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Cascades Volcano Observatory's mission
The U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory strives to serve the national interest by helping people to live knowledgeably and safely with volcanoes in WA, OR, and ID.

M 2.4 earthquake beneath summit of Mount Rainier at 8:45am on 09/13/2012
September 13, 2012
A M 2.4 occurred beneath the summit of Mount Rainier this morning (09/13) at 08:45, followed by a dozen or so aftershocks over the next ~20 minutes. According to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (http://pnsn.org), the M 2.4 was located beneath the north rim of East Crater at a depth of ~2.7 km. Such earthquakes, while not common, are also not unprecedented at Mount Rainier -- M > 2 earthquakes occur about once per year on average below the Rainier summit, with the most recent being a M 2.9 on October 14, 2011, and a M 2.2 on October 25, 2011. The location and depth of the the 09/13/2012 M 2.4 are entirely consistent with past Rainier earthquakes, and such events are considered by CVO and the PNSN be part of the background “normal” level of activity at Mount Rainier.

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Scheduled maintenance is complete at Mount Rainier’s high-elevation volcano monitoring stations. View the photos.
September 10, 2012

During the first week of September, scientists completed scheduled maintenance at five volcano monitoring stations between 7,000 and 11,000 feet on Mount Rainier. Work was completed by staff from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), with strong support from Mount Rainier National Park (MRNP). The stations provide continuous data streams that are critical for detecting signs of unrest at Mount Rainier. View Mount Rainier Monitoring information and a Photo Gallery of this work.

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Flume Experiments Model Debris Flows
September 06, 2012

Researchers at CVO perform flume experiments to test mathematical models for interpreting and forecasting debris flow behavior. Up to 40 tons of sediment are placed behind a gate at the head of a 310-feet long flume, saturated with water and released. Data collection ports in the floor of the flume measure the forces due to particles sliding and colliding at the base of the flow, while photos and videos record surface effects. The experiments lead to development of technologies for mitigating debris flow hazards, including automated detection and warning systems and engineering countermeasures, to protect high-risk areas such as Mount St. Helens, Redoubt Volcano in Alaska, and Pinatubo Volcano in the Philippines. See past experiments at Video Documentation of Experiments at the USGS Debris-Flow Flume 1992–2006 (amended to include 2007–2009).

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Mount St. Helens 2012 Fieldwork
August 22, 2012

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano, continuously monitored for earthquakes, ground deformation, erosion and debris flows. Clear, summer weather provides an opportunity to access remote monitoring sites for necessary repairs, to observe, quantify and track changes from previous years, and conduct new research. The image gallery, Mount St. Helens 2012 Fieldwork, highlights the summer work completed on the flanks of the volcano as well as in the crater.

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High to Very High Threat Potential ¹
Crater Lake
Glacier Peak
Mount Adams
Mount Baker
Mount Hood
Mount Rainier
Mount St. Helens
Newberry
South Sister
Moderate Threat Potential ¹
Mount Bachelor
North Sister Field
Low to Very Low Threat Potential ¹
Belknap
Blue Lake Crater
Cinnamon Butte
Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field
Davis Lake Volcanic Field
Devils Garden Volcanic Field
Diamond Craters Volcanic Field
Four Craters Lava Field
Hell's Half Acre Volcanic Field
Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
Jordan Craters Volcanic Field
Lava Mountain
Mount Jefferson
Sand Mountain Volcanic Field
Shoshone Lava Field
Wapi Lava Field
West Crater Volcanic Field

^{1. View the threat rankings of US Volcanoes.}