Octopus Mountain is a 2,932-metre (9,619-foot) mountain summit located in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada.

Octopus Mountain
North aspect, centered at top
Highest point
Elevation2,932 m (9,619 ft)[1][2]
Prominence570 m (1,870 ft)[3]
Parent peakIndian Peak (2,992 m)[3]
ListingMountains of British Columbia
Coordinates50°54′27″N 115°48′34″W / 50.90750°N 115.80944°W / 50.90750; -115.80944[4]
Geography
Octopus Mountain is located in British Columbia
Octopus Mountain
Octopus Mountain
Location of Octopus Mountain in British Columbia
Octopus Mountain is located in Canada
Octopus Mountain
Octopus Mountain
Octopus Mountain (Canada)
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictKootenay Land District[5]
Protected areaMount Assiniboine Provincial Park
Parent rangeMitchell Range[3]
Canadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 82J13 Mount Assiniboine[4]
Geology
Age of rockCambrian
Type of rockSedimentary rock

Description

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Octopus Mountain is situated 12 km (7.5 mi) west of the Continental Divide and is part of the Mitchell Range which is a sub-range of the Canadian Rockies.[3] Precipitation runoff from the peak's southeast slope drains into the Mitchell River and all other slopes drain into tributaries of the Simpson River. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 1,330 metres (4,364 ft) above Lachine Creek in 3 km (1.9 mi) and 1,300 metres (4,265 ft) above the Mitchell River in 4 km (2.5 mi).

History

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The mountain was named in 1913 by surveyor Robert Daniel McCaw (1884–1941) but the reason for the name is unknown.[1][2] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted on September 9, 1924, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[4] A forest fire burned the slopes of Octopus Mountain in 2012 and consumed 932 hectares of land.[6]

Geology

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Octopus Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.[7]

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Octopus Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[8] Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Glen W. Boles, William Lowell Putnam, Roger W. Laurilla (2006), "Canadian Mountain Place Names", Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781894765794, p. 187.
  2. ^ a b "Octopus Mountain". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  3. ^ a b c d "Octopus Mountain, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  4. ^ a b c "Octopus Mountain". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  5. ^ "Octopus Mountain". BC Geographical Names.
  6. ^ Steve Jessel, Forest fire in Kootenay National Park continues to burn, September 18, 2012, The Invermere Valley Echo
  7. ^ Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias
  8. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
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