Capricorn Mountain
Encyclopedia
Capricorn Mountain is one of the several volcanic peaks of the Mount Meager
massif in southwestern British Columbia
, Canada
. The slopes of Capricorn Mountain appear to be more gentle than other volcanic peaks of the massif. The mountain consists of a boomerang
-shaped ridge, with one summit on each end of the boomerang and the main summit in the centre.
On August 6, 2010, a large debris flow
started in the vicinity of the Capricorn Mountain. The dam created by the debris flow, on Meager Creek
, lasted about one day and was about 30 m (98.4 ft) high, and impounded water in a temporary lake about 4 km (2.5 mi) long. The debris flow also crossed the Lillooet River
downstream and wiped out a forestry road on the opposite bank of the Lillooet River. The response of emergency personnel, fearing a sudden failure of the dam on Meager Creek, was to direct residents on the Lillooet River floodplain, in the village of Pemberton
55 km (34.2 mi) downstream and in the Lil'wat community at Mount Currie to evacuate the area.
Mount Meager
Mount Meager, originally known as Meager Mountain, is a complex volcano in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located north of Vancouver at the northern end of the Pemberton Valley. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc of western North America, its summit is above...
massif in southwestern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The slopes of Capricorn Mountain appear to be more gentle than other volcanic peaks of the massif. The mountain consists of a boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
-shaped ridge, with one summit on each end of the boomerang and the main summit in the centre.
On August 6, 2010, a large debris flow
Debris flow
A debris flow is a fast moving, liquefied landslide of unconsolidated, saturated debris that looks like flowing concrete. It is differentiated from a mudflow in terms of the viscosity and textural properties of the flow. Flows can carry material ranging in size from clay to boulders, and may...
started in the vicinity of the Capricorn Mountain. The dam created by the debris flow, on Meager Creek
Meager Creek
Meager Creek is a creek in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. It flows northeast into the Lillooet River....
, lasted about one day and was about 30 m (98.4 ft) high, and impounded water in a temporary lake about 4 km (2.5 mi) long. The debris flow also crossed the Lillooet River
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of Whistler...
downstream and wiped out a forestry road on the opposite bank of the Lillooet River. The response of emergency personnel, fearing a sudden failure of the dam on Meager Creek, was to direct residents on the Lillooet River floodplain, in the village of Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
55 km (34.2 mi) downstream and in the Lil'wat community at Mount Currie to evacuate the area.
See also
- List of volcanoes in Canada
- Cascade VolcanoesCascade VolcanoesThe Cascade Volcanoes are a number of volcanoes in a volcanic arc in western North America, extending from southwestern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California, a distance of well over 700 mi ...
- Mount MeagerMount MeagerMount Meager, originally known as Meager Mountain, is a complex volcano in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located north of Vancouver at the northern end of the Pemberton Valley. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc of western North America, its summit is above...
- Garibaldi Volcanic BeltGaribaldi Volcanic BeltThe Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, also called the Canadian Cascade Arc, is a northwest-southeast trending volcanic chain in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains that extends from Watts Point in the south to the Ha-Iltzuk Icefield in the north. This chain of volcanoes is located in southwestern...
- Volcanism of Canada
- Volcanism of Western CanadaVolcanism of Western CanadaVolcanism of Western Canada produces lava flows, lava plateaus, lava domes, cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, submarine volcanoes, calderas, diatremes and maars, along with examples of more less common volcanic forms such as tuyas and subglacial mounds.-Volcanic belts:*Anahim...