When the caldera near Mammoth Mtn. California goes off will a cup of
coffee on my desk in Redding be:
A) heaved into the air and land on me,
B) sloshed about, or
C) ripple?
thanks
Reader
Dear Reader,
In response to your question about the possible effects of an eruption at
Long Valley or Mammoth Mountain:
Very large volcanic eruptions are sometimes accompanied by magnitude 5-6+
earthquakes. Several quakes of this size have occurred near Mammoth Lakes since 1980.
The maximum ground shaking in Redding during even the largest of
eruptions would probably be similar to the effects of past quakes - a
ripple in your coffee cup, I suspect. Because the prevailing winds are
from west to east, Redding would be unlikely to receive any ashfall.
Daniel Dzurisin,
U.S. Geological Survey, Cascade Volcano
Observatory, Vancouver, WA
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