How was Kostal cone formed?

The Story Behind Fire Mountain: How Kostal Cone Came to Be

Ever heard of Kostal Cone? Maybe you know it as Fire Mountain. Either way, this little volcano, tucked away in Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, is a fascinating piece of geological history. I mean, it’s not Mount Vesuvius or anything, but its story is pretty cool. It’s a baby in volcano years, and it gives us a peek into how these things form.

Rising up from Kostal Lake – a spot so scenic it’ll take your breath away – Kostal Cone isn’t the tallest peak around, topping out at about 1,440 meters. But don’t let its size fool you. This cinder cone has a tale to tell, one of fire, ice, and explosive energy.

So, how did this striking landform come to be? Well, it all boils down to a classic cinder cone formation – a process that unfolds in a series of dramatic steps.

First, picture this: an eruption. Not just any eruption, but one where molten basaltic lava bursts forth from a vent deep within the Earth. Forget those slow, oozing lava flows you see in movies. This is more like a fireworks display, with fountains of molten rock shooting high into the sky.

As that lava gets launched skyward, it doesn’t stay in one piece. Nope, it breaks apart into chunks, cooling and hardening as it flies. These fragments become what geologists call “cinders” – small, rough, and full of holes thanks to the rapid cooling. Imagine trying to cool a pot of boiling water in seconds; you get the idea.

Then comes the construction phase. All those cinders, now cooled and solid, start falling back to earth, piling up around the vent like kids building a sandcastle. Over time, this continuous cycle of eruption, cooling, and falling builds up the cone shape. And at the top? A bowl-shaped crater, the signature mark of a cinder cone volcano.

But that’s not all. The eruption that birthed Kostal Cone also unleashed rivers of basaltic lava. These flows spread out from the cone, creating a lava bed that’s still there today. In fact, this lava even dammed the southern end of McDougall Lake, showing how much these eruptions can reshape the landscape.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky: figuring out exactly when all this happened. You see, Kostal Cone is so young that the usual dating methods don’t work. It’s like trying to use a calendar to measure the age of a newborn. Scientists couldn’t use potassium-argon dating, and radiocarbon dating was out because there wasn’t any suitable material to test.

So, what did they do? They turned to trees! By studying the tree rings on the cone’s slopes and summit – a method called dendrochronology – they figured out that Kostal Cone is only about 400 years old. That’s right, a mere blink of an eye in geological time! That makes it the youngest volcano in the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and one of the youngest in all of Canada. The best guess is that it last erupted around 1550.

Kostal Cone is a prime example of the volcanic activity that’s been shaping the Wells Gray-Clearwater area since the last ice age. And it’s not alone. Nearby, you’ll find the Dragon’s Tongue lava flow from Dragon Cone and the Flourmill Volcanoes near Mahood Lake. The whole Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field has been growing for about 3.5 million years!

The name “Kostal Cone” comes from its location right next to Kostal Lake. And the lake? It was named after Frank Kostal back in 1936 by a prospector named Angus Horne. “Fire Mountain,” the volcano’s other nickname, is a bit more obvious, right?

So, there you have it: the story of Kostal Cone. It’s a reminder that even in seemingly quiet corners of the world, powerful forces are at work, shaping the land we see around us. And who knows? Maybe someday, Kostal Cone will have another chapter to add to its fiery tale.