California Volcano Observatory

The California Volcano Observatory (CalVO) is the volcano observatory that monitors the volcanic and geologic activity of California and Nevada. It is a part of the Volcano Hazards Program of the United States Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the United States government.[1]

United States Geological Survey
California Volcano Observatory

The CalVO operations room in Menlo Park
Agency overview
Formed2012
HeadquartersMenlo Park, California, USA
Websitehttps://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/calvo/

Originally, the volcano observatory was known as the Long Valley Observatory which monitored volcanic activity east of the Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California which included Long Valley Caldera, Mammoth Mountain, and the Mono–Inyo Craters.

In 2012, the Long Valley Observatory was integrated into the new California Volcano Observatory based in Menlo Park, California which covers the entire states of California and Nevada, this includes the southern Cascade Range volcanoes in the state of California which were previously under the jurisdiction of the Cascades Volcano Observatory.[2]

Monitored volcanoes

These are the volcanoes monitored by the California Volcano Observatory, in order of highest to lowest risk assessment.

Mt Shasta

According to USGS risk assessment of the volcanoes in CalVO's region, the following volcanoes were ranked "very high threat potential".[3]

Mono-Inyo Craters

These were ranked "high threat potential":[3]

Soda Lakes

These were ranked "moderate threat potential":[3]

One was ranked "Low to Very Low Threat Potential":[3]

Other volcanoes in the region have not been assessed at one of these risk levels that warrant monitoring. Volcanoes which have not erupted during the Holocene were not included. USGS noted that though less probable it is still possible for volcanoes to erupt on longer intervals than that.[3]

USGS map of the Mono Basin area, showing the Long Valley Caldera (click on to see detail).

See also

References

  1. WOVO.org: World Organization of Volcano Observatories
  2. Klemetti, Erik (10 February 2012). "Meet the USGS's Newest Volcano Observatory: CalVO". Eruptions. Wired.com. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  3. Ewert, John W; Diefenbach, Angela K; Ramsey, David W (2018-10-22). "2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2019-07-01.

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