Glacier Peak, a ‘very high threat’ volcano, still awaits critical seismometers

GLACIER PEAK, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.

Efforts to install additional seismometers around Glacier Peak have been delayed due to ground conditions and logistical issues.

Glacier Peak, 20 miles east of Darrington, is classified by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a “very high threat” volcano due to its location near Darrington, Concrete, and Arlington.

Despite the potential danger of a Glacier Peak eruption, Jon Major, the scientist in charge of the Cascades Volcano Observatory, noted in the Everett Herald, that such an event is not imminent.

The volcano last erupted around 13,000 years ago in one of the largest explosions in the Cascades since the last Ice Age, ejecting five times more material than the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.

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The USGS plans to install seismometers and GPS units to monitor earthquakes and ground deformation. These instruments will work together, with seismometers detecting shaking and GPS units measuring minute ground movements.

In July 2022, the U.S. Forest Service approved the installation of four new monitors and the upgrade of an existing one, with the work scheduled for the summer of 2023. However, the installation has been postponed.

Major explained that a last-minute issue with helicopter transport of equipment delayed the project. Despite this, crews hiked to the planned sites to gather additional data. The crew discovered unstable ground at some locations, prompting a reassessment of the installation plans.

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“This new information has caused us to rethink what we need to do to actually install the instruments,” Major stated in an email to the Everett Herald. “If they are not in stable rock, they can shift around due to snow loading, freeze/thaw cycles, and soil movement, causing errors in measurements.”

Accurate measurements are crucial, as they aim to detect ground surface changes as small as a few centimeters.

The team now plans to revisit Glacier Peak in the summer of 2026, allowing engineers time to develop solutions for reliable monitor installation in these challenging conditions.

Glacier Peak, is 10,541 feet tall and considered the 15th most potentially deadly volcano in the United States out of 161 assessed.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

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