Rainbow Range (Coast Mountains)

Geobox|Range
name=Rainbow Range


image_caption=Rainbow Range colours from heavy mineralization
country=Canada
region_type=Province
region=British Columbia
parent=Coast Mountains/Chilcotin Plateau
border=Pacific Ranges
geology= Shield volcano
period=8 million years (Miocene)
orogeny=Anahim hotspot volcanism
length_imperial=
length_orientation=
width_imperial=
width_orientation=
highest=Tsitsutl Peak
highest_elevation=2495
highest_lat_d=52|highest_lat_m=43|highest_lat_s=24|highest_lat_NS=N
highest_long_d=125|highest_long_m=46|highest_long_s=48|highest_long_EW=W


map_caption=The Rainbow Range is a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada, located km to mi|40|spell=Commonwealth northwest of Anahim Lake. It is on the western edge of the Chilcotin Plateau, adjoining the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains to the south, and the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains to the north. In some classification systems it is considered part of the Coast Mountains and has been assigned here in Wikipedia to the Pacific Ranges although it is not formally part of that range-complex.

It lies north of the Bella Coola and Atnarko Rivers and south and west of the Dean River, which curves around its north flank, and is relatively drier in climate and easier of terrain than more mountainous areas immediately west.

Geology

The Rainbow Range is an eight million year old (Miocene) massive peralkaline shield volcano in the Anahim Volcanic Belt which includes the lower but similar Itcha and Ilgachuz Ranges. The shield has a diameter of Unit km|30|0 is now heavily eroded by glaciers carving into the volcanic rock and sands over millions of years. The volcanism that created the shield is not well studied and is poorly understood. It is thought to be the result of the North American Plate passing over a hotspot, similar to the one feeding the Hawaiian Islands, known as the Anahim hotspot. Its main summit is the volcanic cone of Tsitsutl Peak convert|2495|m|ft|0|abbr=on and the only real separate volcanic peak associated with the Rainbow Range is Anahim Peak which sits on its northeast flank. Other peaks in the range are other high eroded remnants of the shield, including Beef Peak, TaiaTaeszi Peak and Mount MacKenzie. Like most volcanoes in British Columbia, it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire which includes over 160 active volcanoes.

The range gets its name from the intense and varied colours of its terrains' volcanic lavas and sands from heavy mineralization, like the Spectrum Range in the Spatsizi Plateau.

Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park

Location map
Canada British Columbia| label=Rainbow Range
mark=RedMountain.svg|marksize=18
lat_deg=52|lat_min=43|lat_sec=24|lat_dir=N
lon_deg=125|lon_min=46|lon_sec=48|lon_dir=W
position=left |float=right
caption=Location of the Rainbow RangeThe Rainbow Range lies partly in the Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, while to its east the Itcha and Ilgachuz Ranges form the core of the Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park.

ee also

*List of volcanoes in Canada
*Volcanism in Canada

External links

* [http://bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1282 Rainbow Range entry in Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia]

* [http://www.skimountaineer.com/ROF/ROF.php?name=Rainbow Skiing the Pacific Ring of Fire and Beyond]