Tenchen Glacier

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Tenchen Glacier
Canada British Columbia relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Tenchen Glacier
Type Mountain glacier
Location Mount Edziza, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates 57°43′59″N130°35′06″W / 57.73306°N 130.58500°W / 57.73306; -130.58500 [1]
StatusRetreating

Tenchen Glacier is located on the eastern flank of Mount Edziza in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It lies within an immense cirque whose headwall has breached the eastern side of Mount Edziza's summit crater. At the head of Tenchen Glacier are icefalls that drape down shear, 300-metre-high (980-foot) cliffs from the breached eastern crater rim; permanent ice fills the summit crater. [2] Meltwater from Tenchen Glacier feeds Tenchen Creek which eventually merges with Kakiddi Creek. [3]

Contents

The name of the glacier was suggested by the Geological Survey of Canada on November 19, 1979, and eventually became official on November 24, 1980. Tenchen is derived from the Tahltan words ten and chen, which mean ice and dirty respectively. The name of this glacier is a reference to its debris-covered surface. [1]

Geology

The Tenchen cirque is the product of erosion that gradually enlarged an initial scar formed by an explosive eruption that blew away part of the eastern summit crater rim. Hydrothermally altered rocks of the central volcanic conduit as well as lava lakes that once filled the summit crater are exposed in the headwall of Tenchen cirque. These rocks are part of the Edziza Formation which comprises the central stratovolcano of Mount Edziza. [2] Landsliding of the steep headwall and bounding spurs of Tenchen cirque has resulted in Tenchen Glacier being completely covered by rock debris. [1]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edziza Formation</span> Geological formation in British Columbia, Canada

The Edziza Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Pleistocene age in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. First described in 1984, the Edziza Formation was mapped as one of several geological formations of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. It overlies at least four other geological formations of this volcanic complex that differ in age and composition. The main volcanic rock comprising the Edziza Formation is trachyte which was emplaced by volcanic eruptions at the end of the third magmatic cycle of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex 0.9 million years ago.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tenchen Glacier". BC Geographical Names . Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  2. 1 2 Souther, J. G. (1992). The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada. pp. 21, 175, 177, 179. doi:10.4095/133497. ISBN   0-660-14407-7.
  3. "Tenchen Glacier". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2024-03-17.