Title of Project : Which volcano is the most threatening among Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mount Hood for surrounding cities in the North Cascadia region?

Abstract

The continuous volcanic eruptions in the Cascade range has entailed a demand in further research associated with the prospective hazards. A deeper understanding of the Cascade volcanoes may allow refinements in evacuation strategies and raise awareness among citizens, which possibly can minimize the mortality rate during eruptions. In this research project, we aim to compare these 5 active volcanoes by self-designed risk assessment rubric that takes in some past geological records. It is expected that a volcano earning the highest score from the rubric will be the most threatening to the neighboring cities. Our primary purpose is to:

Grade and rank these 5 volcanoes in the order of dangerousness by adding the points from the rubric with components of existence of rivers, whether a city (or region) is located upstream or downstream, frequency of eruption based on the record, population density, and type of hazard.
Determine which volcanic area/city was the most at risk

According to Siebert et al. (2010), types of the existing volcanic hazards, eruption frequencies, and particularly population sizes increase the dangerousness of a volcano. Specifically, volcanoes with the presence of glaciers would actively interact with magma and nearby rivers and deliver more volcanic products to surrounding cities. Therefore, along with USGS in How dangerous is Mount Rainier? (n.d.), we expected the most dangerous volcano for the surrounding cities to be Mt. Rainier because of its glaciers, multiple rivers, frequent eruptions, and large population size. This hypothesis is later confirmed by our results as Mt. Rainier earned the highest score based on our rubric.

Biographies

This research project was conducted by Alia Kogiso, Makafui Hortense Amouzouvi, Victoria Fadeeva and Yuka Ohno.

Alia Kogiso

Alia Kogiso is a first-year undergraduate student who is majoring in Biology. She aspires to contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases therapeutics in the future. She is also largely interested in exploring various ancient organisms and geological mechanism in the field of palentology and geology.

Makafui Hortense Amouzouvi

Makafui Hortense Amouzouvi is a Togolese first-year Science Student interested in Computer Science fields, but remains open to other areas of the Scholastic World. Her explorations this year in Earth Sciences created her appetite to learn more about natural disasters and raise awareness on them. She looks forward to contributing to the protection of the environment and the prevention of environmental calamities through her future studies.

Victoria Fadeeva

Victoria Fadeeva is a first-year undergraduate Combined Major student in Science. She is largely interested in Computer Science and looking forward to exploring the field of Game Development.

Yuka Ohno

Yuka Ohno is a first-year student majoring in BSc Cognitive Systems: Cognition and Brain stream. She has vast interest in the fields of Art and Science including but not limited to philosophy, linguistics, psychology, biology, and chemistry. She is also working on a development of medical knowledge in light of her future studies in medical-related field.