Mt. Wrangell Volcano Heats Up

Increased heat flow at the summit of Mt. Wrangell during the past few years has radically altered the appearance of the summit. Dr. Carl Benson, who with coworkers has mapped and studied the summit area over the years, says that 40 million cubic meters of snow and ice has melted away from the caldera in recent years. The two accompanying photos taken in 1965 and 1976 show this remarkable change. The volcano bears watching because the increased heat flow can lead to heavier water runoff and perhaps flooding and it may signal new eruptive activity.