Lava Fork

Infobox Mountain
Name=Lava Fork
Photo=Blue River lava flow, British Columbia.jpg
Caption=Recently extruded lava at the Blue River
Elevation=Unit m|914|0
Location=British Columbia, Canada
Range=Boundary Ranges (Coast Mountains)
Prominence =
Coordinates = coord|56|52|N|130|33|W|type:mountain_region:CA
Topographic

Type=Basaltic lava flows
Volcanic_Arc/Belt=Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province
Age=Historic
Last eruption=1800 (?)
First ascent=
Easiest route=

Lava Fork is a creek in northern British Columbia, Canada, west of the Unuk River and northwest of Stewart. It flows south across the British Columbia-Alaska border into the Blue River.

Geology

Lava Fork is probably the youngest volcanic area in Canada. Lava flows traveled south 5 km where they crossed the border into Alaska and dammed the Blue River, a short tributary of the Unuk River flowing from the southeast flank of Mount Lewis Cass (Boundary Peak 47). In doing so it formed several small lakes. The lava flows are approximately 22 km long, and still have the original features and pits formed when the overlying solidified lava collapsed into underlying lava tubes and tree molds. The youngest of these lava flows could be only 150 years old and the oldest eruption is possibly 350 years old. [ [http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/volcano_e.php?id=svb_lfk_040 Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes: Lava Fork] Retrieved on 2007-06-13] Activity within the Lava Fork area was reported in 1904, however this eruption is considered uncertain. [ [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1200-09-&volpage=erupt Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Iskut-Unuk River Cones] Retrieved on 2007-06-13] Lava Fork is the southernmost of ten volcanoes in the Iskut volcanic field, which includes volcanoes at Hoodoo Mountain and the Iskut-Unuk River Cones. [ [http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/canada/Final-LF.html Volcano World: Lava Fork] Retrieved on 2007-06-13 ]

Lava Fork is one of the top 10 Canadian volcanic areas with recent seismic activity, the others include: Castle Rock, Mount Edziza volcanic complex, Mount Cayley, Hoodoo Mountain, Crow Lagoon, Silverthrone Caldera, Mount Meager, Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and Mount Garibaldi.

Volcanic hazards

Because Lava Fork is located in the remote Iskut region and involves passive lava flows, future eruptions in the Lava Fork area pose little threat. Damming of rivers and other local water courses may disrupt fish habitat. Clouds of volcanic ash could threaten lower-flying aircraft along the northern coastal corridor between Vancouver and Alaska. Lava Fork is not being seismically monitored to warn of any future activity. [ [http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/volcinfo.php?volcname=Iskut-Unuk%20River%20Cones Alaska Volcano Observatory: Iskut-Unuk River Cones] Retrieved on 2007-06-13 ]

ee also

*Iskut-Unuk River Cones
*Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province
*List of volcanoes in Canada
*Volcanism in Canada
*Lava Forks Provincial Park

References