Newberry Volcano Archives - The Source

Living on Lava

It’s no secret Central Oregon sits on and near volcanoes—but is having them erupt in our lifetime an actual threat?

Jaclyn BrandtNovember 28, 2018May 15, 2025

Dr. Julie Donnelly-Nolan has been mapping Newberry Volcano for the past 20 years, as part of her work as a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. She’s one of many scientists and government agents who keep their eyes on the potential for a volcanic eruption in Central Oregon. While it’s not the highest-priority threat local […]

Outside

The World Beneath Bend

Wanderlust’s cave tours packed with science, adventure

Russ AxonJuly 27, 2016August 17, 2024

This summer, intrepid explorers can add one more environment to their local bucket list: Bend’s underground. Wanderlust Tours is offering lava tube cave tours, taking visitors deep beneath the high desert to explore a cavernous world. Tourists can visit Skeleton Cave or Boyd Cave, two distinct caverns that exemplify the common features of lava caves. […]

Outside

Newberry Volcano Turns 400,000 Years Old

And celebrates its 25th year as a National Monument

Phil BusseJune 17, 2015April 28, 2024

The early 1990s were not the friendliest time for environmental causes. President George H.W. Bush was in office, and when talk turned to the environment, conservation was generally pitted against economic interests, with battle lines like Pacific Northwest forests—and the Spotted Owl—as a flash point for heated battles over which interest deserved more favor. Within […]

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