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U.S. NEWS Monday 14 May 2018

Hawaii volcano raises concerns of eruptions along West Coast

Continued from Front nent, experts say. north of the Portland, Or-
The Cascades Volcano egon, metro area, and
Kilauea, on Hawaii’s Big Is- Observatory monitors vol- 14,000-foot (4,270-meter)
land, is threatening to blow canoes in the Pacific North- Mount Rainier, which is vis-
its top in coming days or west and posts weekly sta- ible from the cities of Seat-
weeks after sputtering lava tus reports. All currently reg- tle and Tacoma.
for a week, forcing about ister “normal.” Mount Rainier eruptions
2,000 people to evacu- But the situation can in the distant past have
ate, destroying two dozen change fast. caused destruction as
homes and threatening a “All our mountains are con- far west as Puget Sound,
geothermal plant. Experts sidered active and, geo- some 50 miles (80 kilome-
fear the volcano could hurl logically speaking, things ters) away. The volcano
ash and boulders the size seem to happen in the hasn’t produced a signifi-
of refrigerators miles into Northwest about every 100 cant eruption in the past
the air. years,” said John Ufford, 500 years. But it remains
Here are some key things preparedness manager for dangerous because of
to know: the Washington Emergen- its great height, frequent In this May 7, 2018 photo, Mount Rainier is seen at dusk and
WHAT IS THE RING OF FIRE? cy Management Division. earthquakes, active hydro- framed by the Murray Morgan Bridge in downtown Tacoma,
Roughly 450 volcanoes “It’s an inexact timeline.” thermal system, and 26 gla- Wash.
make up this horseshoe- Some geologists believe ciers, experts said.q Associated Press
shaped belt. The belt fol- Mount St. Helens is the most
lows the coasts of South likely to erupt.
America, North America, But six other Cascade vol-
eastern Asia, Australia and canoes have been active
New Zealand. It’s known for in the past 300 years, in-
frequent volcanic and seis- cluding steam eruptions at
mic activity caused by the Mount Rainier and Glacier
colliding of crustal plates. Peak and a 1915 blast at
Outside of Hawaii, Ameri- Lassen Peak that destroyed
ca’s most dangerous vol- nearby ranches.
canoes are all part of the WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE
Ring of Fire, according to COULD THEY DO?
the U.S. Geological Survey. The Big Island scenes of riv-
They include: Mount St. Hel- ers of lava snaking through
ens and Mount Rainier in neighborhoods and sprout-
Washington; Mount Hood ing fountains are unlikely in
and South Sister in Oregon; the Pacific Northwest.
and Mount Shasta and Las- “Lava is not the hazard, per
sen Volcanic Center in Cal- se, like in Hawaii,” said Ian
ifornia. Lange, a retired University
Images of lava flow- of Montana geology pro-
ing from the ground and fessor. Cascade volcanos
homes going up in flames produce a thicker, more
in Hawaii have stoked un- viscous type of lava than
ease among residents. But Hawaiian volcanoes, so it
experts say an eruption in doesn’t run as far, Lange
Hawaii doesn’t necessarily said.
signal danger on the West The Cascade volcanoes
Coast. can produce huge clouds
“These are isolated sys- of choking ash and send
tems,” Westby said. deadly mudslides into riv-
WHEN WILL THE WEST COAST ers and streams. Two of the
VOLCANOES ERUPT? most potentially destruc-
No eruption seems immi- tive are Mount St. Helens,