Glacier Peak Gets New Seismometers

The U.S. Forest Service has given four new seismometers for Glacier Peak, a volcano deep in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

Although largely dormant, Scientist-in-Charge Jon Major with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), states that Glacier Peak needs more than one seismometer in order to accurately assess earthquake threats.

“If we have more than one seismometer around the volcano, we can then locate the position of those earthquakes much better, we can also measure the size of the earthquakes much better,” Major explained. “More importantly, we can also track whether those earthquakes are getting shallower with time within the volcano, because as magma gets closer to the surface, those earthquakes are going to get shallower and shallower.”

Major reports that if an earthquake were to happen, Glacier Peak would send Mount St. Helen-sized mudflows at the very least, and large volcanic eruptions at the very worst.

The new meters should not interfere with the surrounding habitat.