VANCOUVER, Wash. (KTVZ) — “Increased charges of seismicity” are doubtless on the Newberry volcano south of Bend as a non-public exploration firm conducts geothermal work in coming weeks, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
“The challenge shouldn’t be anticipated to lead to adjustments to Newberry’s standing or volcano hazard,” USGS mentioned in Wednesday’s replace on earthquake monitoring exercise on the geothermal website, the place Mazama Energy’s renewed exploration challenge was introduced earlier this yr.
Here’s the remainder of Wednesday’s USGS announcement of its earthquake monitoring plans:
Beginning on Sunday, Dec. 22 and persevering with off-and-on for a number of weeks to months, a non-public exploration firm known as Mazama Energy will conduct geothermal exploration work close to Newberry volcano.
As their geothermal work proceeds, many small magnitude, non-volcanic earthquakes will happen, which might be detected by the Newberry seismic community. During geothermal exploration actions at Newberry in 2012 and 2014, for instance, lots of of small earthquakes of magnitude M2.5 or much less occurred whereas an organization carried out its work.
Increased charges of seismicity might be intently monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory and its monitoring accomplice the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The challenge shouldn’t be anticipated to lead to any adjustments to Newberry’s state of exercise or potential volcanic hazards.
Newberry seismic community
Seismic monitoring at Newberry started in 2012 after CVO scientists put in an 8-station community of seismic and GPS sensors. Since that point, scientists have positioned a median of 15 earthquakes at Newberry annually.
CVO and PNSN monitoring networks are working usually and seismologists will be capable to differentiate volcanic earthquakes from these attributable to geothermal exploration exercise.
Overview of Newberry’s eruptive historical past
Newberry volcano is a broad shield-shaped, composite volcano in central Oregon protecting an space the dimensions of Rhode Island. The central caldera is positioned roughly 25 miles (40 km) south of Bend, Oregon. Notable options embrace Paulina Lake, East Lake, Big Obsidian Flow, and the volcano’s highest level, Paulina Peak, 7,986 ft (2,434 m) in elevation on the south caldera rim.
Throughout its 500,000-year eruptive historical past, Newberry has produced ash and tephra, pyroclastic flows, and lava flows that vary in composition from basalt to rhyolite. Newberry final erupted about 1,300 years in the past (the Big Obsidian Flow), and present-day scorching springs, background ranges of seismicity, and geologically younger lava flows point out that it’s nonetheless an lively volcano.
People can signal as much as obtain electronic mail notifications about exercise at Cascade Range volcanoes by the Volcano Notification Service.
