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New volcanoes could emerge anywhere in southwestern United States, study finds

 


Dead volcanoes, seen across the southwestern United States, are evidence of volcanic fields that could wipe out infrastructure and disrupt air travel if new volcanoes erupt, according to a new study. And researchers say it could happen at any time.

Over the past 2.58 million years, known as the Quaternary geological period, some 1,800 volcanoes have carved out the region straddling Arizona, parts of California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. If we include the Pinacate volcanic field in the Mexican state of Sonora, the number rises to over 2,200. Some appeared as little as 1,000 years ago.

These volcanoes are known as monogenetic, which means “one life”.

“A monogenetic volcano will erupt once, and that eruption can last from days to decades, but after that the volcano is virtually dead,” said Greg Valentine, vulcanologist and co-author of the study.

The southwestern United States is riddled with dead volcanoes, like the Marcath volcano in Nevada, known as monogentic because they only erupted once. Researchers say new volcanoes could emerge from the vast volcanic fields at any time. Greg Valentine / Zenger

He pointed out that more attention is rightly being paid to Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, as they are home to enormous stratovolcanoes such as Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, which can erupt several times.

Monogenetic volcanoes have been studied primarily for what they reveal about Earth well below the surface, according to Valentine, although the scientific community is increasingly interested in the dangers they pose.

“Most people are surprised to know that there are so many young volcanoes in the southwest,” he said.

The article published by Valentine and colleagues in the journal Geoscience notes that although the volcanoes examined no longer pose a threat, they may reveal the potential for further eruptions.

“Monogenetic volcanoes tend to occur in areas we call volcanic fields, and the American Southwest is just dotted with them,” Valentine said, adding that no one knows when or where future eruptions will occur.

He cited Flagstaff, Arizona, as an example, which sits in a volcanic field where volcanoes have already erupted. Albuquerque, New Mexico, also has young volcanoes nearby.

Monogenetic volcanoes eclipse Lunar Lake in Nevada. The uncertainty as to where and when new rashes might appear is caused by a lack of adequate information. Researchers are working to collect more data to address this problem. Greg Valentine / Zenger

“Two of the most recent eruptions in the southwest occurred near Flagstaff about 1,000 years ago, one just outside of town and the other on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon,” said co-author and geologist Michael Ort. Modern agricultural and social practices would have to be altered to cope with the new eruptions, similar to the adjustments made by Native Americans of the time, he said.

Most of the southwestern volcanoes are remote from metropolitan areas, but eruptions could have far-reaching effects, such as ash plumes that disrupt air traffic or power grids. Ort highlighted an eruption that occurred a few thousand years ago near Grants, New Mexico, in an area parallel to modern Interstate 40 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

“A similar eruption today would wipe out one of the country’s most important east-west transportation routes. Several volcanic fields lie along these routes, from the Mojave Desert in California to eastern New Mexico, including the one around Flagstaff, ”he said. .

The probability of another eruption in the study area over the next 100 years is around 8%, said Valentine. However, this figure does not tell the whole story. The study did not take into account the volcanoes currently underground, nor the fact that a single eruption can result in multiple vents spewing magma and causing destruction similar to the recent devastation of the Canary Islands in Spain.

The monogenetic Dotsero volcano in Colorado erupted about 4,000 years ago. Researchers say a new volcano could appear anywhere in the region at any time. Greg Valentine / Zenger

“When you look at the region from a volcanic hazard perspective, we really have very little information,” said Valentine. “Most volcanoes have not been dated, so we don’t know their age, except that they probably formed during the Quaternary Period. Very few have been studied in detail.”

The study indicated that the frequency of eruptions in the region may resemble that of some volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest. Valentine and Ort both believe that a new volcano could emerge anywhere in the southwest at any time.

Researchers said it was difficult to prioritize to assess potential breakouts due to lack of information. “If you are surveying volcanic fields in the southwest, where do you put the instruments? Being able to better answer questions like these is where we’re headed,” Valentine said.

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.

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