Gorge residents should not be alarmed if they see a low-flying airplane over the central cascade mountains in parts of southern Washington and northern Oregon starting Oct. 21. For about two months, an airplane operated under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will be making low-level flights as part of a Cascade Locks aeromagnetic survey that includes both Mount Hood and Mount Adams.
“Anyone observing the low-flying plane should not be alarmed if they see it fly overhead or pass below the horizon,” said Steven Sobieszczyk, USGS public affairs specialist for the western states, in a press release.
The contractor will be following all guidelines established by the Federal Aviation Administration, and the aircraft will be operated by experienced pilots, specially trained for low-level flying, Sobieszczyk said.
The airborne survey is designed to collect high-resolution aeromagnetic data that depict the magnetic properties of subsurface geological units that can be used to infer rock types and rock structures at depths of hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface.
The project will provide data to support geologic mapping and associated beneficial applications — especially information related to earthquake hazards — to various partners, stakeholders and the public.
When complete, the Cascade Locks aeromagnetic data will be available through USGS’s publication website at pubs.er.usgs.gov.
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