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Ah yes, those gorgeous
Northwest skylines punctuated with soaring snow-capped peaks! Have you ever thought about why the region is blessed with such
beauty? Because underneath many of those beautiful, jagged, snowy mountains
are… volcanoes!
If you are standing in the Pacific Northwest, you are standing on the results of the Juan de Fuca oceanic plate grinding its way down under the North American continental plate. Although the two plates meet 50-70 miles offshore, about 100 miles inland hot materials rise from the Juan de Fuca "subducted" plate to the surface. There they build (note the present tense!) the volcanoes of the Cascade Range, which march north-south from Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia to Lassen Peak in California. For a nice visual summary showing how the northwest US states seem to have more than their fair share of "volcanic hazards", have a look at this map by the USGS. Note where the Cascade Mountains and Yellowstone Park are in relation to the purple color theme. Montana is the only one of our Go Northwest! states which is "volcano-free", although it is within range of the potential effects of Cascade volcano eruptions. Cascade Peaks Cascades
Volcano Observatory Columbia Crest
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A
Guide to Washington's South Cascades' Volcanic Landscapes
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