Geothermal systems of the Cascade Range

In the central and southern Cascade Range, plate convergence is oblique, and Quaternary volcanism produces mostly basalt and mafic andesite; large andesite-dacite composite volcanoes and silicic dome fields occur in restricted areas of long-lived igneous activity. To the north, plate convergence is normal, producing widely spaced centers in which mafic lavas are minor. Most Cascade volcanoes are short-lived and unlikely to be underlain at shallow levels by large magma bodies that could support high-temperature geothermal systems. Such systems are known, however, near Meager Mountain, at Newberry Volcano, and near Lassen Peak. Persistent fumaroles occur on several major composite volcanoes, but drilling to date has been insufficient to determine whether exploitable geothermal reservoirs occur at depth. Thermal springs away from the major volcanic centers are few and generally inconspicuous. However, significant geothermal systems along and west of the Cascade Range may well be masked by abundant cold ground water.