Researchers are setting up extra volcanic monitoring stations in the Cascades this month after a flurry of earthquakes.
Should you panic?
No.
According to Wes Thelen, a research seismologist with the Cascade Volcano Observatory at the United States Geological Survey, little earthquakes are just part of life for the Pacific Northwest’s many active volcanoes.
Take Mount Hood, which had six earthquakes in September, on the low end for the Portland-adjacent mountain. Or Mount St. Helens, which had 23 earthquakes in September.
Mount Adams, another massive volcanic mountain in the Cascade range, is different.
“Mount Adams is a volcano that we typically don’t see very much seismicity at,” Thelen said. “Maybe one earthquake every two to three years.”
But in September, researchers recorded six small earthquakes at the mountain. Now, they are working to set up more monitoring stations on Mount Adams before it is covered in snow or the seismic activity stops.
Not because they believe the mountain could erupt any time soon, but because they would like more information.
Because of its location, not close to major population centers, and the fact that it last erupted sometime between 3,800 and 7,600 years ago, the mountain has only had one volcanic monitoring station, which is about seven miles away from the summit.
Comparing that to Mount Hood, which Thelen said has eight stations within the same area, or Mount St. Helens, which has 16, you can see monitoring activity on Mount Adams hasn’t been a top priority for the United States Geological Survey.
But these six earthquakes may change that.
“This is a change from what we have come to understand the volcano’s background is,” Thelen said. “And it’s really an opportunity for us that we don’t get very often to understand more about what’s going on under the volcano.”
The agency is standing up three temporary monitoring stations for now and has permits pending for four permanent stations.
The new stations will allow researchers to find out more about the even smaller earthquakes that could be happening under the volcano that aren’t detectable by the old station. And it will give them more data about the mountain, which will inform future monitoring.
Still, six earthquakes, while it’s certainly more than none, isn’t something that causes scientists much pause.
“Our friends in Hawaii are rolling their eyes,” Thelen said. “They get six or so in a couple hours.”
So, while this is an interesting opportunity for scientists to focus some attention on Mount Adam’s volcanic possibilities, it doesn’t represent a threat to anyone. The earthquakes measured so far are typical and weren’t even detectable by people on the mountain.
“When we look at other volcanoes, either within the U.S. or across the world that have had a very long time since their last eruption, we expect to see hundreds, thousands of earthquakes that are happening under the volcano before it erupts,” he said. “And we are absolutely not seeing that.”
– Lizzy Acker covers Oregon weather and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com or @lizzzyacker Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.
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