| Nahta Cone | |
|---|---|
 Nahta Cone from the east | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,670 m (5,480 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 57°18′29″N130°49′13″W / 57.30806°N 130.82028°W /57.30806; -130.82028[2] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | 'Seven' in theTahltan language[2] |
| Geography | |
  Nahta Cone Location in British Columbia | |
 | |
| Location inMount Edziza Provincial Park | |
| Country | Canada[3] |
| Province | British Columbia[3] |
| District | Cassiar Land District[2] |
| Protected area | Mount Edziza Provincial Park[2] |
| Parent range | Tahltan Highland[3] |
| Topo map | NTS 104G7Mess Lake[2] |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Volcanism[4] |
| Mountain type | Cinder cone[5] |
| Rock type | Hawaiite[6] |
| Last eruption | Holocene age[5] |
Nahta Cone is a smallcinder cone inCassiar Land District of northwesternBritish Columbia, Canada. It has anelevation of 1,670 metres (5,480 feet) and lies near the northern edge of theArctic Lake Plateau, a glacially scoredplateau of theTahltan Highland which in turn extends along the western side of theStikine Plateau. The cone is about 70 kilometres (43 miles) south-southeast of the community ofTelegraph Creek and lies in the southwestern corner ofMount Edziza Provincial Park, one of the largestprovincial parks in British Columbia.
Nahta Cone is a part of theMount Edziza volcanic complex and overlies alimestone hill. The summit of the cone contains a circularcrater breached on the east which was the source of a roughly 3 km (1.9 mi) long lava flow that travelled northerly and then westerly into thehead of Nahta Creek.Ejecta from the volcano extends about 500 m (1,600 ft) to the west and 700 m (2,300 ft) to the north. Access to this isolatedvolcanic cone is limited to float plane or helicopter.
Nahta Cone is located inCassiar Land District of northwesternBritish Columbia, Canada, near the northern edge of theArctic Lake Plateau.[2][7][8] It has anelevation of 1,670 m (5,480 ft) and rises about 60 m (200 ft) above the glacially scored surface of the plateau to a circularcrater breached on the east.[1][7] The cone is surrounded byMess Creek valley to the west,Wetalth Ridge and Little Arctic Lake to the east,Tadekho Hill to the northeast,Exile Hill to the north and Arctic Lake to the south.[3] Between Nahta Cone and Tadekho Hill is Nahta Creek which flows west through a valley into Mess Creek, a northwest-flowingtributary of theStikine River.[6][9]
Nahta Cone lies in the southwestern corner ofMount Edziza Provincial Park about 70 km (43 mi) south-southeast of the community ofTelegraph Creek.[3] With an area of 266,180 hectares (657,700 acres), Mount Edziza Provincial Park is one of the largestprovincial parks in British Columbia and was established in 1972 to preserve the volcanic landscape.[10][11] It also includes theSpectrum Range to the northeast andMount Edziza further to the north which are separated by the broad east–west valley ofRaspberry Pass.[11][12] Mount Edziza Provincial Park is in theTahltan Highland, a southeast-trendingupland area extending along the western side of theStikine Plateau.[3][13]
Nahta Cone is the southernmostcinder cone of theBig Raven Formation, the youngest and least voluminousgeological formation of theMount Edziza volcanic complex.[14][15] It formed on top of alimestone hill that overlies acontact betweenEarly Devoniangranitic rocks andEarly Carboniferousvolcanic rocks of the Stikine Assemblage, the oldest exposedstratified rocks of theStikiniaterrane whichaccreted to thecontinental margin of North America during theJurassic.[16][17][18] Five tinyhawaiiteconelets consisting of black and brick-redscoriablocks comprise Nahta Cone; the hawaiite containsphenocrysts ofolivine andplagioclase.[6][7][19] Nahta Cone is somewhat older thanThe Ash Pit in theMess Lake Lava Field which may be the youngest cinder cone of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.[20]
Nahta Cone was the source ofair-falltephra and a roughly 3 km (1.9 mi) long lava flow which extends northerly and then westerly into thehead of Nahta Creek.[6][7] The air-fall tephra islapilli-sized and distributed about 500 m (1,600 ft) west and 700 m (2,300 ft) north of the cone, suggesting the volcano was volcanically active at least twice during different wind conditions.[7][19] Erosion has unmodified the blocky surface of the lava flow, but Nahta Creek at its distal end has begun to etch a new channel where it displaced the stream.[7] CanadianvolcanologistJack Souther obtained aradiocarbon date of 1,340 years from the lava flow in 1970.[19]
The name of the cone became official on January 2, 1980, and was adopted on theNational Topographic System map 104G/7 after being submitted to theBC Geographical Names office by theGeological Survey of Canada.[2][21] It means'seven' in theTahltan language, referring to the last seven survivors of the Wetalth people who were outcast or exiled from theTahltans in times past.[2] Several other features on the Arctic Lake Plateau such as Wetalth Ridge,Outcast Hill, Exile Hill and Tadekho Hill also have names with Tahltan roots that were adopted on January 2, 1980.[22][23][24][25][26] In his 1992 reportThe Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia, Jack Souther gave Nahta Cone thenumeronymAL-1.[14]
Nahta Cone can be accessed via charter aircraft fromDease Lake and Tatogga Lake, the latter of which is near the community ofIskut.[11][27][28][29] Private aircraft are prohibited from landing on the neighbouring Kitsu Plateau lava flows.[11] Arctic Lake about 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Natha Cone and Little Arctic Lake about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of Nahta Cone are large enough to be used by float-equipped aircraft.[3][27] Landing on Little Arctic Lake with a private aircraft requires a letter of authorization from theBC Parks Stikine Senior Park Ranger.[11] As of 2025, Alpine Lakes Air and BC Yukon Air are the only air charter companies permitted to provide access to this area via aircraft.[11]
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