Baker eruption is NOT imminent

The national press has picked up on that STUPID story in yesterday’s Vancouver Sun. TV (Fox, at least) and newspapers, press blogs everywhere. Search the net for Mount Baker eruption’ see what you find. The stories have gone viral, but it is not true. I’ve been getting phone calls and emails from scared people in the Nooksack valley. The UBC researcher cited in the original article, Mark Jellinek, says he never talked to the press, and was blindsided by all this. For a good analysis of the science behind the article, as well as the press response, visit Erik Klemmetti’s Eruption blog.

I’ve spoken with a news editor at KCPQ, Seattle’s Fox affiliate. Maybe they will issue a clarification. USGS people have been trying to quench the flames, as well. The Bellingham Herald told me ‘they were too smart to carry this’ without first talking to MBVRC and USGS. At least there is one reasonable voice out there.

CVO has issued this update:

CASCADES VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATEFriday, February 25, 2011 12:18 PM PST (Friday, February 25, 2011 20:18 UTC)

CASCADE RANGE VOLCANOES
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

Activity Update: All volcanoes in the Cascade Range are at normal levels of background seismicity. These include Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams in Washington State; Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Newberry Volcano, and Crater Lake, in Oregon; and Medicine Lake volcano, Mount Shasta, and Lassen Peak in northern California.

Recent Observations: Monitoring systems show that activity at Cascade Range volcanoes during the past week remains at background levels.

DT

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