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Where are the Cascades Located? How did they form?

They stretch from Northern California through Oregon and Washington to Southern British Columbia
Between the Coast mountains and the Rocky mountains
Formed as a result of uplift during the Miocene period
Not formed during major orogenic event, but rather due to being on top of the Cascadia subduction zone

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Cascadia Subduction Zone

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American Cordillera

Chain of mountain ranges from South America to North America

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Pacific Ring of Fire

Tectonically active zone
Volcanic activity
Frequent Earthquakes

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Volcanic Activity

Responsible for all eruptions in the continental United States in the past 200 years
Over 1000 active volcanoes in The Cascade range
Magma leaching from the mantle as a result of the subduction zone

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Mt. Rainier

Tallest of the Cascade range
Expansive glacial cover
Active volcano with the potential to be very destructive
Frequent earthquakes
Close to the major city of Seattle

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Mt. St Helens Eruption

March 27th, 1980
Ranked a 5 on the explosivity index
Followed a series of earthquakes, the largest being 5.1 magnitude
Created the largest landslide ever recorded
11 states and 2 provinces reported ash deposits

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Aftermath of the Eruption

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Ongoing Research

Due to the active volcanism and tectonics the Cascades are a prime location for research
Places like Mt. Baker are at the height of current volcanic research with crater mapping and material sampling being done

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References

Goyal, S. (2019, March 13). Pacific Ring Of Fire Or Circum-Pacific Belt | UPSC – IAS. Digitally Learn. https://digitallylearn.com/what-is-the-pacific-ring-of-fire-and-map-upsc-ias/

Leight, E. T. (2015, February 19). Mt. Rainier National Park – Longing for Adventure. Penn State. https://sites.psu.edu/leighemilrcl/2015/02/19/draft-of-mount-rainer/

Lynn, C. (2018, May 09). Mount St. Helens eruption: Never-before-published photos. Statesman Journal. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2018/05/09/mount-st-helens-volcano-eruption-aerial-photos/555576002/

Wikipedia.org. (n.d.). Cascade Range. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Range

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