Tseax Cone

Tseax Cone
Aiyansh Volcano
Tseax Cone with Melita Lake in the background
Highest point
Elevation	609 m (1,998 ft)[1]
Coordinates	55°06′38″N 128°53′56″W / 55.11056°N 128.89889°W / 55.11056; -128.89889[2]
Naming
Etymology	Tseax River (Ksi Sii Aks)[3]
Native name	Wil Ksi Baxhl Mihl (Nisga'a)[4]
English translation	Where the Fire Ran Out[5]
Geography
Tseax Cone Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada[6]
Province	British Columbia[6]
District	Cassiar Land District[2]
Protected area	Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park[7]
Parent range	Nass Ranges[8]
Topo map	NTS 103P2 Lava Lake[2]
Geology
Age of rock	Less than 800 years old[9]
Mountain type	Tephra cones[6]
Type of rock	Basanite and trachybasalt[6]
Volcanic region	Northern Cordilleran Province[10]
Last eruption	1690 ± 150 years[11]

Tseax Cone (/ˈsiːæks/ SEE-aks) is a small volcano in the Nass Ranges of the Hazelton Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of 609 metres (1,998 feet) and lies within an east–west valley through which a tributary of the Tseax River flows. The volcano consists of two nested structures and was the source of four lava flows that descended into neighbouring valleys. A secondary eruptive centre lies just north of Tseax Cone on the opposite side of a lava-dammed lake. It probably formed simultaneously with Tseax Cone but the timing of volcanism at the two centres is not precisely known; they were both active sometime in the last 800 years. The area has been designated as a provincial park to protect these features.

Tseax Cone lies within an ecoregion characterized by mountainous terrain and several streams. Rainforests occur at the volcano as well as several species of mammals. Lichens and mosses cover most of the Tseax Cone lava flows, although rainforests and waterbodies also obscure them. The volcano is the subject of legends told by the local indigenous people. They describe the destruction of villages along the Nass River and the death of several people from inhaling fumes. Renewed eruptions at Tseax Cone could start wildfires and block local streams with lava flows. The volcano and lava flows can be accessed via provincial highways and backcountry roads.