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What is the greatest hazard of Mt Baker?
Lahars are the greatest hazard at Mount Baker. Bottom photo shows the flow front of a slurry of rock and water, typical of lahars. The flow is about 10 feet deep, moving right to left at 20 miles per hour.
Is Mount Baker a hazard for Canada?
Explosive eruptions of Mount Baker that generate volcanic ash have been less frequent than at other Cascade volcanoes, but they still pose a potential hazard. A large explosive eruption is unlikely. There is a much higher chance of ash falling in the eastern Fraser Valley.
What will happen if Mount Baker erupts?
During an eruption at Mount Baker, you can expect: Lahars caused (volcanic mud flows caused by melting of snow and ice) can flow for tens of miles down valleys. Ash fall, even during small eruptions, can disrupt air and ground transportation and dust our forests, farms, and towns with gritty rock fragments.
Is Mount Baker going to erupt?
Mount Baker is presently not showing signs of renewed magmatic activity, but it will surely become restless again. Future magmatic eruptions at Mount Baker are likely to be preceded by changes at the volcano that could be detected by modern volcano-monitoring techniques.
What hazards are specific to Mt Baker?
Mount Baker
- Lava Flows.
- Ash/Tephra Fall.
- Pyroclastic Flows.
- Lahars.
- Debris Avalanche.
Why did Mount Baker erupt?
The largest eruption in the history of the Mount Baker volcanic field occurred approximately 1.15 Ma when ice covered much of the region around Mt. Baker. More than 50 km3 of rhyodacite magma exploded from a shallow magma storage region and filled the caldera and surrounding valleys with ignimbrite.
Why is Mt Baker a hazard?
The main hazard from Mt Baker are lahars, caused by melting of glacial ice covering the upper slopes. Baker is drained in the north by North Fork Nooksack River, in the west by Middle Fork Nooksack River, and east by Baker River. These valley are at risk of such lahars in case of a new eruption.
How many times has Mt Baker erupted?
Mt. Baker has erupted 13 times in recorded history. Its last eruption was in 1880.
What is Mt Baker known for?
Mount Baker has the second-most thermally active crater in the Cascade Range after Mount St. Helens. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, Mount Baker Ski Area, located 9 mi (14.5 km) to the northeast, set the world record for recorded snowfall in a single season—1,140 in (29 m; 95 ft). Mt.
Why is Mount Baker a hazard for Canada?
Mount Baker also has the potential for landslides, debris flows, and lahars (volcanic mudflows and debris flows) because it possesses steep terrain, fractures, and a groundwater system, and is built of rock weakened by hot water and steam. What has happened at Mount Baker in the past?
How long has it been since Mount Baker erupted?
Most of the Mount Baker we see today formed 10,000-40,000 years ago. Rocks from the last 14,000 years show that Mount Baker hasn’t had many large explosive eruptions like those of Mount St. Helens, nor has it erupted as frequently. Only four periods of magmatic activity (eruptions of fresh lava and not just steam) have occurred.
What kind of events occur at Mount Baker?
The most frequent and destructive events at Mount Baker have been debris avalanches, debris flows, and lahars: A debris avalanche is a type of landslide that moves at very high speed and can occur with or without a volcanic eruption.
Where did the ash from Mount Baker come from?
Volcanic ash (tephra) layers on Mount Baker’s south flank. Lower white band is from an eruption of Crater Lake, Oregon (7,700 years ago); upper yellow band is from a hydrovolcanic eruption of Mount Baker (6,600 years ago).