An ambitious extension of this project, to monitor the entire Juan de Fuca Plate , is in development. Outside the Pacific Northwest, Geophysics faculty, students, and visitors have research projects in Long Valley, California, Italy, and Kamchatka. Magmatic Processes and Petrology Magmatic process research at UW includes field, experimental, and theoretical approaches.
Ongoing improvements focus on volatiles.
UW work is focused on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Volcanic Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Geomorphology Volcanoes create a fascinating array of landscapes and deposits. Mount St. Helens was a wonderful laboratory 20 y ago and opportunities remain for followup study. More recently, UW scientists have been privileged to work at Pinatubo, a laboratory for basic issues of sediment transport and landscape evolution, taking advantage of the uniquely rapid changes after explosive eruptions. All of these studies also contribute practical information for hazard mitigation.