Volcano Mountain

Volcano Mountain is the youngest volcano in the Fort Selkirk Volcanic Field and one of the youngest in the northern section of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province. The lava at Volcano Mountain is olivine nephelinite, which is an uncommon type of lava. This type of lava is believed to have come from much deeper inside the Earth than basaltic lava. The last eruption from Volcano Mountain produced young nephelinitic lava flows that remain unvegetated and appear to be only a few hundred years old. However, dating of sediments in lake impounded by the lava flows indicate that the youngest flows could not be younger than mid-Holocene and could be early Holocene or older.

Future eruptions from Volcano Mountain would probably be lava flows, since there is a lack of pyroclastic material. The main hazards from Volcano Mountain are forest fires started by the lava flows and poisonous gases. Older volcanic deposits south of Volcano Mountain indicate that lava flows may have once partly blocked or at least altered the course of the Yukon and Pelly Rivers. Any future activity in this area could disrupt the course of both of these major rivers and could have a serious impact on people living or working downstream.

• List of Northern Cordilleran volcanoes
• List of volcanoes in Canada
• Volcanism in Canada

• Natural Resources Canada
• Volcano World
• Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes: Volcano Mountain