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Active volcanoes dominate the skyline in many parts of
the Pacific Northwest. These familiar snow-clad peaks are
part of a 1,000 mile-long chain of volcanoes, the
Cascade Range, which extends from northern California to
southern British Columbia. Many of these volcanoes have
erupted in the recent past and will erupt again in the
foreseeable future. The time between eruptions is
usually measured in decades or centuries, so eruptions
are not a part of our everyday experience. However, in
1980 Mount St. Helens vividly demonstrated the power
that Cascade volcanoes can unleash when they do erupt.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for
assessing volcano hazards, monitoring the activity of
U.S. volcanoes, and issuing warnings of impending
eruptions. To help prevent loss of life and property
from the next eruption in the Cascades, scientists at
the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) in
Vancouver, Washington, are working to determine the type
and extent of hazards posed by the Cascade volcanoes.
-- USGS Open-File Report 94-585
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