Spectrum Range
Encyclopedia
The Spectrum Range, formerly called the Spectrum Mountains and the Rainbow Mountains, is a subrange
of the Tahltan Highland
in the Stikine Country
of northwestern British Columbia
, 20 km west of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, south of Mount Edziza
and north of the Arctic Lake Plateau
. The Spectrum Range falls within Mount Edziza Provincial Park
. The range is lightly glaciated, as compared to the other ranges to the west.
and Itcha
-Ilgachuz Range
s at the western end of the Chilcotin Plateau
farther south, the range's name derives from the brilliant colours that are symptomatic from heavy mineralization comprising the material forming the range.
The Spectrum Range is one of four large stratovolcano
es that make the Mount Edziza volcanic complex
. A predominantly lava dome
overlies a basal shield volcano
. The range is Pliocene
in age and on its southwestern flank contains Pleistocene
subglacial and subaerial cones and its northwest and southwest sides contain Holocene
pyroclastic cones and lava flows
. The youngest feature in the volcanic complex
could be The Ash Pit
.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
of the Tahltan Highland
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...
in the Stikine Country
Stikine Country
The Stikine Country, also referred to as the Stikine District or simply "the Stikine" , is one of the historical geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located inland from the central Alaska Panhandle and comprising the basin of the Stikine River and its tributaries...
of northwestern 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...
, 20 km west of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, south of Mount Edziza
Mount Edziza
Mount Edziza is a stratovolcano in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The volcano and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It consists of a complex of multiple peaks and ridges, with several glaciers flowing in all directions. The summit...
and north of the Arctic Lake Plateau
Arctic Lake Plateau
The Arctic Lake Plateau is a lava plateau in northern British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of Arctic Lake at the south end of Mount Edziza Provincial Park and Recreation Area....
. The Spectrum Range falls within Mount Edziza Provincial Park
Mount Edziza Provincial Park and Recreation Area
Mount Edziza Provincial Park and Recreation Area is a provincial park of over in Stikine Country , British Columbia, Canada. The park contains and protects the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, a massive volcanic feature that has been the source for more than 20 eruptions in the past 10,000...
. The range is lightly glaciated, as compared to the other ranges to the west.
Geology
Like the RainbowRainbow Range (Coast Mountains)
The Rainbow Range, formerly known as the Rainbow Mountains, is a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada, located northwest of Anahim Lake...
and Itcha
Itcha Range
The Itcha Range is a mountain range on the Chilcotin Plateau of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The range is located 25 miles northeast of Anahim Lake...
-Ilgachuz Range
Ilgachuz Range
The Ilgachuz Range is a name given to an extinct shield volcano in British Columbia, Canada. It is not a mountain range in the normal sense, because it was formed as a single volcano that has been eroded for the past 5 million years. It lies on the Chilcotin Plateau, located some north-northwest...
s at the western end of the Chilcotin Plateau
Chilcotin Plateau
The Chilcotin Plateau is part of the Fraser Plateau, a major subdivision of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. The Chilcotin Plateau is physically near-identical with the region of the same name, i.e...
farther south, the range's name derives from the brilliant colours that are symptomatic from heavy mineralization comprising the material forming the range.
The Spectrum Range is one of four large stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
es that make the Mount Edziza volcanic complex
Mount Edziza volcanic complex
The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is a large and potentially active north-south trending complex volcano in Stikine Country, northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of the small community of Telegraph Creek...
. A predominantly lava dome
Lava dome
|250px|thumb|right|Image of the [[rhyolitic]] lava dome of [[Chaitén Volcano]] during its 2008–2009 eruption.In volcanology, a lava dome is a roughly circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano...
overlies a basal shield volcano
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
. The range is Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
in age and on its southwestern flank contains Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
subglacial and subaerial cones and its northwest and southwest sides contain Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
pyroclastic cones and lava flows
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
. The youngest feature in the volcanic complex
Complex volcano
A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano, is a volcano with more than one feature. They form because changes of their eruptive characteristics or the location of multiple vents in an area...
could be The Ash Pit
The Ash Pit
The Ash Pit is a volcanic crater, located in the Spectrum Range in British Columbia, Canada. It is Holocene in age and is considered the youngest feature in the Spectrum Range volcanic complex...
.
Volcanoes
The volcanoes that make up the Spectrum Range include:- Nahta ConeNahta ConeNahta Cone is a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Tatogga, north of Wetalth Ridge and south of Telegraph Creek...
- The Ash PitThe Ash PitThe Ash Pit is a volcanic crater, located in the Spectrum Range in British Columbia, Canada. It is Holocene in age and is considered the youngest feature in the Spectrum Range volcanic complex...
- Mess LakeMess LakeMess Lake is a lake in Mount Edziza Provincial Park northern British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of Mess Creek....
- Outcast HillOutcast HillOutcast Hill is an isolated hill in northern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Mess Lake. It lies at the southern end of Mount Edziza Provincial Park.-History:...
- Thaw HillThaw HillThaw Hill is a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the volcanoes in the central portion of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex and last erupted during the Pleistocene period.-See also:*List of volcanoes in Canada...
- Source HillSource HillSource Hill is a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is polygenetic in nature, having erupted more than once throughout its eruptive history...
- Tadekho HillTadekho HillTadekho Hill is an isolated hill in the Spectrum Range of northern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Tatogga and southwest of Kitsu Peak...
- Wetalth RidgeWetalth RidgeWetalth Ridge is an isolated ridge in northern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Tatogga and south of Telegraph Creek. It lies on the southwest side of Little Arctic Lake at the southwest corner of Mount Edziza Provincial Park.-History:...
- Exile HillExile HillExile Hill is an isolated hill in the Spectrum Range of northern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Mess Lake. It lies at the southern end of Mount Edziza Provincial Park.-History:...
- Spectrum DomeSpectrum DomeSpectrum Dome is a lava dome in the Spectrum Range of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It last erupted during the Pliocene epoch.-See also:*List of volcanoes in Canada*List of Northern Cordilleran volcanoes*Volcanism of Canada...
- Little IskutLittle IskutLittle Iskut is an eroded volcanic outcrop in the Tahltan Highland of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is associated with the central portion of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex and last erupted during the Pliocene period.-See also:...
- Yeda PeakYeda PeakYeda Peak is a volcano and the highest peak of the Spectrum Range in the Boundary Ranges of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Tatogga and south of Kitsu Peak...
See also
- List of volcanoes in Canada
- List of Northern Cordilleran volcanoes
- List of mountain ranges
- 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...
- Rainbow Range (Chilcotin Plateau) (aka Rainbow Mountains)