Is A Volcanic Eruption Possible At The Salton Sea?

The Salton Sea covers more than 380 square miles and is 35 miles long.

And along the southeast shoreline in the Imperial Valley near Niland lies an explosive history going back thousands of years.

A series of what would appear to be four rather ordinary hills are actually volcanoes known as the Salton Buttes.

“A variety of people, when it comes to the Salton Sea, ask, ‘Why invest in the Salton Sea?’ There’s more of a history to it than what we see here today,” said Chris Schoneman, the manager at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.

One of the volcanoes, a butte called Rock Hill, comes at the end of a hiking trail and provides fantastic views of the sea and wildlife.

“The hill formed about 16,000 years ago. It was an active volcano — last active about 8,000 to 10,000 years ago,” said Schoneman.

Obsidian Butte has more of a volcano-look — covered with chunks of obsidian rock. Obsidian is volcanic glass that results from lava quickly cooling above ground.

Another volcano, Mullett Island, can only be reached by boat. It’s also a nesting spot for 10,000 seabirds.

The hundreds of species of birds are a big draw for the 20,000 yearly visitors to the refuge.

But Schoneman says most don’t know anything about the volcanoes there. And it’s not like there are lava flows or spewing ash to catch a glimpse of.

But there is molten magma miles below the earth’s surface. The geothermal activity is shown by surrounding power plants, tapping into that heat to create electricity.

“The earth’s crust is spread kind of thin here. And it’s brought the earth’s core temperature up closer to the surface, heating the water,” said Schoneman.

An eruption at the Salton Sea seems unlikely.

On another volcano called Red Hill there are sensors monitoring a much bigger threat — earthquakes.

But some geologists believe a cluster of quakes on the San Andreas Fault could push magma to the surface, getting these volcanoes going again.

“Probably not in our lifetimes. I think that’s a safe assessment,” said Schoneman.

It may not be much for thrill seekers. But for many others, the volcanoes are still something pretty cool to check out.

“Where in this entire country or continent do you find a volcano in your back yard? Very few places.”