List of Cascade volcanoes facts for kids

The Cascade volcanoes are a chain of mountains that can erupt! They stretch across western North America, from British Columbia in Canada down through Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States.

These volcanoes are part of a larger area called the Pacific Ring of Fire. This is where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen. The Cascade volcanoes form because of something called a subduction zone. This is where one of Earth's giant plates, the Juan de Fuca Plate, is slowly sliding underneath another plate, the North American Plate. As it slides down, the rock melts and rises to the surface, creating volcanoes!

Most of the Cascade volcanoes are stratovolcanoes. These are cone-shaped mountains built up by many layers of hardened lava, ash, and rock. Some are still active, meaning they could erupt again. Others are dormant, which means they are "sleeping" but could wake up.

Volcanoes in British Columbia

British Columbia, Canada, is home to the northernmost Cascade volcanoes. These mountains are often covered in snow and ice. Many of them are quite old, with their last eruptions happening thousands of years ago.

• Mount Meager massif: This is a large, complex volcano. It had a big eruption about 2,350 years ago. This eruption was one of the largest in Canada in the last 10,000 years.
• Mount Garibaldi: This is a beautiful stratovolcano near Vancouver. It last erupted between 10,700 and 9,300 years ago. It's a popular spot for hiking and enjoying nature.
• Mount Cayley: Another stratovolcano in the Garibaldi area. Its last eruption was a very long time ago, during the Pleistocene epoch.

Volcanoes in Washington

Washington state has some of the most famous and active Cascade volcanoes. These mountains are very tall and can be seen from far away.

• Mount Baker: This is a large, ice-covered stratovolcano. It last erupted in 1880. It's the second most active volcano in Washington.
• Glacier Peak: A remote stratovolcano that last erupted around 1700. It's known for its many glaciers.
• Mount Rainier: This is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Range, standing at 4,392 meters (14,411 feet). It last had a minor eruption in 1894. It's considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the U.S. because of its size and the nearby population.
• Mount Adams: The second-tallest volcano in Washington. Its last eruption was about 950 years ago. It's a massive shield volcano.
• Mount St. Helens: This volcano is famous for its huge eruption in 1980. That eruption blew off the top of the mountain and caused a lot of damage. It last erupted in 2008, but those were much smaller events. It's a great place to learn about how volcanoes change landscapes.

Volcanoes in Oregon

Oregon also has many impressive Cascade volcanoes, including some that form beautiful lakes.

• Mount Hood: This is the highest mountain in Oregon. It's a stratovolcano that last had minor eruptions in 1907. It's a popular spot for skiing and climbing.
• Mount Jefferson: The second-highest peak in Oregon. It's a stratovolcano that might have erupted around 950 AD.
• Three Sisters: This is a group of three volcanic peaks: North Sister, Middle Sister, and South Sister. South Sister had its last eruption about 1,600 years ago. They are a major feature of the Oregon Cascades.
• Newberry Volcano: This is a large shield volcano with a huge caldera (a large crater formed when the volcano collapses). It last erupted around 690 AD. Inside its caldera, there are two beautiful lakes.
• Mount Mazama: This volcano had a massive eruption about 7,700 years ago. The eruption caused the volcano to collapse, forming a large caldera that is now Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
• Mount McLoughlin: A tall stratovolcano that last erupted about 20,000 years ago. It's a prominent peak in southern Oregon.

Volcanoes in California

The Cascade Range continues into northern California, with several notable volcanoes.

• Medicine Lake Volcano: This is a large shield volcano with a caldera. It last erupted about 1260 AD. It's known for its many lava flows.
• Mount Shasta: This is the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range, after Mount Rainier. It's a huge stratovolcano that last erupted around 1250 AD. It's a very impressive and iconic mountain.
• Lassen Peak: This is a lava dome volcano. It's famous for its eruptions between 1914 and 1921, which were the most recent eruptions in the Cascade Range before Mount St. Helens in 1980. It's part of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

See also

• List of volcanoes in the United States
• List of volcanoes in Canada
• Volcanology of Canada
• Volcanology of Western Canada
• List of Northern Cordilleran volcanoes
• Lists of volcanoes