Mount Price (British Columbia)

Coordinates: 49°55′03″N 123°02′08″W / 49.91750°N 123.03556°W / 49.91750; -123.03556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mount Price
Red Mountain
Clinker Mountain
A lightly glaciated mountain rising above trees and a lake in the foreground.
Mount Price behind Garibaldi Lake from Panorama Ridge
Highest point
Elevation2,049 m (6,722 ft)[1]
Coordinates49°55′03″N 123°02′08″W / 49.91750°N 123.03556°W / 49.91750; -123.03556[2]
Naming
EtymologyThomas E. Price[2]
Geography
Mount Price is located in British Columbia
Mount Price
Mount Price
Location in British Columbia
CountryCanada[3]
ProvinceBritish Columbia[3]
DistrictNew Westminster Land District[2]
Protected areaGaribaldi Provincial Park[4]
Parent rangeGaribaldi Ranges
Topo mapNTS 92G14 Cheakamus River[2]
Geology
Age of rockLess than 1.2 million years old[3]
Mountain typeStratovolcano[1]
Type of rockAndesite and dacite[3]
Volcanic beltGaribaldi Volcanic Belt[3]
Last eruption15,000–8,000 years ago[5][6]

Mount Price is a small

lava flows between 15,000 and 8,000 years ago that ponded against glacial ice. These lava flows are structurally unstable, having produced large landslides as recently as the 1850s. A large provincial park surrounds Mount Price and other volcanoes
in its vicinity. It lies within an ecological region that surrounds much of the Pacific Ranges.

Mount Price is associated with a small group of volcanoes called the Garibaldi Lake volcanic field. This forms part of the larger Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, a north−south trending volcanic zone that represents a portion of the Canadian Cascade Arc. Mount Price began its formation 1.2 million years ago and continued intermittently until sometime in the last 15,000 years. Although the mountain is not known to have been volcanically active for thousands of years, it could erupt again, which would potentially endanger the nearby populace. If this were to happen, relief efforts could be organized by teams such as the Interagency Volcanic Event Notification Plan who are prepared to notify people threatened by volcanic eruptions in Canada.

Geography

Mount Price is located south of

Washington state. Several coastal islands, channels and fjords occur along the western margin of the Pacific Ranges Ecoregion. The Pacific Ranges Ecoregion is part of the Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince which forms part of the Humid Maritime and Highlands Ecodivision.[7]

A map with contour lines depicting the terrain surrounding a crescent-shaped lake
Topographic map of the Garibaldi Lake area depicting Mount Price and adjacent peaks

The Pacific Ranges Ecoregion is subdivided into seven

icefields. A transitional climate between coastal maritime and interior continental climates dominates the Eastern Pacific Ranges Ecosection. It is characterized by little precipitation and mild temperatures due to Pacific air often passing over this area. During winter, cold Arctic air invades from the Central Interior, resulting in extreme cloud cover and snow. A number of other volcanoes are situated within the Eastern Pacific Ranges Ecosection. This includes Mount Meager, which lies near the headwaters of the Lillooet River, and Mount Garibaldi and Mount Cayley, which lie in the Squamish River watershed.[7]

Several rivers flow through the Eastern Pacific Ranges Ecosection, including the

grey jays, chipmunks, squirrels, flickers, deer, mountain goats, wolverines, cougars and grizzly and black bears are locally present.[8] The communities of Whistler, Pemberton, Mount Currie, Hope and Yale are situated within the Eastern Pacific Ranges Ecosection, all of which are connected to the Lower Mainland by a network of highways.[7]

Geology

A snow-covered mountain looming over a smaller snow-covered mountain with trees in the foreground
Mount Garibaldi with Mount Price and Clinker Peak in the left-centre

Mount Price is one of the three principal volcanoes in the southern segment of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, the other two being Mount Garibaldi and The Black Tusk.[3] Mount Price is also part of the Garibaldi Lake volcanic field. This consists of several volcanoes and lava flows that formed in the last 1.3 million years; the oldest volcanic rocks are found at Mount Price and The Black Tusk. Several volcanic rocks with differing compositions are present in the Garibaldi Lake volcanic field. This includes andesite, dacite, basaltic andesite and basalt.[3] It is unknown when the last eruption occurred but it may have been in the early Holocene.[a][1][3] Although no hot springs are known in the Garibaldi area, there is evidence of anomalously high heat flow in Table Meadows just south of Mount Price and elsewhere.[10]

Like other volcanoes in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, Mount Price formed as a result of

Cascade Volcanic Arc.[3]

Structure

A falsely coloured satellite image of mountainous terrain with a crescent-shaped lake
False colour image of Mount Price and associated lava flows

Mount Price attains an elevation of 2,049 metres (6,722 feet) and is one of several Garibaldi Belt volcanoes that have been volcanically active throughout the

Oxidation of Mount Price's volcanic rocks has given the mountain a red colour.[12]

Mount Price stands within a cirque-like basin cut into the plateau on the south side of the valley of Garibaldi Lake. This basin consists of a wall of granite, inclosing the volcano on its west and southwest sides. It is now almost completely filled up by Mount Price, but some small areas of its floor are exposed on the north side. The basin likely formed as a result of glacial action as its north side appears to have been almost certainly glaciated. It might otherwise have been attributed to explosive volcanism, but there are no fragmental materials around its margin which would confirm this.[13]

Volcanic history

At least three phases of eruptive activity have been identified at Mount Price.

Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which covered a large portion of western North America during glacial periods of the Quaternary.[3]

A large rocky cliff rising above rubble at its base
The Barrier is part of a thick lava flow that erupted from Clinker Peak between 15,000 and 8,000 years ago.

After the Cordilleran Ice Sheet retreated from higher elevations less than 15,000 years ago, andesite eruptions of the third eruptive phase occurred from a satellite vent at Price Bay.

scoria cone on Mount Price's northern flank with an elevation of 1,788 metres (5,866 feet).[1][5][16] Possibly contemporaneous volcanism occurred at Clinker Peak with the eruption of two hornblende-biotite[f] andesite lava flows.[3] They are both at least 300 metres (980 feet) thick and 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) long, extending to the northwest and southwest.[3][16] Their unusually large thickness is due to them ponding and cooling against the Cordilleran Ice Sheet when it still filled valleys at lower elevations.[16] Age estimates for this final volcanic phase have varied from 15,000 years ago to as recently as 8,000 years ago.[5][6]

A prominent feature of the Clinker Peak lava flows are the levees that demarcate the lava channels. The northwest lava flow forms a volcanic dam known as The Barrier.[19] This retains the Garibaldi Lake system and has been the source of two large landslides in the past. The most recent major landslide in 1855–1856 resulted from failure along vertical rock fractures.[20] It travelled 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) down Rubble Creek to the Cheakamus River valley, depositing 30,000,000 cubic metres (1.1×109 cubic feet) of rock.[20][21] The southwest lava flow is in the upper reaches of the Culliton Creek valley and forms Clinker Ridge.[6][19] Both lava flows form steep cliffs; the current face of The Barrier is a result of the mid-19th century landslide.[6]

Volcanic hazards

A lightly glaciated mountain rising above trees and a lake in the foreground
Mount Price with Clinker Peak on the right and the forested Price Bay dome on the left

Mount Price is one of the four highest threat volcanoes in Canada situated within close proximity to major populations with critical civil and economic infrastructure, the other three being Mount Meager, Mount Garibaldi and Mount Cayley.

floods and lahars could destroy parts of Highway 99, threaten communities such as Brackendale and endanger water supplies from Pitt Lake. Fisheries on the Pitt River would also be at risk.[19] Mount Price is also close to a major air traffic route; volcanic ash reduces visibility and can cause jet engine failure, as well as damage to other aircraft systems.[23][24] These volcanic hazards become more serious as the Lower Mainland grows in population.[19]

A large snow-covered mountain towering above trees and a snow-covered lake on a clear day
Mount Price and Clinker Peak

Because andesite is the main type of lava erupted from Mount Price, lava flows are a low to moderate hazard.

silica content, indicating that it has a higher viscosity than basaltic lava but is less viscous than dacite or rhyolite lava. As a result, andesite lava flows typically move slower than basaltic lava flows and are less likely to travel as far from their source. Dacite and rhyolite lavas are normally too viscous to flow away from a volcanic vent, resulting in the formation of lava domes.[25] An exception is the 15-kilometre-long (9.3-mile) Ring Creek dacite lava flow from Opal Cone on the southeastern flank of Mount Garibaldi, a length that is normally attained by basaltic lava flows.[19]

Concerns about The Barrier's instability due to volcanic,

tectonic or heavy rainfall activity prompted the provincial government to declare the area immediately below it unsafe for human habitation in 1980.[20] This led to the evacuation of the small resort village of Garibaldi nearby and the relocation of residents to new recreational subdivisions away from the hazard zone.[19][20] The area below and adjacent to The Barrier has since been referred to as the Barrier Civil Defence Zone by BC Parks. Although landslides are unlikely to happen in the near future, warning signs are posted at the zone to make visitors aware of the potential danger and to minimize the chance of fatalities in the event of a slide. For safety reasons, BC Parks recommends visitors not to camp, stop or linger in the Barrier Civil Defence Zone.[8]

Monitoring

Like other volcanoes in the Garibaldi Lake volcanic field, Mount Price is not monitored closely enough by the Geological Survey of Canada 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 mountain. It may sense an increase in seismic activity if Mount Price becomes highly restless, but this may only provide a warning for a large eruption; the system might detect activity only once the volcano has started erupting.[26] If Mount Price 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 or any eruption that would affect Canada.[27]

Human history

Protection

A symmetrical mountain rising above a turquoise-coloured lake in the foreground with glaciated mountains in the background
Mount Price with Garibaldi Lake in the foreground
A cone-shaped mountain rising above an alpine lake in the foreground
Garibaldi Lake with Mount Price behind on the left

Mount Price and its eruptive products lie within a

conservation area called Garibaldi Provincial Park.[4] Founded in 1927 as a Class A provincial park, this wilderness park covers an area of 194,650 hectares (481,000 acres). Lying within its boundaries are a number of other volcanoes, such as Mount Garibaldi and The Black Tusk. Located 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Vancouver in the glaciated Coast Mountains, Garibaldi Provincial Park contains diverse vegetation, iridescent waters and a rich geological history. The park also has abundant wildlife, such as squirrels, chipmunks, Canada jays and flickers. Garibaldi Provincial Park is named after Mount Garibaldi, which is in turn named after the Italian patriot and soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi.[8]

Naming

Mount Price has had at least three names throughout its history. It was originally named Red Mountain for its red appearance, but the date when this name was adopted has not been cited.

'a'a flows. The fragments are characterized by several sharp, jagged spines and are normally less than 150 millimetres (5.9 inches) wide.[31]

The name Mount Price appeared on a

Geographic Board of Canada adopt the name Mount Price for this mountain after Thomas E. Price, a former mountaineer and engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway who was a member of the Garibaldi Park Board at the time of the park's formation in 1927. Price was born at Vancouver in 1887 and was a member of a mountaineering party that had climbed Mount Garibaldi by a new route in 1908.[2] Clinker Peak and Clinker Ridge were both officially named on September 12, 1972, to retain Mount Price's earlier name, Clinker Mountain.[33][34]

Geological studies

The Clinker Peak lava flows were one of the first described occurrences of lava having been impounded by glacial ice.

glacial till, abnormal structures indicative of extrusion into standing meltwater or against ice, and widespread breccia and pillows indicative of rapid quenching in meltwater or in water-soaked pyroclastic rocks under the ice.[30]

Accessibility

Daisy Lake Road, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Squamish, provides access to Garibaldi Provincial Park from Highway 99.

hiking trail, known as the Mount Price Trail or the Mount Price Route, commences past the ranger station.[4][38][37] This poorly marked path ascends to the shore of Garibaldi Lake and then returns inland where it traverses south along the lava flow forming The Barrier. The terrain of this part of the route is relatively rough, involving substantial scrambling over boulders of the lava flow. Eventually the trail reaches open terrain north of Mount Price and approaches the base of the volcano. Climbing Mount Price or Clinker Peak involves scree and snow plodding; both peaks do not require scrambling.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Holocene is the current geologic epoch, which began 11,700 years ago.[9]
  2. ^ The Quaternary is the current geologic period, which began 2.58 million years ago.[9]
  3. ^ Hornblende is a green to black amphibole mineral common in igneous and metamorphic rocks.[14]
  4. sub-epoch that spans the Gelasian and Calabrian stages, which together cover a timespan ranging from 2.58 to 0.774 million years ago.[9][15]
  5. ^ The Middle Pleistocene is a synonymous term for the Chibanian stage, which spans the time between 774,000 and 129,000 years ago.[9][17]
  6. ^ Biotite is a dark green, black or brown mineral of the mica group.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Garibaldi Lake: Synonyms & Subfeatures". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Mount Price". BC Geographical Names. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ^
    OCLC 1251392896
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  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1771642873
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  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1411319455. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on March 26, 2009.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-0813700090
    .
  7. ^ a b c d Demarchi, Dennis A. (2011). An Introduction to the Ecoregions of British Columbia (PDF). Government of British Columbia. pp. 24, 25, 37, 38, 39, 47, 56, 113. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "Garibaldi Provincial Park". BC Parks. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. March 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  10. ^ Woodsworth, Glenn J. (April 2003). Geology and Geothermal Potantial of the AWA Claim Group, Squamish, British Columbia (PDF) (Report). Government of British Columbia. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2022.
  11. ^ "Garibaldi volcanic belt". Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes. Natural Resources Canada. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  12. OCLC 879065355
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  13. S2CID 128978632
    .
  14. ISBN 978-3662033265
    .
  15. ISBN 978-1786203021
    .
  16. ^
    ISSN 1911-4850
    .
  17. ISBN 978-3030216139
    .
  18. ISBN 978-1478635000
    .
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Garibaldi volcanic belt: Garibaldi Lake volcanic field". Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes. Natural Resources Canada. April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  20. ^
    OCLC 32231242
    .
  21. ^ "Where do landslides occur?". Government of British Columbia. Archived from the original on August 18, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  22. doi:10.4095/328950
    .
  23. ^ "Volcanic hazards". Volcanoes of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  24. ^ Neal, Christina A.; Casadevall, Thomas J.; Miller, Thomas P.; Hendley II, James W.; Stauffer, Peter H. (October 14, 2004). "Volcanic Ash–Danger to Aircraft in the North Pacific". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  25. ^ "Lava flows destroy everything in their path". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021.
  26. ^ "Monitoring volcanoes". Volcanoes of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. February 26, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  27. ^ "Interagency Volcanic Event Notification Plan (IVENP)". Volcanoes of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. June 4, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  28. ^ a b "Fissile Peak". BC Geographical Names. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  29. OCLC 45707893
    .
  30. ^
    S2CID 131690276
    .
  31. OCLC 10243882
    .
  32. ^ Campbell, A. J. (1928). Topographical Map of Garibaldi Park (Map). 1:40,000. British Columbia Department of Lands. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  33. ^ "Clinker Peak". BC Geographical Names. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  34. ^ "Clinker Ridge". BC Geographical Names. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  35. S2CID 214521258
    .
  36. ^
    ISBN 978-1771646697
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  37. ^
    ISBN 978-1926806952
    .
  38. ^ "Hut Management Plan 2019" (PDF). University of British Columbia. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.

External links

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