Mount Drum
Encyclopedia
Mount Drum is a stratovolcano
in the Wrangell Mountains
of east-central Alaska
in the United States
. It is located at the extreme western end of the Wrangells, 18 miles (29 km) west-southwest of Mount Sanford and the same distance west-northwest of Mount Wrangell
. It lies just inside the western boundary of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, and is 25 miles (40 km) east of the Copper River
.
These numbers are comparable to better-known stratovolcanoes like Mount Rainier
and Mount Shasta
. However Mount Drum is somewhat overshadowed by its much higher neighbor Mount Sanford.
The effects of this explosive phase can still be seen in the particularly steep south face of Mount Drum above the Nadina Glacier.
Mount Drum is flanked on the west by a few small cones (less than 400 ft (122 m) high), including Shrub and Klawasi. In historic times, the only volcanic activity in the vicinity of Drum has been mud and gas emitted from Shrub.
, with Keith Hart and George Schaller, via the North Ridge. Heinz Allemann and Niklaus Lötscher made the second ascent on August 26, 1968, via the Southwest Ridge. The latter is the current standard route, and is rated Alaska Grade 2+
.
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
in the Wrangell Mountains
Wrangell Mountains
The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they include the second and third highest volcanoes in the...
of east-central Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located at the extreme western end of the Wrangells, 18 miles (29 km) west-southwest of Mount Sanford and the same distance west-northwest of Mount Wrangell
Mount Wrangell
Mount Wrangell is a massive shield volcano located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in southeastern Alaska, United States. The shield rises over above the Copper River to its southwest. Its volume is over , making it more than twice as massive as Mount Shasta in California, the...
. It lies just inside the western boundary of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, and is 25 miles (40 km) east of the Copper River
Copper River (Alaska)
The Copper River or Ahtna River is a 300-mile river in south-central Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the Wrangell Mountains and Chugach Mountains into the Gulf of Alaska...
.
Geography
Standing near the low valley of the Copper River, Mount Drum is notable for its large local relief. For example, its south face rises 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) over the head of the Nadina Glacier in only 1.6 miles (2.6 km). Its west slopes rise 9000 feet (2,743 m) over the tundra in only 10 miles (16 km), and 11000 feet (3,353 m) over the Copper River in only 25 miles (40 km).These numbers are comparable to better-known stratovolcanoes like Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
and Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
. However Mount Drum is somewhat overshadowed by its much higher neighbor Mount Sanford.
Geology
Mount Drum was active between 650,000 and 240,000 years ago. Late in that period, various separate dacitic domes were formed in a rough circle around the current summit at a radius about 4 miles (6 km); one such dome is the current Snider Peak (8250 ft (2,515 m)) to the south of the main peak. After the constructive phase,
...paroxysmal explosive activity, probably from the central vent area, destroyed the south half of the stratovolcano and deposited ~7 km3 of hot and cold avalanche debris over an area >200 km2.
The effects of this explosive phase can still be seen in the particularly steep south face of Mount Drum above the Nadina Glacier.
Mount Drum is flanked on the west by a few small cones (less than 400 ft (122 m) high), including Shrub and Klawasi. In historic times, the only volcanic activity in the vicinity of Drum has been mud and gas emitted from Shrub.
Climbing
Mount Drum was first climbed on June 4, 1954 by noted Austrian mountaineer Heinrich HarrerHeinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author.He is best known for his books Seven Years in Tibet and The White Spider .-Athletics:...
, with Keith Hart and George Schaller, via the North Ridge. Heinz Allemann and Niklaus Lötscher made the second ascent on August 26, 1968, via the Southwest Ridge. The latter is the current standard route, and is rated Alaska Grade 2+
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
.
See also
- Mountain peaks of AlaskaMountain peaks of AlaskaThis article comprises three sortable tables of mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Alaska.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface. Topographic prominence is the...
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...