Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world. It is a giant circular shaped mound built up by the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano opening. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a large curving chain of volcanic peaks where the Ring of Fire runs through the western United States and Canada near the Pacific Ocean coast that includes members such as Mount Baker, Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, and the notorious Mount St. Helens. Like Mount St. Helens, Lassen Peak has also erupted in the recent past, though decades earlier. On May 30, 1914 after about 27000 years of dormancy, Lassen Peak blew its top through a steam explosion. Over the next 7 years it would have a series of about 400 separate large eruptions, including one on May 22, 1915 that was particularly violent, and threw large hot rocks and spewed large amounts of ash and lava. The land surrounding Lassen Peak is still recovering from the devastation caused over 100 years ago. The peak itself is still considered an active volcano and is expected to erupt again someday. The surrounding land around contained within Lassen National Park of California shows ongoing thermal activity such as fumaroles, hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. The Wild Images Team captured this image of volcanic landscape along the road climbing out of Bumpass Hell, a very hot thermal area in the lower region of the park. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos from California such as the scene of a blooming thunderstorm over Joshua Tree National Park, the lava flow created streaked ridge in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the high altitudes where a giant sequoia is larger and redder than others, the steep Hyde Street view of Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Bay, the drastic slope of the abrupt drop off of Taylor Street, the Pine Street colorful terraced houses with background buildings, the historic looking beautiful terraced houses and a Classic VW Beetle, and the Asian inspired intricately ornate Chinatown scene, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from California have documented the long and winding road climb to the giants of Sequoia National Park, the size comparison of The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina and the giant tree, the massive view where giant sequoias maintain their diameters over hundreds of feet, an overlook into the Merced River Valley with Liberty Cap, the road heading towards the sheer monolith of El Capitan, the road heading towards desolate ridges of Joshua Tree National Park, the location where the road rises out of Bumpass Hell, a beach dune covered view of the secret underground World War II bunker, the reflective tower of the Marriott Marquis over the Yerba Buena Gardens, the distinctively ornate Asian architecture and decor of Chinatown, the musically inspired melting records with album covers mural, the long strange trip of the Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia mural, the places where steep sidewalks have stairs cut into them, the street where a tree gives a sense of the steepness, the expansive view of Nob Hill from Telegraph Hill and the oppositely directed view from Telegraph Hill to the northeast, the descent in the upper portion of the Filbert Steps, followed by the middle portion of the Filbert Steps with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator on the steps, followed by the lower portion of the Filbert Steps, and at the bottom a view up the Filbert Street steps again with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator below the steps. From our travels in the nearby Oregon and Washington, we have captured photos such as the deep blue hues of swirled clouds and rim peaks reflected in Crater Lake, the Hoh Rainforest green moss covers every possible branch, and the right place at the right time rainbow over the Mt. St. Helens remnants, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Oregon and Washington include the sharp looking view through the Lava Cast Forest, the optical illusion of blue waters and white streaks in Crater Lake, the starkly colorful rainbow rises over the devastation of Mt. St. Helens, the moment The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina is imprisoned by rainforest tree roots, the interesting story of the Port Angeles waterfront Rocktopus Sculpture, and its accompanying bronze plaque of charitable organizations.
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