new american volcano?

[mellowtigger]

Old news: As I learned in geology class a few years ago, magma roiling under pressure as it squirts into available fissures will cause series of frequent, small-but-measureable earthquakes. Such behavior is often a prelude to volcanic eruption, as that magma eventually makes its way to the surface and ejects.

New news: This is happening, right now, near Oregon in a place where there is no volcano.... yet. The rumblings are showing up in Navy hydrophones in the area. Oregon State University hopes to send ships to investigate.

From the link:

Scientists hope to send out an OSU research ship to take water samples, looking for evidence that sediment has been stirred up and chemicals that would indicate magma is moving up through the Juan de Fuca Plate, Dziak said. The quakes have not followed the typical pattern of a major shock followed by a series of diminishing aftershocks, and few have been strong enough to be felt on shore.

Very interesting. It would be cool to add a new volcano to the American map, like a new Hawaiian island springing up from the ocean, but at the mainland.

Comments

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

Starbucks has a helicopter on hot standby waiting for the second it breaks the surface of the water.

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

Nifty. I say set up high def webcams pointing at where it's going to be so it all gets recorded.

I hope they get some nifty name for it.

If it got tall enough it would affect the weather causing a rain shadow north east of it. Much like Mount Olympus, Washington makes Victoria, BC have nice dry winters while Sooke and Vancouver to the West and East of it get rain.