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Fort Selkirk Volcano

Updated: Mar 29, 2024 09:34 GMT -
volcanic field 1239 m / 4,065 ft
Canada, 62.93°N / -137.38°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 26 Mar 2019

Fort Selkirk is a volcanic field near the junction of the Yukon and Pelly rivers in central Yukon. It is the northernmost young volcanic field in Canada.
The volcano consists of large valley-filling lava flows and 3 cinder cones.
The volcanic field developed at the intersection of two prominent fault lines, one running east-west, marked by the Pelly River and the lower Yukon River, and the other one NW-SE, defined by the upper Yukon River.
The first activity of the volcanic field were effusive, valley-filling eruptions of fluid basalt lava, followed by the construction of 3 cinder cones during strombolian-type eruptions and related emplacement of viscous aa lava flows.

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Typical eruption style: Explosive
Fort Selkirk volcano eruptions: none in historic times

Latest nearby earthquakes

No recent earthquakes
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Background

Effusive valley-filling eruptions
The lava flows of the Wolverine Creek Sequence fill the Wolverine Creek. They were probably erupted from a fissure vent at the prominent lobe located at the southeast contact of the Wolverine Sequence. A second vent may be located southeast of Wootton's Cone.

Construction of cinder cones
The filling of Wolverine Creek with basaltic lava was followed by the construction of 3 cinderr cones:
Wootton's Cone (Ne Che Ddhawa) is a sub-glacial pyroclastic cone overlying the older Wolverine Creek Sequence lavas. It is composed primarily of hyaloclastite tuffs, breccias, and pillow breccias, witnesses of the subglacial nature of its formation.
Fort Selkirk Vent is located 4 km downstream from the junction of the Yukon and Pelly Rivers.
Volcano Mountain is a cinder cone containing 3 summit craters and thick blocky aa lava flows spreading at its base. The lack of vegetation suggests a young age, probably only a few hundreds or thousands years.
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Source: GVP

Latest satellite images

FortSelkirk satellite image sat1FortSelkirk satellite image sat2

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