lava and ash during continued eruption / Shutterstock
They may not present a severe threat to residents of Metro Vancouver, but some of the volcanoes in B.C. are still considered active.
Located on the ring of fire, much of the province was shaped by the eruption of volcanoes over the course of 29 million years. In fact, Vancouver is located on the Cascade Range, which is a 1,300 kilometre string of volcanoes extending from California. What's more, some of the places people enjoy hiking through most are actually on or around active volcanoes.
Mount Garibaldi
Located just 80 kilometres from downtown Vancouver, Mount Garibaldi is considered a "potentially active," but dormant volcano. It hasn't erupted in 10,000 years, but oddly that isn't too long in "Volcano years." Also, the entire area was completely formed by volcanic activity.
In fact, prior to the activity, the Sea to Sky would have been unrecognizable. At points throughout that period, the valley floor was covered by nearly two kilometres of glacial ice, while several of those peaks belonged to active volcanoes, regularly erupting with steady streams of lava.
Known for its vibrant turquoise hue, the glacier-fed Garibaldi lake looks positively mesmerizing as it shimmers under the sun. It is located in the mountains, and therefore offers scenic views of the alpine summits.
Mount Meager
It wasn't originally thought to be a threat, but scientists worry that global warming may increase the likelihood that Squamish's Mount Meager may erupt. On a recent expedition to study the area's mountain goat population, scientists discovered that there were three holes in the glacier below that were spewing gas. With temperatures warming, the glaciers are melting.
What's more, the situation report released after the study found that the fumarole melt caves are 30-by-30-by-30 metres, and “likely represent a fumarole field — an area of hot springs and gas vents — beneath the ice.” And while it is considered an "active-dormant" volcano, it still presents a threat - particularly of a landslide.
Volcanologists want to make one thing clear: they’re not worried about Meager exploding the way, say, the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park did earlier this year.
With that being said, retreating glaciers are contributing to the possibility that it could happen.
Mount Baker
While Mount Baker is located in Washington State, the volcano is still visible from Vancouver. What's more, it presents one of the greatest threats to people. CBC News points out that the mountain's snowcapped peaks are a recipe for disaster should it erupt. For one, the thick layer of ice and snow would rapidly melt, and therefore incite large mudflows and swiftly flowing rivers into the surrounding region.
Mount St.Helens
While it isn't as close to Vancouver, the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, had devastating effects. Besides killing over 50 people, destroying forests, structures, and more, the effects from this eruption were felt in B.C. Similar to fine particulate matter from wildfires, the debris from the volcanic ash made its way to the province. Furthermore, it ranked second on a comprehensive list of 161 volcanoes and it is considered the most likely volcano in Washington to erupt.
With flies from Pique News Magazine.
