I hope so too!

Hi all Have people been going to Rob's Geo World or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worldvolcanism to see the tour of New Zealand volcanoes that I am conducting? The messages are marked Volcanoes of New Zealand Part 1-10 (that is where I was up to in the 12 part series at the time of tpying this). To date we have covered: Mount Ruapehu Mount Ngauruhoe Mount Taranaki Mount Tongariro Auckland volcanic field Mayor Island White Island Still to come in Rob's Geo World: Mount Edgecumbe Okataina Tarawera Tauhara *********** (PS number of asterisks is not necessarily the number of letters in the volcano's name) Rob

Hi everyone! Well I finally have a bit of a break from school since today is Labor Day, so I thought I would finally post the rest of my photos from my trip to the Washington Cascades I took the end of May and begining of June. Enjoy!

This is a photo of Lava Cast Tree, which is located on the Trail of Two Forests in Mt. St. Helens National Monument. Mt. St. Helens erupted a very large lava flow about 1,900 years ago on her south side. When the lava cooled some interesting things happened. Trees like this one were forever perserved in a lava tomb. Sean and I crawled through this one. There is also another bunch of trees that have been growing in the area since...hence the name Trail of Two Forests.

Mt. St. Helens as seen from her south side Mt. St. Helens in the shadow's Mt. St. Helens with with some of the blown-down forest tree stumps Mt. St. Helens scars eched into her valley's

Spirit Lake as seen from Harry's Ridge. The brown sections in the water you think might be land is actually logs. Most of the logs from the 1980 eruption have sunken to the bottom froming a eerie submerged forest. But there is still plenty that are still floating, many of which are scattered along the sides and in the middle of the lake.

Not many people see these signs where they live...unless they live in the shadows of a dangerous volcano like the little town of Orting, WA. Mt. Rainer as seen from Orting Its frightening just to see with your eyes how close Mt. Rainer is to Orting The Nisqually River cuts right through Orting. Where does the Nisqually River come from? The Nisqually Glacier on Mt. Rainer's slopes of course. Its one of the biggest glaciers too. Hmmm...can you imagine what could happen here? On a personally note... I just want to say that the people in Orting are extremely friendly. The Chamber of Comereance was very helpful when I asked for some more information on their hazards. The gave me the phone number of the fire fighter in charge of the town evacuations. I intend to call him when I get a chance and ask some more specific questions. As the sun begins to set, the people of Orting almost don't even seem to notice the huge sinister giant as it sits in a peaceful alpine-glow. They go on with their everyday lives not worrying what may lie before them. In a way I suppose thats good. They cannot go on with their lives if they keep worrying about it. But I know every one of them knows. And deep down inside they all worry that they are sitting on borrowed time. All one can do is just hope that they can evacuate in time. To Orting...God Speed.

Mt. Rainer as seen from Paradise on top of the Nisqually Glacier Mt. Rainer...the lethal giant with clouds swirling over the summit Mt. Rainer from the highway in Mt. Rainer National Park

This is a very bad photo Of Mt. Baker. Its very difficult to take a picture of a sky thats white and a volcano that is almost completely white. Weather conditions never cooperated when we were at Mt. Baker.

Well, there you go. I just showed you all just about the entire Cascade Range minus a few, including one very significant one...Glacier Peak. Glacier Peak is a very difficult volcano to get access to since their is no roads near it so getting a picture is almost close to impossible unless you have about 2 days to spend hiking to it, which we unfortunatly didn't have.

Julie, did you get to hike Mt. St. Helens? It's a cool view to look down into the crater at the lava dome. Thanks for the pics. I lived in Aberdeen, WA 5 years ago (for about 5 months) and I miss the area (not the town though). We hiked almost every weekend....Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic Pennisula, Mt. Hood, the Cascades. I loved it!

Hi Dorine. Yeah, I hiked Mt. St. Helens last May and June. Actually it was my 3rd time hiking Mt. St. Helens. I have been through the Cascades 5 times now. I have seen the entire range though I have not hiked through it too much. And yes, Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic Pennisula, and Mt. Hood are some of my favorite places to go to. I have only been to the Olympic Pennisula one time though. I hope to go back again next year except this time hike the Pacific Crest Trail up through the Cascades.

I have two more volcanic areas in the Pacific Northwest left to mention. One is the Coast Mounatins which is a chain of volcanoes starting in British Colombia and stretching to the most northern sections of Canada and the Alaska border and the other is the ancient volcanic ranges on the eastern sides of the Cascades. I know I already talked about Mt. Garibaldi and Meager Mountain when I talked about the Cascade Range. But sometimes Mt. Garibaldi and Meager Mountain are not considered part of the Cascades Range. I suppose it depends how you look at them. Next to Garibaldi is Watts Point which is a volcanic area composed of porphyritic jointed dacitic lava. This could be a subglacial dacite lava dome. Wells Grey is after Meager mountain towards the east. Wells Grey is a volcanic area made up of basaltic volcanoes and cinder cones. This area has been active for the past 3 million years. Most of the lava flows are subglacial.

Nazco is a small cinder cone that has erupted numerous times during its life cycle. Its last eruption dated back about 7,000-10,000 years ago. This cinder cone erupted quite violently at times forming deep layers of lapilli, ash, and volcanic bombs in the surrounding area. Tseax is a cluster of cinder cones that may have erupted less than 500 years ago. The area is composed mainly of differnt lava flows.

Lava Fork is the youngest volcano in Canada. Lava Fork is a cinder cone on top of a mounatin ridge. The volcanic vent is made up of lapilli and volcanic bombs. The youngest lava flow is only about 150 years old. The Iskut River has dozens of cinder cones located on the east and west sides. Large lava flows may have blocked the river off when it last erupted which was about 70,000 years ago. Hoodoo Mounatin is a flat-toped composite volcano. The most recent eruption was only about 7,000 years ago. The rocks of Hoodoo are peralkaline phonolite and trachyte.

The Mountain Edziza complex is a volcanic plateau composed of basaltic lava flows, cinder cones, and four composite volcanoes. This area has erupted numerous times during the last 10,000 years. Tuya Butte is one of six subglacial volcanoes. The base of the volcano is made of pillow basalt and hyaloclastite indicating that the volcano may have formed beneath the ice or in a large lake. The 4 other subglacial volcanoes are South Tuya, Mathew's Tuya, and Ash Mountain. Cracker Creek Cone and Volcanic Crrek Cone are to young cinder cones that surround Ruby Mountain a composite volcano.

Well that didn't take long, lol. There is hardly any information at all about the volcanic ranges in Canada. I think this is because of two reasons. One is that most of the volcanoes are probably extinct and they are so old that much has been eroded away. And two is not many people live in this section of Canada so there isn't much concern about any eruptions. But there is a few that have erupted as recently as 150 years ago, but I doubt any will erupt in our lifetimes, since most are cinder cones and cinder cones are "usually" a one time thing. But that doesn't mean that new cinder cones won't form.

Beautiful photos, Julie. Thanks for posting them.

I just came to the conclusion last night that I missed a lot in the Cascade Range. Mainly lava fields, craters, and butte's. And of course I am going to have to back up and tell you about them. So now you are probably thinking she's completly obsessed with those crazy volcanoes of her's. Well I already know that. People tell me I am obssessed with volcanoes all the time. Nothing that I haven't heard. But the thing is I know the Cascades VERY well and the fact that I missed some bothers me a bit. Okay...I admit it...I am a perfectionist. But hey, its a good learning expereience for everyone including myself. So.....I will start going back to the Cascade Range to do the things I missed very shortly.

Everything seems to be quiet in the Pacific NW. Only a few small quakes at Rainer and St. Helens and several small ones near Tacoma and Yakima. A little too quiet if you ask me. I emailed the CVO last week and asked them what is currently going on up near the South Sister and if the uplift is continuing, slowing, or staying the same. I haven't heard back from them yet so we will see. The only thing in the Pacific NW that is shaking up at the moment is the Blanco Fracture Zone and the Juan de Fuca Ridge both located about 210 miles W of Coos Bay, Oregon. There has been many quakes in the past few months with many of them being M 5.0 and above.

Some of you probably wonder why I am so worked up over earthquakes in the Pacific NW. Well, to answer that I will post my research paper I did last semester on it. Some of what you will see may be very very surprising but its all true. Just look up my references . That is proof that the Pacific NW is one of the most dangerous places to live in the U.S.

RAIN IS THE LEAST OF THEIR PROBLEMS! It�s a gloomy, rainy, Monday morning in downtown Seattle. You are looking at the vast views of the Puget Sound, Mt. Rainer, and the busy commute of traffic from the top of the Seattle Space Needle. An eerie silence settles over the city. As your face is pressed up against the window, looking out at the marvelous views, you feel the window ever so slightly begin to shudder. You step back looking for the little brat that was pounding on the window. But to your horror you notice that the shudder has increased and the windows begin rattling, making a sound you have never heard in your life. Suddenly, the whole floor seems to fall from underneath you as the jolt violently shakes around the historic tower. You hear the sounds of people screaming, glasses breaking, objects falling, and bodies smacking against the wall. You try desperately to grab on to something, but fall hopelessly to the floor. One minute has gone by and the violent shaking continues. You hear the sound of metal and steel cables snapping in half. Finally, after nearly three minutes the earth heaves its last hiccup. But all you can hear now is your heavy breathing, everything and everyone else around you is silent. The once busy city of Seattle now lay in ruins. Most of us that have lived here long enough, would probably consider California to have an earthquake risk. What about the Pacific Northwest, our northerly neighbors? Surely, they couldn�t have an earthquake risk. Not only is the Pacific Northwest far away from California, but also you don�t hear much about earthquakes in that area. That doesn�t mean they cannot happen though. In fact, earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest can be far more intense than they are for us here in California! Why is that? First of all, we are dealing with two different types of plate movement here. The San Andreas Fault in California is a transform boundary where the two plates slide past one another. The Pacific Northwest though is a convergent boundary, where one plate, typically the heavier oceanic plate, subducts underneath the lighter more buoyant continental plate. In the Pacific Northwest, the Juan de Fuca Plate subducts underneath the North American Plate. �The Oregon Earthquake Handbook� states that the area where the subduction occurs is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone The Cascadia Subduction Zone runs along Northern California all the way up into British Colombia (Cope 29). In a subduction zone, the slab that is subducting dips towards the mantle at 45� and extends to a depth of 700km. This area, known as the Benioff Zone is where deep quakes occur because brittle lithosphere is being subducted underneath another plate. Most subduction zones else where in the world such as near the coastlines of South America and Central America are producers of major catastrophic earthquakes (Cope 39). So where is the evidence of earthquakes along the Cascadia Subduction Zone? Around the Pacific from Alaska to Chile, there is a chain of intense earthquake activity. The intense earthquake activity seems to be missing in the Pacific Northwest though. It is likely, that this area is a seismic gap in which fault lines are broken up into segments and each one breaking at different times. A seismic gap will often lack activity because it is simply locked into place. So maybe the reason that the Cascadia Subduction Zone is quiet is because it is stuck (Cope 40). This could defiantly be true. In all other areas around the Pacific where there are subduction zones, you can see heavy evidence of earthquakes. How many times have you heard about earthquakes in Chile, or Central and South America? A lot! What does it mean though if the Cascadia Subduction Zone is stuck? Big trouble that�s what! �Northwest Exposure� mentions that the continental shelf just offshore is rising at a rate of two feet every one hundred years. Areas fifty miles inland though are sinking. The oceanic crust sinking through the offshore trench is jammed against the coastal part of the oceanic crust. This means that the trench is stuck and when it does break loose, which will happen eventually, it may cause a quake of great proportions (Alt, Hyndman 400). You can easily compare this to the Elastic Rebound Theory of earthquakes. The two faults or in this case plates, are locked in place. The pressure builds up under the strain along the locked section and eventually enough energy builds that friction is overcome. The energy released is in the form of seismic waves, in other words, an earthquake. (Continued...)

There have been quite a few fairly good size quakes in the Pacific Northwest. The most recent quake occurred on February 28, 2001 in Olympia, Washington and was a magnitude 6.8. Another significant quake was on April 29, 1965 near Tacoma, Washington and was a 6.5 magnitude. On April 13, 1949, a 7.1 magnitude quake hit Olympia. In December of 1872, approximately a 7.4 magnitude rocked the area near the North Cascades. The largest and most chilling earthquake ever may have occurred on January 26, 1700. In the sediment deposits along the Pacific Northwest there is some layers of sand. In many areas, this layer of sand covers tree stumps that once grew in marshes. The wood was dated and it showed that the layers of sand were deposited approximately 300 years ago. These layers may be evidence of powerful earthquakes that caused huge tsunamis (Alt, Hyndman 399). It is very likely that this earthquake occurred around 1700. There have been legends that tell of this mega quake and how a tsunami washed away several villages in Japan. There is no other evidence that suggests a quake occurred in another region around 1700, making the Cascadia Subduction the likely culprit. We can see that the Pacific Northwest has had in fact, quite a few very powerful quakes, but not even close to the amount as most of the other subduction zones in the Pacific. Most of the quakes in the Pacific Northwest range in depth from about 40km to 70km. One thing to realize though, is the shallower the quake, usually the more destructive it will be. Most of the quakes that occur along the Cascadia Subduction Zone range in depth to about 40 to 70km. How deep is this? Take the Chilean quake of 1960 for example. This quake registered about a 9.5 magnitude, the largest quake in history. The death toll in Chile was about 2,000, but since it generated a tsunami, there were hundreds of more deaths in other countries around the Pacific. The quake though originated at a depth of about 74.5km. If an earthquake of this size and slightly shallower occurred on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the death toll would be enormous and the devastation form the actual quake would be catastrophic. When will the next one hit? Obviously no one knows an exact date, but here is what we do know. �Agents of Chaos� mentions that the Cascadia Subduction Zone produces a great quake about once every 300 years. If the last one occurred in 1700, then it looks like we are now overdue (Harris 78). This is a very serious problem. Some people don�t realize the severity of the risks of earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest. The major city of Seattle has a population now of almost 600,000 people. An earthquake occurring near a major metropolitan city like that of Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, or Portland, would be disastrous. How big will it be? If the whole plate broke at once or if a very large segment broke the earthquake could be up to a 9.0 magnitude. The plate could also just slip a little bit at a time causing several magnitude 8.0 quakes over a two to three year period (Cope 45). Okay, so what is the worse case scenario? The shaking of the quake itself my last up to two or three minutes compared to the half minute of shaking of the Northridge California quake in 1994. There is also the problem with buildings. Since the Pacific Northwest has not had a major quake in so long, building codes are not as strict. There would be many buildings susceptible to severe earthquake damage. If the locked plate breaks free in one single motion its swift drop would cause severe subsidence along the coast, meaning the earth�s surface would sink in. If the quake occurred a hundred miles or so offshore, it may trigger a tsunami that would spread around the Pacific, endangering the lives of many coastal communities. Some areas close to the coast may even liquefy during a big quake. The population of the Pacific Northwest is slowly beginning to increase, especially in the major metropolitan cities. These people need to get prepared as soon as possible because Mother Nature doesn�t wait for anybody. Building codes need to be reinforced and emergency planning needs to occur. It is critically important that people understand that an earthquake can happen at any time without any notice what so ever, so don�t put your planning off for tomorrow, because tomorrow may already be too late. Most deaths caused only by the quake itself happen because people are not prepared, nor are their structures that they reside in. Don�t get me wrong though, a 9.0 magnitude quake is enormous, but the more prepared a person becomes and the more prepared their city in which they live in becomes the more of a chance they have of surviving it.

Here's a list of my references if you are curious to know more about earthquakes in the Pacific NW... Alt, David, and Hyndman, Donald W. Northwest Exposures: A Geological Story of the Northwest. Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1995. Cope, Vern. The Oregon Earthquake Handbook: An Easy-To-Understand Information And Survival Manual. Oregon: Vern Cope, 1993 Harris, Stephen L. Agents of Chaos. Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1990

Drabek, Thomas E., et al. Earthquake Mitigation Policy: The Experience of Two States. Colorado: U of Colorado, 1983 Brumbaygh, David S. Earthquakes: Science and Society. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,1999 McKee, Bates. Cascadia: The Geologic Evolution of the Pacific Northwest. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972

Thanks for such a thorough study and for listing your sources. My son wants to move there. That is unsettling...

Date-Time 2002 09 14 09:06:59 UTC Location 44.17N 129.64W Depth 10.0 kilometers Magnitude 4.4 GO ANGELS GO!! Lol. The Angels are in 2nd place in the western division behing the A's. I can't believe this! This is so cool! The Angels, my home town team, were doing so bad last year now it looks like they may make it to the playoffs and maybe the World Series! WOOOOOHOOOO!!! I am hoping to get tickets to their last game the end of September where they play against the Mariners. GO ANGELS!! Okay well thats baseball news, lol, here is some news about the Pacific Northwest... Region OFF COAST OF OREGON Reference 275 miles (445 km) WNW of Coos Bay, Oregon Another small quake off the coast of Oregon. This area has had a lot in the past 6 months with a lot of them being 5.0 magnitudes and above. This map is pretty cool...http://newport.pmel.noaa.gov/geophysics/images/JdFR_color.gif Gives you a good idea where the fracture zones are and where the Axial Seamount is.

ARGH! Someday I will learn how to space things right! *smacks herself in the head*

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!! I just got done watching the game. THE ANGELS WON AGAIN!! The score was Angels 8 Texas 6. Now the Angels and the A's are both tied for 1st place in the western division!

I haven't posted anything on my topic for a long time, mostly cause there hasn't been a whole lot happening in the Cascades. Until now that is. Firstly, I want to make a note about the South Sister. The uplifting is still continuing. Very slowly of course, but scientists are still keeping a close eye on it. This is a perfect chance for us to see what happens before an eruption. This is quite exciting actually. I hope when I get out to that area next year I will be able to study it too. Now....for a seismology update...not much happening in the Pacific NW, except for a few quakes at Mt. St. Helens and Baker, Oregon. As for me...things are pretty hectic around here. The semester is just about to end for me and so far things are going great..maybe a little too great. I am waiting for the first snow to fall in the local mountains so I can try skiing out again for the first time since my surgery. My family and friends have mixed reactions about that, but I don't really care. I have been skiing since I was 3 and I'm certainly not about to stop now just because I had an unfortunate accident. Besides...my friend Michael said he is not going skiing with me unless I wear a helmet, so no worries.

Quit a few quakes on the Blanca Fracture Zone again. That area seems to become very active about once or twice every 2 months or so. Very Interesting pattern. http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/

I notice nothing much happening anywhere except for the Indonesian arc which is always active. Hi Julie! I miss talking to you!

I feel like my dreams keep getting further and further away from me. This year has been the worst year of my life. Marcia, Rob, and Brenda....you guys were right. You knew I would burn out if I didn't relax and stop stressing, but I didn't listen and I did burn out. I am an emotional wreck right now. Yes...my semester is now over. But it came at a terrible price. I don't even think I did well in ecology this evening. I think I will stay home on my b-day and do nothing. I find out my grade for ecology the very next day. I had a nervous breakdown yesturday and Tuesday. It got really bad. No one could calm me down. My parents are really worried about me. No one understands the way I feel about things. I wonder if I will even get to transfer up north next year.

Oh Julie! *BIG HUGS* This year has been the agony and ecstasy for me, too. I have some more agony to deal with before I can get back the ecstasy. So does Geo's archaeologist. Supportive hugs all around. I'll be online if you need to vent to someone or to get some "older and wiser" advice.

I noticed a few quakes at Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainer, but everything else is relatively quiet which is good. CA on the other hand has been hit by quite a lot of small quakes. The city of Big Bear which is about 60 miles or so from me has had thousands of aftershocks after a fairly sharp 5.4M. I must of been dead tired cause I sure didn't feel it but almost everyone else I know did. I am still waiting for that day when I get to leave CA for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Looks like that won't be happening till at least 2004. It doesn't look like I will be able to go back there this summer either which I seem to have done for 8 years in a row now. Oh well.

Oh No!!! A whole year away? There must be a good reason for it, but we never seem to know until it is all over and we can look back. I am still wondering why I am stuck in Hilo useless and with a whole house to empty. I am overwhelmed.

I noted the quakes off the coast of Oregon have quieted down. Quite a number of 4+ magnitude quakes were happening a few weeks ago! I wonder what was happening.

Its moments like this one when I know I really belong in the Pacific NW. Either that or a mental institution. LOL! That huge storm that was in San Fran and Sacamento hit us really hard starting very early this morning. I love the rain and I am sure some of you might too. But I did something really crazy, knowing me to no surprise. I am into way too many sports and I don't like a day when I am just sitting around...rain or no rain. So....I put on my bathing suit, some goggles, and a helmet and rode my bike out into the rain. It was absoultly halarious to everyone driving on MacArther Blvd. Some people were shaking their heads, some people honked at me. They thought I was crazy but I didn't think so. I had great fun riding thru knee deep puddles and sloshing thru the thick mud in the flooded fields at the park. All the while the rain was coming down so hard that I didn't have to worry about becoming thirsty after all that excersise. I had plenty to drink. LOL! It was great fun.

Although there is one disadvantage to riding your bike in the rain. You lose control easier which is what I did and flew right into a bush and a huge mud puddle. More great fun! Yes... I know I am crazy so no need to mention that, LOL!

Julie, I have done the same thing in several hurricanes off the coast of Delaware. I love rain. I know I belong in Kentucky and Tennessee. What is really funny is at the slightest drizzle they all pop the umbrellas. They don't know what real rain is!

Earthquake swarm in Three Sisters (Oregon, USA) area of uplift Source: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Sisters/WestUplift/information_statement_24m arch2004.html (be sure to paste entire URL in browser) Three Sisters Earthquake Swarm Information Statement Update -- March 24, 2004 At approximately 10 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday, March 23), an ongoing swarm of small earthquakes began in the Three Sisters volcanic center in the central Oregon Cascade Range. This activity poses no immediate threat to the public. As of this morning, the regional seismic network has detected approximately 100 earthquakes ranging in magnitude up to about 1.5. The rate of earthquakes peaked late yesterday and appears to be declining slowly. The earthquakes are occurring in the northeast part of an area centered 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of South Sister volcano in which the ground has been uplifted by as much as 25 cm (about 10 inches) since late 1997. On the basis of multiple lines of evidence, scientists infer that the cause of the uplift is the continuing intrusion of a modest volume of magma (molten rock). The magma appears to be accumulating at a depth of about 7 kilometers (4 miles) below the ground surface and now measures about 40 million cubic meters (about 50 million cubic yards) in volume. The processes that have been causing the uplift over the past seven years could eventually lead to shallower intrusion of magma or even to a volcanic eruption; however, both are unlikely without significantly more intense precursory activity. Scientists continue to monitor the situation closely and to evaluate data from field instruments. Today scientists are deploying another seismometer in order to locate earthquakes more precisely. With the assistance of the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests, additional fieldwork over the next week will fix problems with some field instruments that resulted from the heavy winter snow-pack and will assess sites for new instruments. Additional information, including maps and a volcanic-hazards assessment, may be found on the Internet at Web at URL: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Sisters/framework.html and http://www.pnsn.org/SISTERS/welcome.html. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CASCADES VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Julie, what is happening? Do you have any newer information?

Hi Everyone!! Wow...I almost feel ashamed that its been almost a year since I posted. I'm very sorry about that. I should have kept you all updated when Mt. St. Helens erupted again back in September and all through the rest of the year. Well I will post when I can. So busy with school right now though.

good to see you again julie!!

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/ The Cascades volcano observatory.

And second that on Julie, I'm glad the Cascade climber is climbing back in to our little place here.

...

Climb, Julie, climb.

Hey all! I finished my Geology 198 class 2 weeks ago. It was entirely on volcanoes! I got the highest score on my exam and the highest grade. Hehehe...sorry can't help but brag a bit. I was in compeition with this other guy in my place. He was like me, a volcano-know-it-all. We drove each other nuts! Especially during the lecture on where volcanoes are found. We were the only ones naming them off. It was funny. I'm taking 3 other geology field study classes in the next 2 months. One is on the Mojave Desert, the Anzo Borrego Desert, and the Transverse Range. All are overnight weekend camping trips. Yippie!! I'm excited about that. Because of all the rain we have had here, I bet the desert wildflowers will be beautiful. Well, I got to get back to preparing my speech on the disaster flick Twister. Talk to you all soon.

Hey all! I finished my Geology 198 class 2 weeks ago. It was entirely on volcanoes! I got the highest score on my exam and the highest grade. Hehehe...sorry can't help but brag a bit. I was in compeition with this other guy in my place. He was like me, a volcano-know-it-all. We drove each other nuts! Especially during the lecture on where volcanoes are found. We were the only ones naming them off. It was funny. I'm taking 3 other geology field study classes in the next 2 months. One is on the Mojave Desert, the Anzo Borrego Desert, and the Transverse Range. All are overnight weekend camping trips. Yippie!! I'm excited about that. Because of all the rain we have had here, I bet the desert wildflowers will be beautiful. Well, I got to get back to preparing my speech on the disaster flick Twister. Talk to you all soon.

I've heard Death Valley is incredible with wildflowers. Way to go on the high grade! Now, can you name off those volcanoes? You have 5 seconds.

wow Julie! way to go!!!

hi, just got in here. Looks like a nice place to visit. Havent read much into any of the topics, but I did notice you mentioned mt. st. helens. There's a very cool webcam set up, there, if no one had discovered this yet, it lets you watch. heh. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/ it only operated by available light, and on pacific time,so there are going to be huge chunks of noisy screen...but its a neat up close view of a growing mountain. untain.

(double post deleted)

I may have posted twice, my browser is giving me fits over this site, and it never shows me when I've posted. is it possible to delete one of a double post?

Welcome mittens! Glad you're taking part. That's a cool webcam alright.

I can delete one of these for you, mittens.

You're right, now it's dark on Mt. Stl Helens.

Many facilities and trails closed last fall by volcanic activity -- including the Johnston Ridge Observatory five and one-half miles from the volcano's crater � will re-open for the season, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument officials announced today. (March 21, 2005) from Current Conditions: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/special.shtml

Aloha Mittens! How nice to have a new person who gets excited by volcanoes erupting ! I've never known I have posted twice until it shows up. I really do need to get out my HTML programming book and relearn the scribble command again.

You never got it going with ssh did you Marci?

not yet. (what is an ssh? I forget... ) actually if it does not deal with taxes or my being sued, it takes a back seat until the end of April, alas.

ssh is what http://vandyke.com downloads, it's called SecureCRT. When the web is slow, it's fast.

what is ssh (what does it stand for)? hi julie!!

Secure Shell.

Oh yes, THAT CRT. I will get with you, I promise via email at the very least, as soon as I am out of the legal mess and can concentrate a bit better *;)

marcia, are you off the mainland right now?

I leave on Tuesday morning (the 26th) for the Islands.

please be careful and Godspeed!

I am back. LIghter in the bank account but mostly justice was served and we got to have dinner with John Burnett, my broadcast buddy. He is working on a book with Walt Dudley (of tsumnami book fame) which will be the history of the Hilo area. I am looking forward to reading it ! Thanks, everyone for your good thoughts. I needed them.

Hey all, Wow, I don't know if any of you remember me. My last post on here was over 2 years ago. My compter crashed about 2 years ago and I lost everything, including my bookmarks. I tried to find this site again, but failed. I also was was not able to contact the my adopted big sister, Marcia, so I couldn't get the website that way either. Marcia and I finally were in contact again 3 days ago! So here I am. So much has happened since then. I'll share with you all later.

Welcome back!

I remember you, Julie, the Cascade Climber. Hello, again!

I'll nudge Julie back here from time to time as she works on her college degree. I'm delighted to see her again!

Of course I remember you, Julie. Wow, sisters!

Julie! VANCOUVER, WA- Scientists say the nearly three and a half years of eruption at Mount St. Helens is over for now and have lowered the volcano alert level from Advisory to Normal and the aviation color code from Yellow to Green. Mount St. Helens, which erupted violently in 1980, killing 57 people, reawakened in October 2004 when four explosions blasted steam and ash up to 10,000 feet above the crater. Scientists watched a spine of fresh hot lava pierce up through the bulging crater floor and growth of a lava dome continued until late January 2008. "Five months have passed with no signs of renewed eruptive activity," said scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO). "Earthquakes, volcanic gas emissions, and ground deformation are all at levels seen before the eruption began." "We know that Mount St. Helens will erupt again in the future in some mix of renewed dome building and more explosive behavior. However, at this point, we can't forecast when the next eruption will begin," said Cynthia Gardner, Scientist-in-Charge at CVO. "USGS and the University of Washington's Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will continue to monitor Mount St. Helens closely for signs of renewed activity. Scientists expect that days to weeks of warning will herald the next time Mount St. Helens �wakes up' for another eruption." USGS designates the level of activity at a U.S. volcano using the terms "Normal," for typical non-eruptive behavior; "Advisory," for elevated unrest; "Watch," for escalating unrest or a minor eruption underway that poses limited hazards; and, "Warning," if a highly hazardous eruption is underway or imminent. These levels reflect conditions at a volcano and the expected or ongoing hazardous volcanic phenomena. From October 2004 to late January 2008, about 125 million cubic yards of lava had erupted onto the crater floor to form a new dome-enough to pave seven highway lanes three feet thick from New York City to Portland, Oregon. A comparable volume had flowed out to form the 1980s lava dome. All lava erupted since 1980 has refilled about 7% of the crater, which was created by the catastrophic landslide and eruption of May 18, 1980. Even though the eruption has ended, some hazards persist. The new lava dome remains hot in places and capable of producing avalanches or minor explosions that could dust areas with ash up to 50 miles from the volcano. Rock fall from crater walls can produce clouds of dust that rise above the crater rim, especially during dry, windy days. Also, heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt can send small debris flows onto the Pumice Plain north of the crater. A weekly update of the status of all Cascade volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens, can be seen at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/cvo/current_updates.php. For more information about the 2004-2008 eruption, visit http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Eruption04/framework.html. Alert level and aviation color code definitions can be found at http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/CurrentActivity/volcano_warning_scheme.html . Additional information about volcanoes and volcano hazards is at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/.

So my last post was almost 2 years ago. I don't even know if any of you are still on here. Haven't heard from Marcia in a while. Is she still on here? I'm in grad school now. I'm doing summer field camp in the Cascades this summer. Perhaps I will start posting again on my adventures.

Great, love to hear about your adventures.