Coast Mountains
| Coast Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Coast Mountains in North America |
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| Highest peak | Mount Waddington ( 4019 m ) |
| location | British Columbia (Canada) |
| Coordinates | 51 ° 23 ′ N , 125 ° 15 ′ W |
The Coast Mountains (dt. " Coast Mountains ") are a mountain range in Canada . They extend predominantly along the Canadian Pacific coast from the Alaska Panhandle in the north to the Cascade Range in the south - the Fraser River , British Columbia's longest river , forms the southern limit.
geography
The Coast Mountains are a mountain range about 85 million years old. They emerged from flat granite hills that were unfolded by plate tectonics. Magma penetrated between the plates, moving them northward. Magma reached the earth's surface through cracks and formed volcanoes. In a few million years the coastal hills were transformed into mountains. The densely forested mountain range, interrupted by numerous fjords , is around 1,600 km long and an average of 200 km wide. The highest point is Mount Waddington with 4019 meters. The Ha-Iltzuk Ice Field surrounding Silverthrone Mountain is the largest ice field in the Coast Mountains.
The coastal mountains form part of the series of contiguous mountain ranges on the North American Pacific . These mountain ranges range from the Alaska Range , the Elias Range , the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada to the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico .
From the south the Cascade Volcanic Arc extends into the Coast Mountains. This is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , even if there are currently no active volcanoes here. The inactive volcanoes of the "Cascade Volcanic Arc" include Mount Cayley ( 2377 m ), Mount Garibaldi ( 2678 m ) or Mount Edziza ( 2793 m ).
Significant mountains
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Further subdivision
The Coast Mountains are divided into several mountain ranges:
- The Boundary Ranges stretch along the British Columbia-Alaska border from the mouth of the Nass River to the Chilkoot Pass .
- the Kitimat Ranges between the Nass River and the town of Bella Coola
- the Pacific Ranges between Bella Coola and the Lower Mainland
- the Chilcotin Ranges from the Klinaklini River to the confluence of the Bridge River with the Fraser River
- the Lillooet Ranges between the Harrison-Lillooet Basin and the Fraser River
- the front rank, to which the North Shore mountains north of Vancouver and the elevations on the Sunshine Coast are
See also
Web links
- Coast Mountains . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Coast Mountains on Peakbagger.com (English)
- Coast Mountains ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .