In this May 18, 1980 file photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington state. (USGS/Austin Post Via AP).
Scientists with the U.S. government have classified 18 U.S. volcanoes as a “very high threat” due to their proximity to populated areas and the activity within the volcanoes.
For the first time since 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey is updating its volcano threat assessments. Of the 18 listed as a “very high threat,” four are in Washington state, including Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens.
Mount St. Helens, which killed 57 people when it erupted on May 18, 1980, is ranked second on the list while Mount Rainier is third. Mount Baker is ranked 14th while Glacier Peak comes in at number 15.
Map showing volcano locations within the area of responsibility of the Cascades Volcano Observatory (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho). NVEWS, National Volcano Early Warning System.
There are five “very high threat” volcanoes in Alaska, including Redoubt Volcano at number three, Akutan Island at number eight, Makushin Volcano at number nine, Mount Spurr at number 10 and Augustine Volcano at 12.
Map showing volcano locations and threat categories within the State of Alaska, which is in the area of responsibility of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (Alaska and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Boxes are outlines of areas depicted in figures 11–16, which show Alaskan volcanoes in greater detail. NVEWS, National Volcano Early Warning System.
Map showing volcano locations in the eastern Aleutian Islands and lower Alaska Peninsula.
NVEWS, National Volcano Early Warning System
3. Map showing volcano locations in the upper Alaska Peninsula and southern Cook Inlet. NVEWS,
National Volcano Early Warning System.
At the top of the danger list is Hawaii’s Kilauea, the Big Island volcano that has erupted this year.
Lava fountains and channelized flow erupting from the Fissure 8 spatter cone along Kilauea’s Lower East Rift Zone in the Leilani Estates subdivision, lower Puna, Hawai’i, on June 25, 2018. Photograph by Ben Gaddis, U.S. Geological Survey
Map showing locations of all U.S. volcanoes with threat category designated by colour. NVEWS, National
Volcano Early Warning System.
The USGS’ 2018 Update to the U.S. Geological Survey National Volcanic Threat Assessment considers recent field and laboratory research on U.S. volcanoes, which has allowed some volcanic systems to be added and removed from the list of potentially active volcanoes.
Nomenclature for several more volcanic systems was also modified or combined, and the hazard and exposure factors used to determine threat level were updated.
Forty volcanoes had their inclusion status changed. There are now 161 volcanoes in the U.S. volcanic threat assessment, which is eight fewer than in 2005. The 18 assessed as a “very high threat” has not changed since 2005. However, a dozen volcanoes have increased in threat level since 2005 while 20 others have dropped.
2018 Update to the U.S. Geological Survey National Volcanic Threat Assessment
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