NASA’s Earth Observatory has released new images of Northern California’s Sáttítla Highlands from the Operational Land Imager aboard Landsat 8 in October of 2024. The imagery show an landscape shaped by ancient volcanic activity, highlighting lava flows populated with small islands of vegetation and surrounded by rich forests. At the heart of it all lies the Medicine Lake Volcano, one of the two largest volcanoes in the Cascades Volcanic Arc. This massive volcano has erupted only nine times in the past 5,000 years, leaving behind remarkable geological formations that tell the story of the region’s fiery past.
A Living Volcanic Legacy
The landscape provides ample evidence of its volcanic history, including the impressive Glass Mountain flow, a 5.4-square-mile lava deposit formed about 1,000 years ago. Though currently dormant, the U.S. Geological Survey categorizes Medicine Lake as a “high-risk volcano,” acknowledging that it could very likely erupt in the future. The region’s volcanic features include cinder cones—steep, cone-shaped hills made of cooled and solidified lava—and extensive lava tubes that act as habitats for rare species.
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Cultural and Ecological Significance
The Indigenous Ajumawi name “Sáttítla” translates to “obsidian place,” reflecting the area’s rich cultural heritage. Over 80 plant species call the region home due to the rich earth full of minerals from previous lava flows, and are used by Indigenous communities for medicine, food, tools, and ceremonial purposes. The White House has also emphasized the area’s importance, stating, “The protection of the Sáttítla Highlands conserves a diverse array of natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the cultural, historical, and scientific values of this area, shaped by its volcano, endure for the benefit of all Americans”. The region is home to countless rare and vulnerable species, including the Cascades frog, northern spotted owl, and the parasitic sugarstick plant.
A New Chapter in Conservation
On January 7th of 2025, almost a quarter million acres of these highlands were designated as a U.S. national monument, including parts of the ancestral homelands of the Pit River and Modoc Peoples. Beyond its cultural and ecological significance, the lava flows have made the area rife with porous volcanic rock that plays a vital role in refilling aquifers that supply water to Northern California (something the state always desperately needs). “The designations were designed to protect the scientific, cultural, ecological and historical importance of the areas,” the Biden administration said in their announcement.
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