Ubehebe ready to blow?

Death Valley’s Ubehebe volcano “could erupt at any time,” according to geologists who have used new techniques to recalculate when the volcano’s first eruption took place.

Scientists originally hypothesized the blast that formed the Ubehebe Crater (pictured) took place 6,000 years ago by dating Native American artifacts found at the site, according to SF Gate. However, a team from Columbia University dated the element beryllium found in pieces of sandstone and quartzite expelled by the explosion and concluded Ubehebe last erupted 800 to 1,200 years ago. Such geologic youth suggests the volcano is primed for action, as scientists feel there is still enough groundwater and magma to trigger an eruption similar to the original blast.

Ubehebe, along with all of California’s many volcanoes, is constantly monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.