Felsite Peak
Encyclopedia
Felsite Peak is an eroded volcanic outcrop
in the Wrangell Volcanic Field, Yukon Territory
, Canada
, located 54 km south of Silver City, 8 km southwest of Snowshoe Peak
and 30 km east of Pinnacle Peak
.
Felsite Peak was named after Felsite Creek and has a triple summit on the east side of the Disappointment Glacier and at the head of Felsite Creek.
It formed as a result of melting of the crust
, due to subduction
of the Pacific Plate
beneath the North American Plate
and last erupted during the Pliocene
. Like most volcanoes in the Yukon, it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire
, that includes over 160 active volcanoes.
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...
in the Wrangell Volcanic Field, Yukon Territory
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located 54 km south of Silver City, 8 km southwest of Snowshoe Peak
Snowshoe Peak
Snowshoe Peak is the highest peak in the Cabinet Mountains of Northwestern Montana and Idaho....
and 30 km east of Pinnacle Peak
Pinnacle Peak
Pinnacle Peak may refer to:* Pinnacle Peak , a mountain located in Scottsdale, Arizona* Pinnacle Peak , a mountain located in Jammu and Kashmir, India* Pinnacle Peak in Powell County, Montana...
.
Felsite Peak was named after Felsite Creek and has a triple summit on the east side of the Disappointment Glacier and at the head of Felsite Creek.
It formed as a result of melting of the crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
, due to subduction
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...
of the Pacific Plate
Pacific Plate
The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At 103 million square kilometres, it is the largest tectonic plate....
beneath the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
and last erupted during the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
. Like most volcanoes in the Yukon, it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire
Pacific Ring of Fire
The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements...
, that includes over 160 active volcanoes.