A group of American geologists from Oregon State University and other scientific institutions found that there are 11 volcanoes on the west coast of North America that pose a high threat to local people and infrastructure. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (GGG).
The alarming fire mountains lie on the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which stretches from Northern California in the United States to southern British Columbia in Canada.
Despite the potential danger, researchers have little data on where the magma is beneath the Cascade Arc.
Seismic data and satellite information can reveal ground deformations that indicate the movement of magma beneath the surface. However, most studies have focused on a few arc volcanoes.
Practical limitations can also prevent scientists from understanding volcanoes: Sometimes magma does not move fast enough to be detected, and sometimes noise from various geological processes (including background seismicity from faults) obscures the signal from the magma. Rugged terrain and difficulties in obtaining permission to install monitoring equipment in protected areas can also make studying volcanoes difficult, the researchers noted.
Geologists have named Mount Adams in southern Washington state among the least studied and most dangerous volcanoes. A little north of it is the Glacier Peak volcano, which poses a great threat.
The researchers hope their study will help scientists prioritize where to focus their efforts based on which volcanoes pose the most danger and are least studied.
Geologists before approached It is aimed at solving the lava fountains that some volcanoes emit during eruptions.