Hoodoo Mountain

Hoodoo Mountain
Hoodoo Mountain as seen from the Iskut River
Highest point
Elevation	1,850 m (6,070 ft)[1]
Prominence	900 m (3,000 ft)[2]
Listing	Mountains of British Columbia
Coordinates	56°46′18″N 131°17′46″W / 56.77167°N 131.29611°W / 56.77167; -131.29611[3]
Dimensions
Length	6 km (3.7 mi)[2]
Width	6 km (3.7 mi)[2]
Volume	17.3 km3 (4.2 cu mi)[4]
Geography
Hoodoo Mountain Location in British Columbia
Location along the Iskut River
Country	Canada[1]
Province	British Columbia[1]
District	Cassiar Land District[3]
Parent range	Boundary Ranges[1]
Topo map	NTS 104B14 Hoodoo Mountain[3]
Geology
Rock age	Less than 85,000 years old[5]
Mountain type	Stratovolcano[4]
Rock type(s)	Phonolite and trachyte[5]
Volcanic region	Northern Cordilleran Province[6]
Last eruption	7050 BCE (?)[7]

Hoodoo Mountain, sometimes referred to as Hoodoo Volcano, is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) northeast of the Alaska–British Columbia border on the north side of the Iskut River opposite of the mouth of the Craig River. With a summit elevation of 1,850 metres (6,070 feet) and a topographic prominence of 900 metres (3,000 feet), Hoodoo Mountain is one of many prominent peaks within the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains. Its flat-topped summit is covered by an ice cap more than 100 metres (330 feet) thick and at least 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) in diameter. Two valley glaciers surrounding the northwestern and northeastern sides of the mountain have retreated significantly over the last hundred years. They both originate from a large icefield to the north and are the sources of two meltwater streams. These streams flow along the western and eastern sides of the volcano before draining into the Iskut River.

Much of Hoodoo Mountain was formed beneath glacial ice and it has been overlain by glaciers or an ice cap throughout much of its history. The main rock types composing the volcano are phonolite and trachyte, which were deposited during six periods of eruptive activity beginning about 85,000 years ago. Most of these eruptive periods were characterized by steady flows of lava but at least one period of explosive activity occurred as indicated by the presence of pyroclastic rocks. The latest eruptive period began about 10,000 years ago with the eruption of extensive lava flows that cover the north–central, northwestern and southeastern mountain slopes. A lava flow covering the southwestern slope may have been produced by a more recent eruption within the last couple of hundred years. Although no historical eruptions are known at Hoodoo Mountain, there have been periods of seismic activity since at least the mid-1980s, indicating possible future eruptions and volcanic hazards.

Hoodoo Mountain lies in a remote area of Cassiar Land District that has undergone mineral exploration since at least the early 1900s. This exploration led to the discovery of copper, silver and gold within the Iskut River floodplain where two underground mines operated between 1988 and 1999. Geological studies have been conducted at Hoodoo Mountain since at least the 1940s; the most detailed studies occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. The area has a mostly cool and wet climate with heavy precipitation. As a result, a limited number of mammals live around Hoodoo Mountain. Trees of the pine and willow families form forests in the regional river valleys and on the lower slopes of the volcano. They compose one of many ecoregions that occur throughout British Columbia. Due to its remoteness, Hoodoo Mountain can only be accessed by air, by water or by trekking great distances on foot. The closest communities are more than 30 kilometres (19 miles) away from the mountain.