Mackenzie Mountains

Mackenzie Mountains
Keele Peak, 2005
Highest point
Peak	Keele Peak
Elevation	2,972 m (9,751 ft)
Coordinates	63°25′53″N 130°19′26″W / 63.43139°N 130.32389°W
Geography
Country	Canada
Territories	Yukon and Northwest Territories
Range coordinates	64°N 128°W / 64°N 128°WCoordinates: 64°N 128°W / 64°N 128°W

The Mackenzie Mountains are a mountain range forming part of the Yukon-Northwest Territories boundary between the Liard and Peel rivers. The range is named in honour of Canada's second prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie. Nahanni National Park Reserve is in the Mackenzie Mountains.

The Mackenzie Mountains hold about 55% of the world's known reserves of tungsten. The mining town of Tungsten, site of the Cantung Mine is in the Mackenzie Mountains. Only two roads lead into the Mackenzie Mountains, both in the Yukon: the Nahanni Range Road leading to the townsite of Tungsten and the Canol Road leading to the Macmillan Pass.

The highest mountain in this range is Keele Peak at 2,972 m (9,751 ft). The second highest mountain is Mount Nirvana. It is, at 2,773 m (9,098 ft), the highest mountain in the Northwest Territories.

The Silurian fish family Archipelepididae has been described from specimens found in the Mackenzie Mountains.^[1]

References

1. Soehn, K. L., Märss, T., Caldwell, M. W. & Wilson, M. V. H., 2001: New and biostratigraphically useful thelodonts from the Silurian of the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 21: 651-659

• Canadian GeoNames Database entry

Further reading

• Aitken, J. D. (1991). The Ice Brook Formation and post-Rapitan, Late Proterozoic glaciation, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. [Ottawa]: Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. ISBN 0-660-13838-7
• EXCELeration Corp. (2000). Benefits of outfitted hunting in the NWT Mackenzie mountains. Calgary: EXCELeration Corp.
• Hanke, G. F., Wilson, M. V., & Lindoe, L. A. (2001). New species of Silurian acanthodians from the Mackenzie Mountains, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 38 (11), 1517.
• James, N., Narbonne, G., & Kyser, T. (2001). Late Neoproterozoic cap carbonates: Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada: precipitation and global glacial meltdown. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 38, 1229-1262.
• Keele, J. (1910). A reconnaissance across the Mackenzie mountains on the Pelly, Ross, and Gravel rivers, Yukon, and North West territories. Ottawa: Government printing bureau.
• Latour, Paul B. A Survey of Dall's Sheep in Zone E/1-1, Northern Mackenzie Mountains. Norman Wells, NWT: Dept. of Renewable Resources, Govt. of the Northwest Territories, 1992.
• Miller, S. J., Barichello, N., & Tait, D. E. N. (1982). The grizzly bears of the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. Yellowknife, N.W.T.: N.W.T. Wildlife Service.
• Morrow, D. W., & Cook, D. G. (1987). The Prairie Creek Embayment and Lower Paleozoic strata of the southern Mackenzie Mountains. Ottawa, Canada: Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. ISBN 0-660-12516-1
• Porsild, A. E. (1940). The Alpine flora of the east slope of Mackenzie mountains, Northwest territories. Ottawa: E. Cloutier, Printer to the King.

External links

• Climate change in the Mackenzie Mountains (1995), Liang, L, Kershaw, G.P. Climate Research
• Mountain goat survey, Flat River area, Western Mackenzie Mountains (2004). Artier, N.C.L. Dept of Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development, Gov't of the NWT.