Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/18/2010 - 12:07

 

Mt. Baker is an isolated stratovolcano in northern Washington. It is the northernmost of the Cascade volcanoes in the United States. Most of the summit of the volcano is covered by glaciers. Because of this, the Indians gave Mt. Baker a name meaning "White Steep Mountain."

 

Easton Glacier near the summit of Mt. Baker.

Mt. Baker has been very active over the last 10,000 years. Over that time it has had one pyroclastic flow, at least four small tephra eruptions, at least two lava flows and at least eight mud flows. Mud flows remain the largest hazard on Mt. Baker. Mt. Baker erupted in 1843. This eruption resulted in the deaths of many fish in the Baker River, a large forest fire, and the dropping of volcanic ash. The release of steam occurred at Mt. Baker in 1975-6, but no eruption followed this event. One of the most recent formations on Baker is a ~2500 ft (~760 m) wide, ~330ft (~100 m) high cinder cone and its ~7 mile (~11 km) long lava flow at Schreibers Meadow.

Mt. Baker has erupted 13 times in recorded history. Its last eruption was in 1880.

 

Sources of Information:

Wood, Charles A. and Kienle, Jurgen, "Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada," Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990, 354 pp.

Latitude (DD): 
48.79
Longitude (dd): 
-121.82
Elevation (m): 
3285
State (Province, etc): 
Washington
Country: 
United States
Type: 
Stratovolcano