By Melissa Voelker
About Active Volcanoes in the United States
From Mt. St Helens and Mt. Ranier in Washington state to Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta in California, there are many active volcanoes in the
United States. Some have not erupted for thousands of years, while others have done so in recent decades. All of them did erupt at one time, are showing some signs of life still and could possibly erupt again at any time.
History
The Long Valley Caldera (California) had a catastrophic eruption 730,000 years ago, while Mount Baker (Washington) erupted several times in the late 1800s. Mt. St Helens erupted as recently as 1980.
Types
Types of volcanoes that can be found in the U.S. include cinder cones (the most common type of volcano), basalt flows, strata volcanoes and depression caldaras, the most violent and dangerous of volcanoes.
Geography
The majority of active volcanoes in the continental United States are located Washington state and Oregon. California, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho and Wyoming also contain active volcanoes. Hawaii boasts the World's Most Active Volcano, among others, and Alaska holds over twice as many active volcanoes as the continental U.S. does.
Features
There are several signs that show if a volcano is still active, including emissions of gases, lava and dust plumes. Earthquakes and/or rumblings deep in the ground around and beneath the volcano are also signs.
Warning
The eruption of a volcano in the United States can be a catastrophic event, especially as most are near populated areas where they can do a lot of damage. Earthquakes, landslides, lava flows and clouds of ash are just a few of the dangers associated with the eruption of a volcano.
Misconceptions
Not all volcanoes show activity before erupting, but if they have erupted within the last 100 years or so, they are still considered active. Dormant volcanoes may show no signs of life whatsoever, and then suddenly show all of the signs and erupt.
About the Author:
Melissa Voelker has been a professional writer since 2002. She works full time at a TV station in the commercial traffic department and also writes for Paperbackreader.com and Pinkraygun.com. Her articles have appeared in "Listen," "The Spokesman Review" and "Freepress Houston."
Photo Credits:
Geotimes.org
