Devils Kitchen in the Lassen Volcanic Region (within the bounds of the Lassen Volcanic National Park) is the second largest of Lassen's hydrothermal areas, after Bumpass Hell. Located in the Warner Valley in the southeast corner of the Park, Devils Kitchen contains boiling springs, mudpots, hot streams, and steam vents. USGS photo courtesy of Deb Bergfeld
When did Lassen Peak last erupt?
The most recent eruptive activity at Lassen Peak (California) took place in 1914-1917. This eruptive episode began on May 30, 1914, when a small phreatic eruption occurred at a new vent near the summit of the peak. More than 150 explosions of various sizes occurred during the following year.
By mid-May 1915, the eruption changed in character; lava appeared in the summit crater and subsequently flowed about 100 meters over the west and (probably) east crater walls. Disruption of the sticky lava on the upper east side of Lassen Peak on May 19 resulted in an avalanche of hot rock onto a snowfield. This generated a lahar that travelled more than 18 kilometers down Lost Creek.
On May 22, an explosive eruption produced a pyroclastic flow that devastated an area as far as 6 kilometers northeast of the summit. The eruption also generated lahars that flowed more than 20 kilometers down Lost Creek and floods that went down Hat Creek. A vertical eruption column from the pyroclastic eruption rose to an altitude of more than 9 kilometers above the vent and deposited a lobe of tephra that can be traced as far as 30 kilometers to the east-northeast. The fall of fine ash was reported as far away as Elko, Nevada - more than 500 kilometers east of Lassen Peak. Intermittent eruptions of variable intensity continued until about the middle of 1917.
Learn more:
Related
How often does Mount Shasta erupt?
USGS scientists are currently working on this question. Mount Shasta doesn’t erupt on a regular timescale. Research indicates that the volcano erupts episodically with ten or more eruptions occurring in short (500-2,000 year) time periods separated by long intervals (3,000-5,000 years) with few or no eruptions. Evidence suggests that magma most recently erupted at the surface about 3,200 years ago...
How many eruptions have there been in the Cascades during the last 4,000 years?
Eruptions in the Cascades have occurred at an average rate of one to two per century during the last 4,000 years. Future eruptions are certain. Learn more: Eruptions in the Cascade Range During the Past 4,000 Years USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Can earthquakes trigger volcanic eruptions?
Sometimes, yes. A few large regional earthquakes (greater than magnitude 6) are considered to be related to a subsequent eruption or to some type of unrest at a nearby volcano. However, volcanoes can only be triggered into eruption by nearby tectonic earthquakes if they are already poised to erupt . This requires two conditions to be met: Enough "eruptible" magma within the volcanic system...
How are volcanic gases measured?
Instruments to measure sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide can be mounted in aircraft to determine the quantity of gas being emitted on a daily basis. Such instruments can also be used in a ground-based mode. An instrument that detects carbon dioxide can be installed on a volcano and configured to send data continuously via radio to an observatory. Sulfur dioxide in volcanic clouds can also be...
How can we tell when a volcano will erupt?
Most volcanoes provide warnings before an eruption. Magmatic eruptions involve the rise of magma toward the surface, which normally generates detectable earthquakes. It can also deform the ground surface and cause anomalous heat flow or changes in the temperature and chemistry of the groundwater and spring waters. Steam-blast eruptions, however, can occur with little or no warning as superheated...
Is it dangerous to work on volcanoes? What precautions do scientists take?
Volcanoes are inherently beautiful places where forces of nature combine to produce awesome events and spectacular landscapes. For volcanologists, they're FUN to work on! Safety is, however, always the primary concern because volcanoes can be dangerous places. USGS scientists try hard to understand the risk inherent in any situation, then train and equip themselves with the tools and support...
Why is it important to monitor volcanoes?
There are 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. According to a 2018 USGS assessment , 57 volcanoes are a high threat or very high threat to public safety. Many of these volcanoes have erupted in the recent past and will erupt again in the foreseeable future. As populations increase, areas near volcanoes are being developed and aviation routes are increasing. As a result, more...
Can lakes near volcanoes become acidic enough to be dangerous to people and animals?
Yes. Crater lakes atop volcanoes are typically the most acid, with pH values as low as 0.1 (very strong acid). Normal lake waters, in contrast, have relatively neutral pH values near 7.0. The crater lake at El Chichon volcano in Mexico had a pH of 0.5 in 1983 and Mount Pinatubo's crater lake had a pH of 1.9 in 1992. The acid waters of these lakes are capable of causing burns to human skin but are...
Can volcanic eruptions endanger helicopters and other aircraft?
Yes. Encounters between aircraft and clouds of volcanic ash are a serious concern. Jet engines and other aircraft components are vulnerable to damage by fine, abrasive volcanic ash, which can drift in dangerous concentrations hundreds of miles downwind from an erupting volcano. In the past, many aircraft have accidentally encountered volcanic ash clouds, and in some cases jet engines have...
How dangerous are pyroclastic flows?
A pyroclastic flow is a hot (typically >800 °C, or >1,500 °F ), chaotic mixture of rock fragments, gas, and ash that travels rapidly (tens of meters per second) away from a volcanic vent or collapsing flow front. Pyroclastic flows can be extremely destructive and deadly because of their high temperature and mobility. For example, during the 1902 eruption of Mont Pelee in Martinique (West Indies)...
What kind of school training do you need to become a volcanologist?
There are many paths to becoming a volcanologist. Most include a college or graduate school education in a scientific or technical field, but the range of specialties is very large. Training in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, biology, biochemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, atmospheric science, remote sensing, and related fields can be applied to the study of volcanoes and the...
What is the "Ring of Fire"?
Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire , where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates. The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. Learn more: USGS Volcano Hazards Program
Devil's Kitchen hydrothermal area in the Lassen Volcanic Center
Devils Kitchen in the Lassen Volcanic Region (within the bounds of the Lassen Volcanic National Park) is the second largest of Lassen's hydrothermal areas, after Bumpass Hell. Located in the Warner Valley in the southeast corner of the Park, Devils Kitchen contains boiling springs, mudpots, hot streams, and steam vents. USGS photo courtesy of Deb Bergfeld
July Public Lecture — USGS CalVO: It's not just earthquake country!
Volcanic eruptions occur int he State about as frequently as the large San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes. California's "watch list" volcanoes are dispersed throughout the State and future eruptions are inevitable—the likelihood of renewed volcanism is on the order of one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually.
Volcanic eruptions occur int he State about as frequently as the large San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes. California's "watch list" volcanoes are dispersed throughout the State and future eruptions are inevitable—the likelihood of renewed volcanism is on the order of one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually.
Collecting Gas Sample at a Fumarole
USGS geologist Deborah Bergfeld collects a gas sample from a superheated (hotter than the boiling point) fumarole in Little Hot Springs Valley at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
USGS geologist Deborah Bergfeld collects a gas sample from a superheated (hotter than the boiling point) fumarole in Little Hot Springs Valley at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
PubTalk 04/2015—"Fearfully Grand" Eruptions: Lassen Peak, CA, 1914-17
Title: A Sight "Fearfully Grand" Eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to1917
- A summary of the eruptions and their effects
- Illustrated with historical photographs
Title: A Sight "Fearfully Grand" Eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to1917
- A summary of the eruptions and their effects
- Illustrated with historical photographs
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano...
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano, Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano, Lassen Volcanic National Park.
PubTalk 1/2012 — Lassen Volcanic National Park
--a wonderland of volcanoes and thermal features
By Patrick Muffler, Geologist Emeritus
--a wonderland of volcanoes and thermal features
By Patrick Muffler, Geologist Emeritus
Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Cinder Cone erupted in the year 1666 in the Lassen Volcanic Region of northern California.
Cinder Cone erupted in the year 1666 in the Lassen Volcanic Region of northern California.
Sampling a Fumarole
USGS geochemist Cathy Janik (left) and Iceland Geosurvey chemist Jón Örn Bjarnason (right) collect a gas sample from a fumarole in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
USGS geochemist Cathy Janik (left) and Iceland Geosurvey chemist Jón Örn Bjarnason (right) collect a gas sample from a fumarole in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Lava and mudflows from Lassen Peak, May 22, 1915
Benjamin F. Loomis Historical Photograph Collection: Lassen Peak showing new lava flow on summit and large mudflows on slopes. Photo courtesy of NPS.
Benjamin F. Loomis Historical Photograph Collection: Lassen Peak showing new lava flow on summit and large mudflows on slopes. Photo courtesy of NPS.
Related
How often does Mount Shasta erupt?
USGS scientists are currently working on this question. Mount Shasta doesn’t erupt on a regular timescale. Research indicates that the volcano erupts episodically with ten or more eruptions occurring in short (500-2,000 year) time periods separated by long intervals (3,000-5,000 years) with few or no eruptions. Evidence suggests that magma most recently erupted at the surface about 3,200 years ago...
How many eruptions have there been in the Cascades during the last 4,000 years?
Eruptions in the Cascades have occurred at an average rate of one to two per century during the last 4,000 years. Future eruptions are certain. Learn more: Eruptions in the Cascade Range During the Past 4,000 Years USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Can earthquakes trigger volcanic eruptions?
Sometimes, yes. A few large regional earthquakes (greater than magnitude 6) are considered to be related to a subsequent eruption or to some type of unrest at a nearby volcano. However, volcanoes can only be triggered into eruption by nearby tectonic earthquakes if they are already poised to erupt . This requires two conditions to be met: Enough "eruptible" magma within the volcanic system...
How are volcanic gases measured?
Instruments to measure sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide can be mounted in aircraft to determine the quantity of gas being emitted on a daily basis. Such instruments can also be used in a ground-based mode. An instrument that detects carbon dioxide can be installed on a volcano and configured to send data continuously via radio to an observatory. Sulfur dioxide in volcanic clouds can also be...
How can we tell when a volcano will erupt?
Most volcanoes provide warnings before an eruption. Magmatic eruptions involve the rise of magma toward the surface, which normally generates detectable earthquakes. It can also deform the ground surface and cause anomalous heat flow or changes in the temperature and chemistry of the groundwater and spring waters. Steam-blast eruptions, however, can occur with little or no warning as superheated...
Is it dangerous to work on volcanoes? What precautions do scientists take?
Volcanoes are inherently beautiful places where forces of nature combine to produce awesome events and spectacular landscapes. For volcanologists, they're FUN to work on! Safety is, however, always the primary concern because volcanoes can be dangerous places. USGS scientists try hard to understand the risk inherent in any situation, then train and equip themselves with the tools and support...
Why is it important to monitor volcanoes?
There are 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. According to a 2018 USGS assessment , 57 volcanoes are a high threat or very high threat to public safety. Many of these volcanoes have erupted in the recent past and will erupt again in the foreseeable future. As populations increase, areas near volcanoes are being developed and aviation routes are increasing. As a result, more...
Can lakes near volcanoes become acidic enough to be dangerous to people and animals?
Yes. Crater lakes atop volcanoes are typically the most acid, with pH values as low as 0.1 (very strong acid). Normal lake waters, in contrast, have relatively neutral pH values near 7.0. The crater lake at El Chichon volcano in Mexico had a pH of 0.5 in 1983 and Mount Pinatubo's crater lake had a pH of 1.9 in 1992. The acid waters of these lakes are capable of causing burns to human skin but are...
Can volcanic eruptions endanger helicopters and other aircraft?
Yes. Encounters between aircraft and clouds of volcanic ash are a serious concern. Jet engines and other aircraft components are vulnerable to damage by fine, abrasive volcanic ash, which can drift in dangerous concentrations hundreds of miles downwind from an erupting volcano. In the past, many aircraft have accidentally encountered volcanic ash clouds, and in some cases jet engines have...
How dangerous are pyroclastic flows?
A pyroclastic flow is a hot (typically >800 °C, or >1,500 °F ), chaotic mixture of rock fragments, gas, and ash that travels rapidly (tens of meters per second) away from a volcanic vent or collapsing flow front. Pyroclastic flows can be extremely destructive and deadly because of their high temperature and mobility. For example, during the 1902 eruption of Mont Pelee in Martinique (West Indies)...
What kind of school training do you need to become a volcanologist?
There are many paths to becoming a volcanologist. Most include a college or graduate school education in a scientific or technical field, but the range of specialties is very large. Training in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, biology, biochemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, atmospheric science, remote sensing, and related fields can be applied to the study of volcanoes and the...
What is the "Ring of Fire"?
Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire , where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates. The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. Learn more: USGS Volcano Hazards Program
Devil's Kitchen hydrothermal area in the Lassen Volcanic Center
Devils Kitchen in the Lassen Volcanic Region (within the bounds of the Lassen Volcanic National Park) is the second largest of Lassen's hydrothermal areas, after Bumpass Hell. Located in the Warner Valley in the southeast corner of the Park, Devils Kitchen contains boiling springs, mudpots, hot streams, and steam vents. USGS photo courtesy of Deb Bergfeld
Devils Kitchen in the Lassen Volcanic Region (within the bounds of the Lassen Volcanic National Park) is the second largest of Lassen's hydrothermal areas, after Bumpass Hell. Located in the Warner Valley in the southeast corner of the Park, Devils Kitchen contains boiling springs, mudpots, hot streams, and steam vents. USGS photo courtesy of Deb Bergfeld
July Public Lecture — USGS CalVO: It's not just earthquake country!
Volcanic eruptions occur int he State about as frequently as the large San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes. California's "watch list" volcanoes are dispersed throughout the State and future eruptions are inevitable—the likelihood of renewed volcanism is on the order of one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually.
Volcanic eruptions occur int he State about as frequently as the large San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes. California's "watch list" volcanoes are dispersed throughout the State and future eruptions are inevitable—the likelihood of renewed volcanism is on the order of one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually.
Collecting Gas Sample at a Fumarole
USGS geologist Deborah Bergfeld collects a gas sample from a superheated (hotter than the boiling point) fumarole in Little Hot Springs Valley at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
USGS geologist Deborah Bergfeld collects a gas sample from a superheated (hotter than the boiling point) fumarole in Little Hot Springs Valley at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
PubTalk 04/2015—"Fearfully Grand" Eruptions: Lassen Peak, CA, 1914-17
Title: A Sight "Fearfully Grand" Eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to1917
- A summary of the eruptions and their effects
- Illustrated with historical photographs
Title: A Sight "Fearfully Grand" Eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to1917
- A summary of the eruptions and their effects
- Illustrated with historical photographs
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano...
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano, Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Lassen Peak viewed from the south at the summit of Brokeoff Volcano, Lassen Volcanic National Park.
PubTalk 1/2012 — Lassen Volcanic National Park
--a wonderland of volcanoes and thermal features
By Patrick Muffler, Geologist Emeritus
--a wonderland of volcanoes and thermal features
By Patrick Muffler, Geologist Emeritus
Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Cinder Cone erupted in the year 1666 in the Lassen Volcanic Region of northern California.
Cinder Cone erupted in the year 1666 in the Lassen Volcanic Region of northern California.
Sampling a Fumarole
USGS geochemist Cathy Janik (left) and Iceland Geosurvey chemist Jón Örn Bjarnason (right) collect a gas sample from a fumarole in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
USGS geochemist Cathy Janik (left) and Iceland Geosurvey chemist Jón Örn Bjarnason (right) collect a gas sample from a fumarole in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Lava and mudflows from Lassen Peak, May 22, 1915
Benjamin F. Loomis Historical Photograph Collection: Lassen Peak showing new lava flow on summit and large mudflows on slopes. Photo courtesy of NPS.
Benjamin F. Loomis Historical Photograph Collection: Lassen Peak showing new lava flow on summit and large mudflows on slopes. Photo courtesy of NPS.