the mellow tigger's musings

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.