page_title: Mount Edziza volcanic complex
section_title: Current activity
hierarchical_section_title: Mount Edziza volcanic complex / Geology / Current activity
caption_attribution_description: lava flows comming out of Mount Edziza
context_page_description: The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is a large and potentially active north-south trending complex volcano in Stikine Country, northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located 38 kilometres southeast of the small community of Telegraph Creek. It occupies the southeastern portion of the Tahltan Highland, an upland area of plateau and lower mountain ranges, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River, which is the east fork of the Taku River. As a volcanic complex, it consists of many types of volcanoes, including shield volcanoes, calderas, lava domes, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones.
  Most of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex is encompassed within a large provincial park called Mount Edziza Provincial Park. Named after Mount Edziza, this 2,660.95 km² park was established in 1972 to preserve the volcanic and cultural treasures unique to the northern British Columbia area. The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is remote, and, without roads, accessible only along trails. The easiest access is from Highway 37 and a spur road from Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek.
context_section_description: The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is one of the eleven Canadian volcanoes associated with recent seismic activity: the others are Castle Rock, Mount Garibaldi, Mount Cayley, Hoodoo Mountain, The Volcano, Crow Lagoon, Silverthrone Caldera, Mount Meager massif, Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and Nazko Cone. Seismic data suggests that these volcanoes still contain live magma plumbing systems, indicating possible future eruptive activity. Although the available data does not allow a clear conclusion, these observations are further indications that some of Canada's volcanoes are potentially active, and that their associated hazards may be significant. The seismic activity correlates both with some of Canada's most youthful volcanoes, and with long-lived volcanic centres with a history of significant explosive behavior, such as the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.
  The most recent volcanic activity at the Mount Edziza volcanic complex have been hot springs, several of which are found on the volcano's western flank, including Elwyn springs (36°C or 97°F), Taweh springs (46 °C or 115 °F), and inactive springs near Mess Lake. The springs are near the youngest lava fields of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex and are most likely associated with the most recent eruptive activity. These hot springs were highly important to the adjacent Tahltan people.
  Hot springs are closely associated with fumaroles, which are vents in an active volcanic area releasing steam and hot gases, such as sulfur dioxide. In general, the water is rotating groundwater that comes into contact with rocks heated by magma and finds openings to the surface. The formation of the springs depends both on the rocks the water has passed through and the profusion of volcanic discharges mixed with the groundwater. Iron oxide, iron sulfides and other substances usually colour pools of boiling mud brilliant yellow, red, brown or green. Hot springs comprising significantly softened silica may deposit it to form siliceous sinter, whereas those comprising softened calcium carbonate deposit spongy-looking calcareous rock called tufa. Overflow of the springs can build masses, spires or stepped terraces of calcareous sinter or tufa.
caption: Lava flows coming out of Mount Edziza
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