Mount Adams | U.S. Geological Survey Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ( or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Mount Adams Find U.S. Volcano Filters The map displays volcanoes, earthquakes, monitoring instruments, and past lava flows. Get Help Earthquake Plots To view an earthquake cross-sectional plot, click "Draw Plot" to start drawing on the map. Once the plot area is selected, click on "View Plot" to view chart or "Clear Plot" to start over. Map Layers Earthquake Colors Earthquake Depth Units Earthquake Time Units Results Filters The map displays volcanoes, earthquakes, monitoring instruments, and past lava flows. Get Help Earthquake Plots To view an earthquake cross-sectional plot, click "Draw Plot" to start drawing on the map. Once the plot area is selected, click on "View Plot" to view chart or "Clear Plot" to start over. Settings Map Layers Earthquake Colors Earthquake Depth Units Earthquake Time Units Map Legend Map Legend Results Mount Adams Science Data Maps Multimedia Publications News Connect Mount Adams is the largest active volcano in Washington State and among the largest in the Cascades. Quick Facts Location: Washington, Yakama Nations Reserve and Skamania/Yakima Counties Latitude: 46.206° N Longitude: 121.49° W Elevation: 3,742 (m) 12,277 (f) Volcano type: Stratovolcano Composition: Basalt to Andesite Most recent eruption: 3,800 years ago Threat Potential: High* *based on the National Volcano Early Warning System Summary Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Mount Adams, Washington as seen from Mount St. Helens (west). Trees are covered in frost in the foreground. The volcano has produced a larger volume (about 300 km or 70 mi ) of eruptive material during the past million years than any other Cascade stratovolcano except Mount Shasta (about 350 km or 85 mi ). Mount Adams lies in the middle of the Mount Adams volcanic field—a 1,250 km (about 500 mi ) area comprising at least 120, mostly basaltic volcanoes that form spatter and scoria cones, shield volcanoes, and some extensive lava flows. The volcanic field has been active for at least the past one million years. Mount Adams was active from about 520,000 to about 1,000 years ago and has erupted mostly andesite. Eruptions have occurred from ten vents since the last period of glaciation about 15,000 years ago. Approximately 6,000 and 300 years ago, debris avalanches from the southwest face of Mount Adams generated clay-rich lahars that swept more than 30 km (11 mi ) south of the volcano along the White Salmon River. The summit of Mount Adams contains a large section of unstable altered rock that can spawn future debris avalanches and lahars. USGS scientists Wes Thelen and Alex Iezzi talk about what they are doing to learn more about recent earthquake activity at Mount Adams (November 20, 2024) November 22, 2024 USGS scientists Wes Thelen and Alex Iezzi talk about what they are doing to learn more about recent earthquake activity at Mount Adams (November 20, 2024) Monitoring stations detect small magnitude earthquakes at Mount Adams (September 2024) October 3, 2024 Monitoring stations detect small magnitude earthquakes at Mount Adams (September 2024) Status of (mostly) Washington's Volcanoes: Report to Emergency Managers 2020-2021 June 2, 2021 Status of (mostly) Washington's Volcanoes: Report to Emergency Managers 2020-2021 View All October 22, 2018 2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment 2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners... Authors John W. Ewert, Angela K. Diefenbach, David W. 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By Cascades Volcano Observatory Mount Adams Pyroclastic Flows at Mount Adams November 8, 2023 Pyroclastic Flows at Mount Adams Pyroclastic flows are a rare occurrence at Mount Adams, but it is possible for them to occur. November 8, 2023 Lava Flow Hazards at Mount Adams Lava flows are the most likely type of future eruptive event, but they do not pose as much of a hazard as landslides or lahars because they move slowly (a person can out run a lava flow) with relatively predictable flow pathways By Cascades Volcano Observatory Mount Adams Lava Flow Hazards at Mount Adams November 8, 2023 Lava Flow Hazards at Mount Adams Lava flows are the most likely type of future eruptive event, but they do not pose as much of a hazard as landslides or lahars because they move slowly (a person can out run a lava flow) with relatively predictable flow pathways November 8, 2023 Earthquake Monitoring at Mount Adams The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and CVO monitor seismicity at Mount Adams via a single nearby station (ASR, located about 10 km (6 mi) from the summit) and the broader regional PNSN network. By Cascades Volcano Observatory Mount Adams Earthquake Monitoring at Mount Adams November 8, 2023 Earthquake Monitoring at Mount Adams The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and CVO monitor seismicity at Mount Adams via a single nearby station (ASR, located about 10 km (6 mi) from the summit) and the broader regional PNSN network. View All Quick Facts Location: Washington, Yakama Nations Reserve and Skamania/Yakima Counties Latitude: 46.206° N Longitude: 121.49° W Elevation: 3,742 (m) 12,277 (f) Volcano type: Stratovolcano Composition: Basalt to Andesite Most recent eruption: 3,800 years ago Threat Potential: High* *based on the National Volcano Early Warning System Volcanoes Hazards Program Links Assess Prepare Forecast Activity Products Observatories About Was this page helpful?