Guide to the volcanoes of the western Wrangell Mountains, Alaska: Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve
Richter DH, Rosenkrans DS, Steigerwald MJ. 1995. Guide to the volcanoes of the western Wrangell Mountains, Alaska: Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bulletin. 2072. United States Geological Survey. Washington, DC
This concise and informative field guide is written for the general public. It includes sections on historic geological investigations; the geologic background of the region; volcanoes and plate tectonics; how the Wrangell volcanoes were formed and their general characteristics; individual volcanoes; White River ash; and mud volcanoes. The Wrangell Mountains include many thousands of lava flows dating from 26 million years ago to more recent times. The basement rocks on which the Wrangell volcanoes have erupted are known as exotic terranes because they have accreted to North America during the past few hundred million years. The Wrangellian terrane formed in more tropical latitudes as a volcanic arc. The first Wrangell volcanoes formed about 26 million years ago when the northwestward-moving Pacific plate began to be subducted beneath the North American plate. Those in the western Wrangell Mountains are younger and date back to about 5 million years ago. These volcanoes are among the highest mountains in North America and are among the largest by volume in the world. The main bulk of the Mount Wrangell shield is built by accumulation of hundreds of andesitic lava flows.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Richter, Donald; Rosenkrans, Danny; Steigerwald, Margaret
- Date of Issue
- 1995
- Publisher
- United States Geological Survey
- Units
- WRST
- Keywords
- Broomerang Volcano, Capital Mountain, ehistory, Geologic History, Geology, Guidebooks, History, Mt. Blackburn, Mt. Drum, Mt. Gordon, Mt. Jarvis, Mt. Sanford, Mt. Wrangell, Physical Sciences, Skookum Creek Volcano, Tanada Peak, Volcanoes, Volcanoes, Wrangell Mountains
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Volcanic Features and Processes