In 2010 National Geographic created a list of what are thought to be ten of the most dangerous volcanoes in the United States! The list was as follows with more information provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Mauro Rosi, and the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) which is part of the USGS.
10. Crater Lake Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). Formerly known as Mount Mazama, was a stratovolcano that erupted over 6,000 years ago. This eruption is one of the most major eruptions in the last 10,000 years of the planets history. This eruption had two stages including both lava, and pyroclastic flows (Rosi, 2003).
9. Redoubt Volcano, Alaska (National Geographic, 2010). Redoubt is also a stratovolcano and one of the most active in Alaska. This volcano has erupted at least 20 times in the last 10,000 years (Rosi, 2003), including 1902, 1966, 1967, 1989, 1990, 2009 (Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2014).
8. Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, (National Geographic, 2010). Mauna Loa is a shield volcano and also one of the most active on Earth since its first recorded eruption in 1843. The last eruption for this volcano was on March 25, 1984. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are two of the most intensely studied volcanoes in the world (Rosi, 2003).
7. Lassen Peak Volcano, California (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Lassen is a lava dome volcano, and most of its eruption history from the early 1900s with some questionable eruptions in 1650 and 1850-51. The years 1914-1917 were the most active years with the most active time being May 30, 1914 to March of 1915, this time span of less than a year are said to be the most violent eruptions the volcano has seen (Rosi, 2003).
6. South Sister Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). South Sister is a stratovolcano with the last eruption being from about 2,000 years ago. South Sister is one of three of the Sister volcanoes in Oregon (USGS, 2013).
5. Mount Shasta Volcano, California (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Shasta is a stratovolcano with only one historical eruption in 1786 which was witnessed by a French explorer. There is a lot of solfatara activity (emitting only sulfurous and other gases) that takes place at the volcanoes’ peak (Rosi, 2003)
4. Mount Hood Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Hood is a stratovolcano that last erupted in the 1790’s shortly before Lewis and Clark’s Expedition, while Mount Hood has not been active it does have heat vents that indicate heat below, and a rotten egg smell which is from the gases that volcano is putting off indicating that there is magma a few miles below the surface (USGS, 2010).
3. Mount Rainier, Washington (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano with an age of 730,000 years old making it a fairly old mountain, with its most recent eruptions in 184, 1854, 1858, 1870, 1879, and 1882 (Rosi, 2003). And a plume of steam in 1894 which some believed was an eruption (USGS, 2014).
2. Mount St. Helens, Washington (National Geographic, 2010). Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano that is most famous for its eruption on May 18, 1980. This volcano is a fairly active volcano with eruptions in 1980, several minor eruptions in 1981-1986, August 1989- October 1991 had six ash producing eruptions, October 2004, January 16, 2005 and March 8, 2005, and January-February 2008 (USGS, 2014).
1. Mount Kilauea, Hawaii (National Geographic, 2010). Is a shield volcano which erupts on a fairly regular basis and is under constant watch to warn surrounding communities. This is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world because of its constant activity (USGS, 2016).
10. Crater Lake Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). Formerly known as Mount Mazama, was a stratovolcano that erupted over 6,000 years ago. This eruption is one of the most major eruptions in the last 10,000 years of the planets history. This eruption had two stages including both lava, and pyroclastic flows (Rosi, 2003).
9. Redoubt Volcano, Alaska (National Geographic, 2010). Redoubt is also a stratovolcano and one of the most active in Alaska. This volcano has erupted at least 20 times in the last 10,000 years (Rosi, 2003), including 1902, 1966, 1967, 1989, 1990, 2009 (Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2014).
8. Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, (National Geographic, 2010). Mauna Loa is a shield volcano and also one of the most active on Earth since its first recorded eruption in 1843. The last eruption for this volcano was on March 25, 1984. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are two of the most intensely studied volcanoes in the world (Rosi, 2003).
7. Lassen Peak Volcano, California (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Lassen is a lava dome volcano, and most of its eruption history from the early 1900s with some questionable eruptions in 1650 and 1850-51. The years 1914-1917 were the most active years with the most active time being May 30, 1914 to March of 1915, this time span of less than a year are said to be the most violent eruptions the volcano has seen (Rosi, 2003).
6. South Sister Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). South Sister is a stratovolcano with the last eruption being from about 2,000 years ago. South Sister is one of three of the Sister volcanoes in Oregon (USGS, 2013).
5. Mount Shasta Volcano, California (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Shasta is a stratovolcano with only one historical eruption in 1786 which was witnessed by a French explorer. There is a lot of solfatara activity (emitting only sulfurous and other gases) that takes place at the volcanoes’ peak (Rosi, 2003)
4. Mount Hood Volcano, Oregon (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Hood is a stratovolcano that last erupted in the 1790’s shortly before Lewis and Clark’s Expedition, while Mount Hood has not been active it does have heat vents that indicate heat below, and a rotten egg smell which is from the gases that volcano is putting off indicating that there is magma a few miles below the surface (USGS, 2010).
3. Mount Rainier, Washington (National Geographic, 2010). Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano with an age of 730,000 years old making it a fairly old mountain, with its most recent eruptions in 184, 1854, 1858, 1870, 1879, and 1882 (Rosi, 2003). And a plume of steam in 1894 which some believed was an eruption (USGS, 2014).
2. Mount St. Helens, Washington (National Geographic, 2010). Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano that is most famous for its eruption on May 18, 1980. This volcano is a fairly active volcano with eruptions in 1980, several minor eruptions in 1981-1986, August 1989- October 1991 had six ash producing eruptions, October 2004, January 16, 2005 and March 8, 2005, and January-February 2008 (USGS, 2014).
1. Mount Kilauea, Hawaii (National Geographic, 2010). Is a shield volcano which erupts on a fairly regular basis and is under constant watch to warn surrounding communities. This is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world because of its constant activity (USGS, 2016).
Image References:
"Crater Lake in Oregon Result of Collapsed Magma Chamber" http://photorator.com/photo/8219/this-crater-lake-in-oregon-as-a-result-of-the-collapse-of-a-magma-chamber-after-volcano-eruption-
"Alaska's Volcano's Earthqueakes Explain Puzzling Eruption" http://www.livescience.com/29255-redoubt-volcano-forecast-eruptions.html
"Fantastically Beautiful Eruption of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, 1940-1984" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-3IrJYq2Ko
"Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Legacy_Scenic_Byway
"Global Volcanism Program" http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=322070
"Scenic Mount Shasta" http://www.themccloudblog.com/portfolio-view/scenic-mt-shasta/
"Mount Hood" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood
"Mount Rainier" http://www.summitpost.org/mount-rainier/150291
"Volcanic Eruptions and Hazards" http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.volcanerupt/volcanic-eruptions-and-hazards
"Kilauea's East Rift Zone" http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/summary/main.html
"Crater Lake in Oregon Result of Collapsed Magma Chamber" http://photorator.com/photo/8219/this-crater-lake-in-oregon-as-a-result-of-the-collapse-of-a-magma-chamber-after-volcano-eruption-
"Alaska's Volcano's Earthqueakes Explain Puzzling Eruption" http://www.livescience.com/29255-redoubt-volcano-forecast-eruptions.html
"Fantastically Beautiful Eruption of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, 1940-1984" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-3IrJYq2Ko
"Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Legacy_Scenic_Byway
"Global Volcanism Program" http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=322070
"Scenic Mount Shasta" http://www.themccloudblog.com/portfolio-view/scenic-mt-shasta/
"Mount Hood" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood
"Mount Rainier" http://www.summitpost.org/mount-rainier/150291
"Volcanic Eruptions and Hazards" http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.volcanerupt/volcanic-eruptions-and-hazards
"Kilauea's East Rift Zone" http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/summary/main.html