Milbanke Sound Group

Milbanke Sound Group
Milbanke Sound Cones
Aerial photo of the Milbanke Sound Group
Highest point
PeakHelmet Peak
Elevation335 m (1,099 ft)
Coordinates52°21′17″N 128°21′01″W / 52.35472°N 128.35028°W / 52.35472; -128.35028
Geography
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictRange 3 Coast Land District
Parent rangeKitimat Ranges
Geology
Rock age(s)Formation: In the past 10,000 years (Holocene)
Last eruption: Unknown
Last activity: Unknown
Rock type(s)Cinder cones, lava flows

The Milbanke Sound Group, also called the Milbanke Sound Cones, is an enigmatic group of five small basaltic volcanoes in the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. Named for Milbanke Sound, this volcanic group straddles on at least four small islands (three of which are uninhabited), including Swindle, Price, Lady Douglas and Lake Island. Not much is known about this group of volcanoes and they remain undated. However, they all likely formed in the past 10,000 years after the last glacial period as evidenced by a small amount of erosion. The age of the most recent volcanic activity is also unknown. Most of the Milbanke Sound Cones are covered by mature forest. Kitasu Hill and Helmet Peak are the only two cones that are officially named.

This group of volcanoes is unlike many other volcanic groups in Canada as it resides on islands instead of on the mainland. The volcanoes form a northwest–southeast trend along the British Columbia Coast. To the west the Milbanke Sound Group is bounded by the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere it is surrounded by adjacent islands that form an archipelago. Although not related, the Milbanke Sound Group is close to the remains of a much older magmatic feature that was formed during the Tertiary period.