Geologists say more than dozen volcanoes pose threat to US west coast

A group of American geologists from Oregon State University and other scientific institutions found that 11 volcanoes on the west coast of North America pose a high threat to locals and infrastructure, Report informs with reference to a study published in the scientific journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (GGG).

The alarming volcanoes are located 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 only scant data on where the magma lies beneath the Cascade Arc.

Seismic data and satellite information can reveal ground deformations indicating the movement of magma beneath the surface. However, most studies have focused on a few volcanoes of the arc.

Practical limitations can also hinder scientists' understanding of 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 permits to install monitoring equipment in protected areas can also make studying volcanoes difficult, the researchers noted.

Among the least studied and most dangerous volcanoes, geologists named Mount Adams in southern Washington state. A little north of it is the Glacier Peak volcano, which also poses a great threat.

The researchers hope their work will help scientists prioritize where to focus their efforts knowing which volcanoes pose the most danger and are the least studied.