Watts Point volcanic centre
Encyclopedia
The Watts Point volcanic centre is a small outcrop
of Pleistocene
age volcanic rock
at Watts Point
in British Columbia
, Canada, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Squamish
and 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Vancouver
, and just north of Britannia Beach. It is the southernmost volcanic zone in the Squamish volcanic field
and of the Garibaldi
segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc
. The latest research indicates that it is most likely a subglacial mound
. It comprises a continuous mass of sparsely porphyritic highly jointed dacitic lava overlying the mid-Cretaceous
Coast Plutonic Complex and overlain locally by clay
and of glacial till.
The volcanic outcrop at Watts Point extends from below the present sea level
up the side of a steep slope over 240 metres (787.4 ft). The outcrop is less than 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) long, with an area of about 0.4 square kilometre (0.154440863437014 sq mi) and an eruptive volume of roughly 0.02 cubic kilometre (0.00479825517208573 cu mi). The location is heavily forested, and the BC Rail mainline passes through the lower portion of the outcrop about 40 m (131.2 ft) above sea level. Two railroad track ballast
quarries
, one near the middle and the other near the upper edge, provide the best exposure of the interior of the lava mass. BC Highway 99
climbs over the eastern shoulder of the complex before descending to the area of the Stawamus Chief
and Murrin Park
, south southeast of Squamish
.
Outcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
of 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 ....
age volcanic rock
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it is an igneous rock of volcanic origin...
at Watts Point
Watts Point
Watts Point is a point in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located on the eastern side of Howe Sound northwest of Britannia Beach....
in 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, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
and 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and just north of Britannia Beach. It is the southernmost volcanic zone in the Squamish volcanic field
Squamish volcanic field
The Squamish volcanic field is a small north-south trending volcanic field on the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It extends for only about from the eastern side of Howe Sound northeast of Britannia Beach to the heavily forested slope on the western side of the Squamish River mouth...
and of the Garibaldi
Garibaldi Volcanic Belt
The 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...
segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc
Cascade Volcanoes
The 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 ...
. The latest research indicates that it is most likely a subglacial mound
Subglacial mound
A subglacial mound is a type of subglacial volcano. This type of volcano forms when lava erupts beneath a thick glacier or ice sheet. The magma forming these volcanoes was not hot enough to melt a vertical pipe right through the overlying glacial ice, instead forming hyaloclastite and pillow lava...
. It comprises a continuous mass of sparsely porphyritic highly jointed dacitic lava overlying the mid-Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Coast Plutonic Complex and overlain locally by clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and of glacial till.
The volcanic outcrop at Watts Point extends from below the present sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
up the side of a steep slope over 240 metres (787.4 ft). The outcrop is less than 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) long, with an area of about 0.4 square kilometre (0.154440863437014 sq mi) and an eruptive volume of roughly 0.02 cubic kilometre (0.00479825517208573 cu mi). The location is heavily forested, and the BC Rail mainline passes through the lower portion of the outcrop about 40 m (131.2 ft) above sea level. Two railroad track ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, one near the middle and the other near the upper edge, provide the best exposure of the interior of the lava mass. BC Highway 99
British Columbia provincial highway 99
Highway 99, also known as the Sea to Sky Highway, the Squamish Highway, Route 99, or Whistler Highway, is the major north-south artery running through the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia from the U.S. border, up Howe Sound through the Sea to Sky Country to Lillooet, and connecting to...
climbs over the eastern shoulder of the complex before descending to the area of the Stawamus Chief
Stawamus Chief
The Stawamus Chief is a granite dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia. It towers over above the waters of nearby Howe Sound...
and Murrin Park
Murrin Provincial Park
Murrin Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located just south of Squamish beside the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The park is approximately 24 ha. in size and has a popular highway-side picnic ground and small swimming lake , but it is most notable for a collection of...
, south southeast of Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
.
See also
- 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 ...
- 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...
- List of volcanoes in Canada
- Geology of the Pacific NorthwestGeology of the Pacific NorthwestThe geology of the Pacific Northwest refers to the study of the composition , structure, physical properties and the processes that shape the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada...