The Mountain Is Out (To Get You)

“Look, the mountain is out today!” If you spend any time at all in Tacoma, Washington on a relatively cloudless day, you’ll hear many people saying this phrase soon enough. Of course, cloudless days are a rarity, which makes seeing Mt. Rainier all the more special. Ever since I was little, I’ve had a fascination with volcanoes, most likely due to the fact that I could see one if I so much as glanced out my window. Though it is now heralded one of the nation’s most dangerous volcanoes by National Geographic, seeing its towering presence throughout my childhood was always comforting. In elementary school, I would continuously draw pictures of an exploding volcano. It wasn’t until I became older that I realized an explosion was more likely than I thought.

Contrary to my middle school belief, Mt. Rainier is actually an active volcano that is currently at rest between eruptions. It’s previous eruption, occurring in 1895, was small - only small plumes and summit explosions. The next eruption could be like this, or it could be a catastrophic event. The effect that would deal the most damage would be lahars caused by the volcano. Lahars are rapidly flowing mud and boulders - practically flowing concrete - and the potential lahars created by Mt. Rainier's eruption would reach all the way to the Puget Sound. Lahars that occurred when Mt. Rainer had a previous big eruption were thought to have moved as fast as 45 to 50 miles per hour. 

Though Mt. Rainer is perhaps lesser-known compared to its counterpart, Mt. St. Helens, Carolyn L. Driedger and William E. Scott from USGS assert that due to the large population in areas susceptible to lahars, Mt. Rainier is a much greater threat compared to Mt. St. Helens. Almost 80,000 and their belongings, homes, and property are currently in a lahar-hazard zone. In addition to this, important businesses, hydroelectric dams, and major seaports are also in the way of a potential lahar. 

Another major problem is that there will be little or no advance warning if and when large lahars may occur. The warning signs can include a restless volcano, but landslide-generated lahars are also common. In a worst-case scenario, a warning would be much too late - a lahar is already on its way. 

Despite these many hazards, the denizens of Washington don’t waste too much of their time worrying about what could happen. In my elementary school, we had earthquake drills, and everyone is taught whether or not their home would be in danger in case of a volcanic eruption. Most people aren’t worried about Mt. Rainier erupting out of the blue. Instead, Washingtonians are more worried about The Big One, and the potential repercussions that could have on our volcano. 

Sources

Mount Rainier: One of Our Nation's Most Dangerous Volcanoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://geology.com/usgs/rainier/

Kingston, J. (2018, July 25). This May Be the Most Dangerous U.S. Volcano. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-most-dangerous-volcano-mount-rainier-supervolcanoes-yellowstone/#close