Scientists find giant magma reservoirs hidden beneath dormant volcanoes in the Cascades

The Cascade Range extends from southern British Columbia in Canada through Washington, Oregon and northern California in the United States. The highest peaks, called the High Cascades, are volcanoes. Mount Baker, seen in the foreground here, is one of the tallest peaks in the range. Mount Rainier, seen in the background, is the tallest peak in the Cascades.

Long-quiet volcanoes in the Cascades region of the Pacific Northwest are still underpinned by large reservoirs of magma, new research finds.

The findings have implications for monitoring volcanoes prior to eruption, the researchers wrote in their paper, published Jan. 23 in the journal Nature Geoscience.