Magma Floes

2010-04-01 07:35:48.000 – Drew Hill,  Summit Intern

Never before seen: volcanic activity in the Whites

This morning, we woke with a start. I, for one, thought the rumbling was just some ice crashing onto the roof of our sleeping quarters from the tower. So, as any 20-something male would do, I went back to sleep. Or tried, at least.

The rumbling didn’t stop.

Realizing something must be wrong (was the furnace malfunctioning?), I stumbled out of bed to find Mike– the night observer– to see just what was going on. To my surprise, everyone was up. Mike was barking orders to the rest of the crew; a sudden rush of adrenaline shot through me. Did he say ”magma?”

As those of you in the valley already know, Mt. Adams, well known for its unique pyramidal shape and a location seemingly divorced from its presidential counterparts, began oozing molten earth (also known as ”lava”) around 01:45 EDT this morning. Professor Carmon of the Mountain Watch Obsidian Breach Survey released a statement earlier today that stated ”theoretical volcanologists have long believed the Appalachian Rift to be a hotspot of magma activity, but until now, little evidence has existed to verify such claims. This explains so much about the recent mellowing of weather in the Presidentials this winter.” In the same press release, Dr. Welsh of the Association for the Advancement of Meteorological Geology expressed deep concern for the alpine flora on Adams, but suggested that at such a slow rate of flow, the lava is unlikely to reach treeline before hardening.

No injuries have been reported, but as a safety precaution, the Observatory crew was evacuated around sunrise this morning. Gus (MWOBS Snow Tractor Operator) was able to snap off a few unique photos through the tractor’s rime-covered windshield before reaching the summit to evacuate.

Please stay tuned to our homepage and your local news media for further developments. For hourly updates, contact 1-800-APRIL-1ST.

Drew Hill,  Summit Intern