At deadly Glacier Peak, one last hurdle for new seismometers
DARRINGTON — Snohomish County’s Glacier Peak, classified as one of America’s deadliest volcanoes, is a step closer to getting adequate seismometers to detect future eruptions.
On Friday, the U.S. Forest Service announced it completed an environmental assessment and a draft decision for installing four new monitors and upgrading an old one, as part of a 30-year special use permit. Government officials estimate the GPS stations could detect and locate eight times as many earthquakes.
With a severely lacking early warning system at the volcano, new monitors have been discussed for years. But progress has been paused again and again while agencies worked on other projects, and because of the global pandemic.
Now, new monitors could be installed as soon as this summer, barring further delays, said Forest Service geologist Todd Griffin, who has been managing the project. The equipment could detect geologic changes on the volcano’s surface, increases in gas emissions and earthquakes.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/at-deadly-glacier-peak-one-last-hurdle-for-new-seismometers/
