A host of remote sensing technologies helps researchers at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory monitor the ever-changing landscape of the Cascade Range. Jun 1, 2006 By:
Cyrena Respini-Irwin
The Cascade Range, which traverses Washington, Oregon, and California, comprises several links in the long chain of volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean — the "Ring of Fire." These volatile peaks formed where the boundaries of the Pacific plate grind against other tectonic plates, causing earthquakes and releasing magma from far below the surface
Since September 2004, a new lava dome inside North America's most active volcano has grown as high as a 35-story building and as broad as 29 football fields; and scientists are using a cadre of geospatial technologies to monitor the volcano's deformation.
