California’s next big hazard could be a volcano, not an earthquake, USGS warns
Mar 04, 2019
The U.S. Geological Survey has warned the country that California’s next major disaster and hazard may be a volcanic eruption.
Brief overview:
- The USGS released a report Monday that there have been 10 volcanic eruptions in the region in the last 1,000 years and “future volcanic eruptions are inevitable.”
- According to the report, there could be a 16 percent chance of a small to moderate eruption in the next 30 years. The report said there is about a 22 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake at the San Andreas Fault in California.
- “The potential for damaging earthquakes, landslides, floods, tsunamis, and wildfires is widely recognized in California,” the report reads. “The same cannot be said for volcanic eruptions, despite the fact that they occur in the state about as frequently as the largest earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault.”
Deeper dive:
- The report said about 200,000 people live, work or move through the volcanic hazard zones every day, according to CBS San Francisco.
- The report said there are eight young volcanic areas that could pose a dangerous threat in the future. There are also seven volcanoes with magma beneath them, which means they are considered “active.” The volcanic ranges stretch from Oregon to Mexico, according to Newsweek.
- Those ranges include Medicine Lake volcano, Mount Shasta, Lassen Volcanic Center, Clear Lake volcanic field, the Long Valley volcanic region.
- The USGS said in its report that it will work to identify specific volcanoes and sites to monitor habits.
- “This will require the collective efforts of scientists, land managers, civil authorities, lifeline operators and communities,” it concludes. “Only together can California successfully manage volcanic risk and continue to enjoy the beauty and benefits of a geologically dynamic state.”