USGS updates Mount Shasta status

[Tom]

The USGS has updated the status of Mount Shasta to "a high threat", #5 on their list. The hazard zone covers 9,500 square miles. The last time it erupted was 200 years ago. Many of us travel/have traveled past Shasta on I-5, not giving a thought to the fact that it is still active.

 

[Back2PA]

Interesting, I thought it was long dead

 

[Seilerbird]

I have given a lot of thought to Mount Shasta. When I was at the Lassen Volcanic National Park I hiked to the top of Mount Lassen which is a cauldera that was formed by a volcanic eruption. From the top you get a really nice clear view of Mount Shasta, located 75 miles to the north. Very powerful images. The entire Cascade mountain range is all volcanic, starting with Mount Lassen, Mount Shasta, Crater Lake, Mount Hood, Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker are just a few of the many potential volcanoes located on the western edge of the US. One of them will eventually erupt and cause some very serious problems there. 

 

[cadee2c]

I know it can be bad, but I guess since I went through Mt St Helens eruption Ive tended to minimilize the danger. Mt St Helens is a different type of volcano than those in Hawaii. It blows ash rather than spewing lava. Dont know if that makes it better or worse, but my thought is that since it blew a short time ago (a blink of an eye in geological time) it probably wont do as much damage as it did last time. I think the others would do more damage since they havent blown in a long time.

I also remember that Mt St Helens showed alot of increasing activity before it actually did blow and was in the news for quite awhile. I havent heard much lately, but Im thinking any of them blowing may be a ways off. Of course, it could blow this afternoon too

 

[Lou Schneider]

Here's a link to the National Geographic article.  It also includes great video from a GoPro camera that qualifies for the old Timex trademark "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking" as it continues to record video and sound while being engulfed in a lava flow.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/10/news-most-dangerous-volcanoes-usgs-list-geology/

The article points out that the likelihood of an eruption wasn't the only factor used to reassess the threat level, they also considered the rising population around most of the volcanoes topping the list.

 

[Back2PA]

Im thinking any of them blowing may be a ways off. Of course, it could blow this afternoon too

A promising career awaits you in weather forecasting  ;D

 

[cadee2c]

Ive always wanted to do that. What other job could pay so well even when youre wrong half the time.

 

[ArdraF]

Seilerbird, that is one nifty photo of Mt. Shasta over the Mt. Lassen cauldera!  Great shot!

Jerry was in the area of Mt St. Helens on business shortly after that eruption and brought home a container of the fine pumice-like powder it produced.  That stuff does a lot of damage because it's so fine.  Our friend's brother owned a Laundromat up there.  I ran into them in the SF airport.  The brother was coming down to buy all new equipment because the powder had ruined all his washers and dryers.  After touching it you can see why aircraft take a wide swing around eruptions!

ArdraF

 

[beaverfever]

having owned a grocery store less than 35 air miles from st helen's when she blew i can guarantee you it was not fun.shoveling over a foot of ash Accumulative off the roof ,scrapping the parking lot,replacing compressors and fighting the dust for years.
i was one of the ones that was sure it wouldn't  blow and was trying to buy a cabin on spirit lake.they were asking  pennies on the dollar.sure glad the guy drug his feet

 

[beaverfever]

Seilerbird, that is one nifty photo of Mt. Shasta over the Mt. Lassen cauldera!  Great shot!

Jerry was in the area of Mt St. Helens on business shortly after that eruption and brought home a container of the fine pumice-like powder it produced.  That stuff does a lot of damage because it's so fine.  Our friend's brother owned a Laundromat up there.  I ran into them in the SF airport.  The brother was coming down to buy all new equipment because the powder had ruined all his washers and dryers.  After touching it you can see why aircraft take a wide swing around eruptions!

ArdraF

i took a bag of it to my dad in idaho. the first thing he did was grab a magnet and stick in the bag,it was amazing how much super fine iron was in it, i would guess almost 5%. yes it ate up anything that wasn't taken care of.

 

[Seilerbird]

Seilerbird, that is one nifty photo of Mt. Shasta over the Mt. Lassen cauldera!  Great shot!

Thank you Ardra. I have gotten a lot of compliments on my National Parks photography but I always feel like it is not my photography that is nifty, it is the parks themselves.

 

[Tom and Margi]

We were in Pacific Beach, Washington razor clamming during the first Mt. St. Helen's eruption and in Portland visiting family when Portland got the ash fall from the second eruption.  The guys were fishing on Sauvie Island and I was with my niece at a horse show.  Horse show cancelled due to danger to the horses' lungs.  It was dark as night outside.  The ash was very dense and heavy. 

 

[Tom]

[quote author=cadee2c]What other job could pay so well even when youre wrong half the time.[/quote]
Years ago I was listening to a weather forecaster being interviewed on the radio. He mentioned that one of his non-elective college classes was in vagueness; You never guarantee it will rain unless it's already raining  ;D

The other thing I learned was that, when they forecast, say 50% chance of rain, it means that it will rain over 50% of a given area, and the remainder will be spared.

 

[Back2PA]

On the weather topic, "LA Story" with Steve Martin is hilarious. Description:


"Harris K. Telemacher (Steve Martin) has the easiest job in the world: he's a TV weatherman in Los Angeles, where the weather is so predictable he tapes his forecasts days in advance."

 

[Seilerbird]

On the weather topic, "LA Story" with Steve Martin is hilarious. Description:


"Harris K. Telemacher (Steve Martin) has the easiest job in the world: he's a TV weatherman in Los Angeles, where the weather is so predictable he tapes his forecasts days in advance."

Same thing with weather prediction in Florida. 50% chance of rain every single day.

 

[Tom]

A few winters ago while we were at our OH town home, I couldn't resist snapping a pic of the in-studio TV weatherman. He had a sense of humor - indoors with his coat, cap and gloves on.

 

[Tom]

Back in the olde country, we had a unique and somewhat accurate/reliable way of forecasting the weather. If we could see the point known as 'the Mumbles' on the far side of the crescent-shaped bay, it was going to rain; If we couldn't see the Mumbles, it was already raining.

 

[Back2PA]

Back in the olde country, we had a unique and somewhat accurate/reliable way of forecasting the weather. If we could see the point known as 'the Mumbles' on the far side of the crescent-shaped bay, it was going to rain; If we couldn't see the Mumbles, it was already raining.

Big LOL Tom ;D ;D

 

[Larry N.]

Back in the olde country, we had a unique and somewhat accurate/reliable way of forecasting the weather. If we could see the point known as 'the Mumbles' on the far side of the crescent-shaped bay, it was going to rain; If we couldn't see the Mumbles, it was already raining.

That's a similar idea to the weather rocks in Kansas (where the wind always blows). Here's a description of instructions from Wikipedia:

Some examples of the instructions commonly provided for "reading" a weather stone include:

• If the rock is wet, it's raining.
• If the rock is swinging, the wind is blowing.
• If the rock casts a shadow, the sun is shining.
• If the rock does not cast a shadow and is not wet, the sky is cloudy.
• If the rock is difficult to see, it is foggy.
• If the rock is white, it is snowing.
• If the rock is coated with ice, there is a frost.
• If the ice is thick, it's a heavy frost.
• If the rock is bouncing, there is an earthquake.
• If the rock is under water, there is a flood.
• If the rock is warm, it is sunny.
• If the rock is missing, there was a tornado.
• If the rock is wet and swinging violently, there is a hurricane.
• If the rock can be felt but not seen, it is night time.
• If the rock has white splats on it, watch out for birds.
• If there are two rocks, stop drinking, you are drunk.

Weather rocks will also sometimes include rules for proper maintenance of the system such as, "Please do not disturb the weather rock, it is a finely tuned instrument!"

 

[Tom]

ROTFL Larry; That's a great weather forecaster's guide  ;D