Duncan Canal
Volcanic field in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
15 m (49 ft)
Type
Volcanic field
Location
56.500°, -133.100°
Region
Queen Charlotte Volcano Group
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
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Overview
Basaltic flows in the Duncan Canal area of the central SE Alaska panhandle are both subaerial and submarine. Pahoehoe and aa lava flows overlie glacial till at Kupreanof Island. Quaternary basaltic lava flows up to 10 m thick form several broad peninsulas and scattered outcrops on the shores of Sumner Strait at the southern end of Kupreanof Island (Brew et al.
, 1985). On a peninsula in Kah Sheets Bay a basaltic flow depositionally overlies till of the youngest glaciation, and youthful-looking flows are exposed along a broad 12-km-wide front westward toward Douglas Bay. Two probable vents are found to the north within Mesozoic and Paleozoic rocks at the northern end of the Castle Islands in the Duncan Canal fault zone, and at Indian Point the flows contain inclusions of picrite.
At High Castle Island, the basaltic flows are columnar-jointed and overlie planar to cross-bedded coarse sandstone and poorly sorted volcaniclastic conglomerate.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | Unknown | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 315050
- •Evidence: Evidence Credible
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The Castle Islands (center) lie within Duncan Canal on Kupreanof Island in SE Alaska, as seen looking NW from the Lindenberg Peninsula. The Castle Islands mostly consist of Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks, but the northernmost island (far-right side of the island group) contains Quaternary basalts. Pahoehoe and aa lava flows are also found at the south end of Kupreanof Island, where they overlie glacial till.
Photo by Susan Karl (Alaska Volcano Observatory, U S Geological Survey).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.