Massive Underground Aquifer Discovered Under the Cascade Range
Scientists using heat-flow data uncovered a continental-scale underground aquifer beneath the Oregon Cascades containing at least 19.4 cubic miles (81 cubic kilometers) of water—over twice the volume of Lake Mead—potentially the largest volcanic aquifer of its kind. The reservoir, inferred from stable deep-rock temperatures rather than drilling, suggests extensive groundwater circulation within the volcanic system and could influence future groundwater storage and the behavior of volcanic activity in the 700-mile Cascade Range. Similar aquifers north of the Columbia Gorge and near Mount Shasta imply the entire range may host this massive subterranean water system, with implications for eruption dynamics if water interacts with magma.
