If you live or work in Portland, you are probably aware that Mount Hood isn’t that far away. What you might be less aware of is that Mount Hood is an active volcano and could, potentially, reawaken and erupt, just like Mount St. Helens did 36 years ago.
It’s not even that unlikely.
“Eruptions don’t erupt with set regularity, and as such, Mount Hood is not ‘overdue,'” Carolyn L. Driedger, spokesperson for United States Geological Survey-Cascades Volcano Observatory told us over email. “But, counting the rocky layers from each eruption there and at the other volcanoes of the Cascade Range, we can say that on average, there are two eruptions per century (Washington, Oregon, Northern California).”
“It is statistically probable that during your lifetime, you will see another eruption in the Cascades,” she added.
So, what would it look like if that happened?
YouTuber Juggle has created a video simulation that, according to the USGS-Cascades Volcano Observatory isn’t too terribly far off.
The video shows traffic and Mount Hood in the distance on a sunny day. Then a plume of smoke rises out the top. As the smoke rises into the sky, a boom rocks through the city.
According to Driedger, “The view from Portland of a real eruptive episode could closely resemble this simulation.”
“Additionally,” Driedger told us over email on Tuesday, “we’d soon be observing black streaks of lahars (volcanic mudflows) as they course down river valleys towards the Columbia River.”
While a volcanic eruption over Portland isn’t totally out of the question, it also wouldn’t be random. “These events would not happen just anytime out of the blue,” Driedger said, “but would be preceded by days to weeks or more of earthquakes, volcano deformation, and changes in gas flux.”
And don’t worry, the USGS is monitoring the situation closely. In May 2016, scientists reported more than five dozen earthquakes around Mount Hood over a 24-hour period, which they determined weren’t cause for alarm.
If you do want to just stay abreast of the volcanic activity situation, the USGS publishes updates every Friday online, and on Facebook. But seriously, if the mountain’s about to explode, you’ll probably be hearing about it.
You can watch the video simulation here:
— Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052
lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
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