What Is The Threat Level For Southern Utah Volcanoes?

Cinder Cones All Through Southern Utah and Northern Nevada 

Traveling around St. George, you can see places where ancient volcanoes spilled lava into the landscape. One of the most prominent cinder cones is the Santa Clara Cinder Cone above Snow Canyon. You can get an amazing view of old lava flows by taking the trail to the top. 

I was told of a prank that took place several decades ago. Brent Miner said some young people hiked this cinder cone with some old tires. They put them in the depression at the top and lit them on fire. It was alarming to residents to see smoke rising from the old volcano. Brent never confirmed whether he was involved. 

What is the Danger of Volcano Activity in Southern Utah? 

A look at the 2018 U.S. Geological Survey of National Volcanic Threat Assessment shows only two volcanoes on the list in Utah considered a threat. The Black Rock Desert near Fillmore with a Moderate threat and the Markegant Plateau above Duck Creek with a threat in the low range. 

There is also the Uinkaret Volcanic Field near the Grand Canyon in the Arizona Strip that is considered a moderate level threat. All of the other cinder cones around Southern Utah erupted ages ago and probably will never erupt again.  

Read More: Here’s the Fault in Southern Utah Where Earthquakes Occur

If you want to see the volcanoes that are on the list of highest threats, you will have to visit Alaska or Hawaii. As for Southern Utah, the chances of seeing one of these eruptions is extremely low. That is unless it is some sort of prank done by naughty teenagers.