VANCOUVER, Wash. – Living in the Ring of Fire, Washington state residents are no strangers to the possibility of volcanic activity. With five active volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens, the threat of a repeat eruption looms large in many minds. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory want to ease fears by sharing the process of seismic monitoring, and by explaining how the advanced technology works.
At the Observatory’s Vancouver warehouse, scientists spend months thoroughly testing their seismometers before deploying them out in the mountains.
“We don’t want to put something on the landscape and then two weeks later find out it’s not working,” remarked Jon Major, Scientist-In-Charge at the Cascades Volcano Observatory. “Especially at some place like Glacier Peak then you have to go hike out two and a half days to replace it.”…