Sleeping giant

When his team's helicopter landed on the glacier that day in September, the smell of rotten eggs filled the air. It was hydrogen sulfide, mixed with carbon dioxide and steam from below, which produced a ghostly churn of mist.



In the open air, the smell is unpleasant, and the gas may cause headaches. The greater danger is getting trapped in an enclosed space — a crevice or crack — where concentrations of the gas can knock a person unconscious and, at worst, kill them.

Williams-Jones hiked up to the edge of a fumarole with a guide, carefully poking the ice to avoid falling into a crevice. Tethered to posts driven deep into the glacier, he set up two boxes near the edge to record the gas levels.

PhD student Gioachino Roberti, local guide Eric Dumerac and Williams-Jones on Mount Meager. (Chris Corday/CBC) Post image on Pinterest: PhD student Gioachino Roberti, local guide Eric Dumerac and Williams-Jones on Mount Meager. (Chris Corday/CBC)

PhD student Gioachino Roberti, local guide Eric Dumerac and Williams-Jones on Mount Meager. (Chris Corday/CBC)

"This big, massive mountain is rotten," he said, standing at the edge of one of the fumaroles.

"It's been growing for two million years, and over that time, we've had all of these gases and acid fluids coming through the rock and, slowly but surely, changing into weaker rock. And that weaker rock fails."

The team is researching not only the gases and the expansion of the fumaroles, it is also measuring the speed of the glacier's retreat and the potential for a landslide, which could trigger an eruption.

All of those factors combine to create instability and uncertainty about when disaster might strike.

Williams-Jones is certain Mount Meager will erupt again. He just cannot say when.

"It is like a great, sleeping giant and in some ways, it is more dangerous as things can build up," he said.

The remains of a bridge that crossed Meager Creek sits in the debris field after a massive avalanche of rock and snow barrelled down a mountainside on Aug. 6, 2010. Seismic waves were felt as far away as Alaska and Washington state. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) Post image on Pinterest: The remains of a bridge that crossed Meager Creek sits in the debris field after a massive avalanche of rock and snow barrelled down a mountainside on Aug. 6, 2010. Seismic waves were felt as far away as Alaska and Washington state. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The remains of a bridge that crossed Meager Creek sits in the debris field after a massive avalanche of rock and snow barrelled down a mountainside on Aug. 6, 2010. Seismic waves were felt as far away as Alaska and Washington state. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Mount Meager is one of a string of volcanoes reaching up North America's west coast between Northern California and Alaska. They include Mount St. Helens in Washington state, the site of a deadly eruption in 1980. Fifty-seven people died when the north face of the mountain collapsed, triggering an eruption. In its intensity, it mirrored the last volcanic eruption on Mount Meager so long ago.

Using this volcano as a laboratory is a homecoming of sorts for the Canadian-born Williams-Jones. While completing his master of science degree, he worked on a volcano in Costa Rica.

"It was erupting every half hour," he said. "It was great."

Williams-Jones has also worked in Nicaragua and on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. He only began focusing on Canadian volcanoes about six years ago.

Williams-Jones worked on volcanoes in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Hawaii before focusing on Canada. (Chris Corday/CBC) Post image on Pinterest: Williams-Jones worked on volcanoes in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Hawaii before focusing on Canada. (Chris Corday/CBC)

Williams-Jones worked on volcanoes in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Hawaii before focusing on Canada. (Chris Corday/CBC)

One of Canada's leading authorities on Earth sciences and natural hazards, John Clague, described Williams-Jones as "very enthusiastic and very committed."



"He is achieving an international reputation for being a leader in this field, but it is really driven by a passion to better understand volcanoes so you can reduce the risk they pose," said Clague, a professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University.

"It is very likely this slope will fail very soon."

In this case, it is the people who live in the nearby Pemberton Valley who may be in harm's way. There are about 5,300 residents spread through three communities living within about 60 kilometres of the mountain.

The risk is not immediate, but an eruption could be devastating. The more immediate concern is potential landslides.

Gioachino Roberti, a PhD student on Williams-Jones's team has studied the cracks on the massive rock face of the mountain and has deemed the risk to life "unacceptable."

As he stood on the glacier, Roberti swept his left arm upward, pointing to a nearby peak.

"It is very likely this slope will fail very soon," he said.

Roberti says there's a visible crack in Mount Meager's rock, and the flank is moving a few centimetres each month. (Chris Corday/CBC) Post image on Pinterest: Roberti says there's a visible crack in Mount Meager's rock, and the flank is moving a few centimetres each month. (Chris Corday/CBC)

Roberti says there's a visible crack in Mount Meager's rock, and the flank is moving a few centimetres each month. (Chris Corday/CBC)

There is a visible crack in the rock, and the flank is moving a few centimetres each month, he said.

Roberti does not have to imagine the impact of a slide. He simply has to look back at what happened on this mountain eight years ago.

Nearly 50 million cubic metres of material crashed down the mountainside in 2010. The debris travelled 13 kilometres — destroying bridges, roads and equipment. Seismic waves were felt as far away as Alaska and Washington state.

"This one is about 10 times bigger," said Roberti of the next potential slide. "It could travel 20 to 30 kilometres and eventually have an impact on populated areas downstream."

That is because the debris flow could destroy hydropower plants or block the Lillooet River, causing floods to sweep down the valley.