What lies under recently active Cascades volcanoes?

Leif Karlstrom

University of Oregon

Watch the recorded presentation

Although the skyline and highest topography in the Cascades volcanic arc is dominated by a dozen or so large stratovolcanoes, a vast number of smaller volcanoes (roughly 3000) have erupted in the geologically recent past and might be considered the 'dominant' expression of volcanism. An outsized proportion of these small volcanoes occur in the central Oregon Cascades. I'll talk about my work on a few outstanding questions in the field of volcanology, applied to the Cascades: What controls where volcanic eruptions happen? Why are there so many small volcanoes and so few large ones? Are there subsurface indicators that help us to understand which have been most active in the past, or might become active in the future?

Geology paper: Time-evolving surface and subsurface signatures of Quaternary volcanism in the Cascades arc

The Bulletin article: Study finds volcanoes more prevalent in Cascades