Wrangell
Shield in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
4,278 m (14,035 ft)
Type
Shield
Location
62.006°, -144.017°
Region
Wrangell Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Tectonic Setting
Intraplate
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Mount Wrangell is one of the world's largest continental-margin volcanoes, with a diameter of 30 km at 2,000 m elevation. The andesitic shield volcano has produced fluid lava flows as long as 58 km and contains an ice-filled caldera 4-6 km in diameter and 1 km deep, located within an older 15-km-wide caldera. Most of the edifice was constructed during eruptions between about 600,000 and 200,000 years ago.
Formation of the summit caldera followed sometime between about 200,000 and 50,000 years ago. Three post-caldera craters are located at the broad summit, along the northern and western caldera rim. A steep-sided flank cinder cone, Mount Zanetti, is located 6 km NW of the summit.
The westernmost cone has been the source of infrequent eruptions beginning in the 18th century. Increased heat flux in recent years has melted large volumes of ice in the northern crater.
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 | 114 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 315020
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
Mount Wrangell, on the right skyline, is part of the Wrangell volcanic field. There are two large calderas at the summit and the inner ice-filled caldera contains three craters. Minor, possibly phreatic eruptions have occurred during the 20th century. To the left is rounded Mount Zanetti, a flank cone. The sharp-topped peak to the far-left of this view from the SW is a flank cone of the neighboring Pleistocene Mount Drum.
Photo by B. Cella (National Park Service).
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.