Research and outreach in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field
California's volcanoes may be relatively quiet nowadays, but they're still important places to study and monitor - especially ones that are close to major population centers in the state.
The Clear Lake Volcanic Field is located ~ 100 miles north of San Francisco, CA and is named after the lake adjacent to which much of the volcanism occurred. Eruptions have happened here in the past 10 thousand years, making it a “high threat” volcanic system, the closest such system to the densely populated Bay Area. With eruptions as old as almost 3 million years, the Clear Lake field is a spectacular example of long-lived volcanism. In its lifetime, the field has erupted numerous lava flows, built lava domes and cinder cones, and exploded maar craters. CalVO is actively studying and monitoring the Clear Lake field in an attempt to better understand its volcanic past and thus better predict how it might behave in future years, centuries, and millennia. Part of these efforts includes sharing science with local landowners, such as farmers and wineries, who are very interested in how volcanic soils affect the wines made from grapes grown upon them.
In this photo, Dr. Seth Burgess, a CalVO geologist, is taking a break from “volcano camp,” an event hosted by Brassfield Estate Winery, during which wine industry professionals came together to discuss worldwide wines made from grapes grown on volcanic rocks. Seth is looking out over Clear Lake at Mount Konocti, a group of volcanic domes and lava flows erupted around 400 thousand years ago. The opportunity to speak with folks at events like Volcano Camp is critical to effectively communicating exciting new science with stakeholders who live and work within the Clear Lake volcanic field.