USGS Highlights Increased Seismic Activity at Volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest

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The US Geological Survey is intensifying its monitoring efforts at multiple volcanoes in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, as experts observe heightened seismic activity. Mount Rainier, situated merely 59 miles from Seattle and close to four million residents, is considered one of the most hazardous volcanoes in North America due to its substantial glacial ice cover. A significant eruption or lahar could result in volcanic mudflow affecting populated river valleys within a matter of hours. Experts caution that the volcanic hazards in the Pacific Northwest are often underestimated. Federal emergency management officials are revising evacuation plans for the communities most at risk.

Transcript

00:00One of the most dangerous volcanoes in North America sits 59 miles from Seattle.

00:05And most Americans have never heard of the threat it poses.

00:09Mount Rainier is not just a beautiful landmark in Washington state.

00:13It is capped with 26 cubic kilometers of glacial ice,

00:17sitting above river valleys where hundreds of thousands of people live.

00:21The U.S. Geological Survey has been maintaining elevated monitoring of Cascade Range volcanoes,

00:27tracking seismic activity that scientists describe as consistent with magma movement at depth.

00:33A major eruption would not just produce lava.

00:36It would release lahars, rivers of volcanic mud and melted ice moving at 50 miles per hour.

00:43Federal emergency planners are now updating evacuation routes for the most vulnerable river valley communities.

00:50Scientists warn,

00:51The Pacific Northwest volcano threat is real, it is documented, and it is underestimated.

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