were of non-volcanic origin. The microearthquakes had magnitudes of around 0.5 which typically occur in many areas throughout the Canadian Cordillera. By 1970, Souther and his assistant Maurice Lambert had established that episodic eruptions of alkali basalt and silicic peralkaline lavas had taken place at the MEVC over a timespan of at least 10 million years. They had also established that volcanism of the MEVC was accompanied by east–west extension and incipient rifting of Earth's crust. In 1974, Souther and Japanese volcanologist Kenzō Yagi conducted a study of
aenigmatite Aenigmatite, also known as cossyrite after Cossyra, the ancient name of Pantelleria, is a sodium, iron, titanium inosilicate mineral. The chemical formula is Na2Fe2+5TiSi6O20 and its structure consists of single tetrahedral chains with a repeat u ...
crystals which occur in peralkaline rocks of the MEVC.
Yagi Ridge Yagi Ridge is a mountain ridge extending northwest from the middle of the Spectrum Range at the southern end of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded on the north by Nagha Glacier and Nagha Cre ...
in the Spectrum Range was named in honour of Kenzō Yagi who traversed this ridge with Souther during their geological studies. During his last year of serious field work in 1992, Souther published an extensive bulletin on his work entitled ''The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia'' which highlighted the importance and size of the MEVC. The volcanic complex has since received very few geological studies. A three-year period of field studies conducted at the MEVC around 2007 focused on using volcano-ice interactions to constrain paleo-environmental conditions. The project was a collaboration between Ben Edwards of
Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...
, Ian Skilling of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
, Barry Cameron of the
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...
, Ian Spooner of
Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly Undergraduate education, undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some Postgraduate education, graduate programs at the master's level and one at the Doctorate, doctor ...
, J. Osborn of the
University of Calgary {{Infobox university , name = University of Calgary , image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , former ...
, Kirstie Simpson of the Geological Survey of Canada and Bill McIntosh of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Five students conducted studies at the MEVC in 2007, namely Chira Endress of Dickinson College, Jeff Hungerford of the University of Pittsburgh, Courtney Haynes of Dickinson College, Alex Floyd of Dickinson College and Kristen LaMoreaux of the University of Pittsburgh.


Protected areas

Much of the MEVC was designated as a
provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...
in 1972 to showcase its geological and geothermal features. A recreation area surrounding the park was also established in 1972. In 1989,
Mount Edziza Provincial Park Mount Edziza Provincial Park is a provincial park in Cassiar Land District of northern British Columbia, Canada. It was established on 27 July 1972 to showcase the Mount Edziza volcanic complex and the surrounding Tahltan Highland. Geography The ...
roughly doubled in size when was annexed from the Mount Edziza Recreation Area. With this annexation, the recreation area was greatly reduced in size to around ; it was eventually disestablished in 2003. Mount Edziza Provincial Park now covers an area of , making it one of the largest provincial parks in British Columbia. In 2021, an approximately
conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...
called the Mount Edziza Conservancy was established northwest of Kakiddi Lake along the eastern border of Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It was established in collaboration with Skeena Resources, BC Parks, the Tahltan Central Government and the
Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit, charitable nature conservation and restoration organisation based in Canada. Since its founding in 1962, the organisation and its partners have protected of land and water acro ...
after Skeena Resources returned their mineral tenures on the Spectrum property. The name of this conservation area was changed to the Tenh Dẕetle Conservancy in 2022 to better reflect the culture, history and tradition of the Tahltan First Nation.


Recreation

The MEVC offers many recreational activities, including mountain climbing, camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, photography, hiking and backpacking. Buckley Lake and Mowdade Lake on the northern and eastern sides of the MEVC contain campsites with fire rings, bear-proof metal food caches and backcountry-style toilets. It is advised by BC Parks to not gather wood for campfires within Mount Edziza Provincial Park to help maintain a healthy
ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
community. The optimum time for backpacking is generally between July 1 and September 15 when weather conditions are the most suitable. Kakiddi Lake, Mowchilla Lake, Mowdade Lake, Nuttlude Lake and Buckley Lake are well populated with
rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
and offer fishing at the MEVC. A limited entry hunting authorization is required for the hunting of mountain goats, mountain sheep and caribou within Mount Edziza Provincial Park. Horseback riding at the MEVC requires a letter of authorization. The many cinder cones dotting the MEVC have designated
climbing route A climbing route () is a path by which a Climbing, climber reaches the top of a mountain, a rock face or an ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing-route database. De ...
s to prevent scarring on their delicate surfaces from foot traffic. A hiking trail dubbed the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route extends across the northern half of the MEVC. It traverses south from Buckley Lake along Buckley Creek and gradually climbs onto the MEVC plateau where Eve Cone, Sidas Cone and Tsekone Ridge are visible along the route. Most of the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route is marked by a series of rock
cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
s from Tsekone Ridge onwards. The distance between Buckley Lake and Mowdade Lake is about but the hiking length between these two lakes varies depending on the route taken; it can take a minimum of 7 days to hike the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. The weather can change extremely fast along this hiking trail.


Accessibility

The MEVC lies in a remote location with no established road access; the closest roads are the Stewart–Cassiar Highway to the east and the Telegraph Creek Road to the northwest, both of which extend within of the volcanic complex. Extending from these roads are horse trails that provide access to the MEVC. From Telegraph Creek, the Buckley Lake Trail extends about southeast along Mess Creek and Three Mile Lake. It then traverses about northeast along Dagaichess Creek and Stinking Lake to the northeastern end of Buckley Lake where it meets with the Klastline River Trail and the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. To the northeast, the roughly long Klastline River Trail begins at the community of Iskut on the Stewart–Cassiar Highway. It extends northwest and west along the Klastline River for much its length. The trail enters Mount Edziza Provincial Park at about where Kakiddi Creek drains into the Klastline River. After entering Mount Edziza Provincial Park, the Klastline River Trail traverses northwest along the Klastline River for about and then crosses the river north of the MEVC. From there, the Klastline River Trail traverses west for about to the northeastern end of Buckley Lake where it meets with the Buckley Lake Trail and Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake Route. From near the Eastman Creek Rest Area south of Kinaskan Lake on the Stewart–Cassiar Highway, the historic Yukon Telegraph Trail extends about west to the Little Iskut River. From there, it enters Mount Edziza Provincial Park and continues another west along Bourgeaux Creek into the central portion of the MEVC at Raspberry Pass. The Yukon Telegraph Trail then traverses about northwest along Raspberry Creek into the broad valley of Mess Creek where it continues another north along the western side of the MEVC. It conjoins with the Buckley Lake Trail near Matheson Creek. Only short segments of the Yukon Telegraph Trail are still passable, having been mostly overgrown since maintenance of the trail ended in 1936. The MEVC can also be accessed by float plane or helicopter, both of which are available for charter at the communities of Iskut and Dease Lake. Private aircraft are prohibited from landing on the Kitsu Plateau lava flows. Kakiddi Lake, 180 Lake, Mess Lake, Arctic Lake, Nuttlude Lake, Mowdade Lake, Little Arctic Lake, Little Ball Lake, Mowchilla Lake and Buckley Lake are large enough to be used by float-equipped aircraft. Landing on the latter four lakes with a private aircraft requires a letter of authorization from the BC Parks Stikine Senior Park Ranger. Alpine Lakes Air and BC Yukon Air are the only air charter companies permitted to provide access to this area via aircraft.


See also

*
List of Northern Cordilleran volcanoes The geography of northwestern British Columbia and Yukon, Canada is dominated by volcanoes of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province formed due to continental rifting of the North American Plate. It is the most active volcanic region in Cana ...
*
List of volcanoes in Canada List of volcanoes in Canada is an incomplete list of volcanoes found in Geography of Canada, mainland Canada, in the Islands of Canada, Canadian islands and in Canadian waters. All but two Provinces of Canada, provinces, Prince Edward Island and ...
* Volcanism of Western Canada


Notes


References


Sources

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edziza, Mount Lava plateaus Lava fields Lava domes of British Columbia Shield volcanoes of Canada Stratovolcanoes of Canada Subglacial volcanoes of Canada Calderas of British Columbia Miocene volcanoes Pliocene volcanoes Pleistocene volcanoes Holocene volcanoes Hot springs of British Columbia Tahltan