Volcanoes pose great threat to life through a variety of hazardous phenomena, and it is extremely difficult to forecast when one may erupt in the future. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to use a technique called "diffusion chronometry" to determine the length of time magmas are stored prior to eruption (i.e. residence time) and how quickly they ascend to the surface upon eruption (i.e. eruption initiation time). Diffusion chronometry works by calculating the amount of time it would have taken for an observed (a.k.a. analytically measured) amount of element diffusive relaxation across crystal zones to have occurr (Fig. 2). These timescales provide better insight into the length of time there may be between the first signs of unrest under a volcano to eruption, ultimately, providing a better estimate of the timeframe for hazard mitigation and evacuation. 

Mount Baker, ranked as a very-high threat volcano in the United States, is in a well populated area in northern WA (Fig. 1), putting many at risk in the event of a future eruption. In this project, we used diffusion chronometry to determine residence timescales and eruption initiation timescales for Mount Baker's youngest lava flow - the 9.8 ka Sulphur Creek. If you would like to more about the methods, outcomes, and implications of this project, then please CLICK HERE to learn more.