Belknap Crater

Belknap Crater
Belknap shield volcano with lava flows in foreground
Highest point
Elevation 6,876 ft (2,096 m)  NAVD 88[1]
Prominence 1,352 ft (412 m) [2]
Coordinates 44°17′06″N 121°50′32″W / 44.284943458°N 121.842233094°W / 44.284943458; -121.842233094Coordinates: 44°17′06″N 121°50′32″W / 44.284943458°N 121.842233094°W / 44.284943458; -121.842233094 [1]
Geography
Belknap Crater
Location in Oregon
Location Linn County, Oregon, U.S.
Parent range Cascades
Topo map USGS Mount Washington
Geology
Mountain type Shield volcano
Volcanic arc Cascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption 480 CE[3]

Belknap Crater is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon.[4]

Belknap volcano is a Holocene example of the process which built the High Cascade Platform during the Pleistocene. It is a small shield volcano with a capping cinder cone.[5]

A number of other eruptions also occurred in the general area during roughly the same time period. About 1,300 years ago (1,330 14C years B.P.) a series of small spatter cones formed between Belknap and Blue Lake. North of these, a phreatic explosion blasted out the crater which is today occupied by Blue Lake. To the south are several cinder cones and associated lava flows, including Collier, Four-in-One, and Yapoah cones. Four-in-One Cone has been dated at about 1,900 years old (1,980 14C years B.P.) while Collier is dated at about 1,500 years old (1,600 14C years B.P.)[5]

Little Belknap

A small crater east of Belknap Crater is Little Belknap. The trailhead is shared with Belknap crater located on the PCT, fifteen miles west of Sisters as Highway 242 tops the McKenzie River Pass. The hike is a short 4.4 miles round trip passing through dusty Kīpukas and large lava fields with sharp softball sized pumice stones. The parking lot requires a Northwest Forest pass and is a regular stopping point for trail angels supplying treats and supplies for PCT through Hikers. Two miles into the hike the little Belknap trail veers up and to the east towards a small summit with a view of the Three Sisters and the McKenzie Pass lava flows. On the summit there is also a makeshift wind shelter and bench for weather protection.

Notable vents

NameElevationCoordinates
Belknap Crater[4]6,876 ft (2,096 m)44°17′06″N 121°50′32″W / 44.284943458°N 121.842233094°W / 44.284943458; -121.842233094[1]
Inaccessible Cones[4]4,869 ft (1,484 m)44°18′12″N 121°54′23″W / 44.30331°N 121.90649°W / 44.30331; -121.90649
Little Belknap[4]6,306 ft (1,922 m)44°16′57″N 121°49′34″W / 44.2826179°N 121.8261628°W / 44.2826179; -121.8261628[6]
South Belknap Cone[4]5,863 ft (1,787 m)44°16′03″N 121°50′42″W / 44.26751°N 121.84507°W / 44.26751; -121.84507
Twin Craters[4]5,285 ft (1,611 m)44°15′12″N 121°53′09″W / 44.2534523°N 121.8858860°W / 44.2534523; -121.8858860[7]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Forest Service.

  1. 1 2 3 "Belknap Crater". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  2. ↑ "Belknap Crater, Oregon". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Belknap Shield Volcano, Oregon". Cascades Volcano Observatory. USGS. 2005-12-28. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Belknap". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  5. 1 2 "Oregon Volcanoes - Belknap Volcanic Field". Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests - Crooked River National Grassland, United States Forest Service. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Little Belknap". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  7. ↑ "Twin Craters". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
Sources
  • Harris, Stephen L. (2005). Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes (3rd ed.). Mountain Press Publishing Company. pp. 195–8. ISBN 0-87842-511-X.
  • Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jürgen (1990). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 182–3. ISBN 0-521-43811-X.
  • Portions of this article include public domain text from the USFS Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests - Crooked River National Grassland.
  • "Belknap Crater". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  • "Little Belknap Crater". Oregon Adventures. Oregon Hiking Website.
  • Sawiel, Michael. "Little Belknap Crater". Outdoor Project.
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