Mount Rainier, a highly active stratovolcano, poses a looming threat to nearly 90,000 residents in the Pacific Northwest. Experts warn that while it hasn't erupted in over 1,000 years, its potential for destruction through lahars—fast-moving mudflows—remains high. These mudflows can devastate communities at startling speeds, with historical examples highlighting their danger. The region's cities like Tacoma and Seattle are particularly vulnerable, built on ancient mudflows. Experts point out that lahars can occur due to volcanic eruptions or even from heavy rains, making monitoring crucial.
"Mount Rainier keeps me up at night because it poses such a great threat to the surrounding communities," Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist, stated, highlighting the urgency of monitoring the volcano.
Large lahars can crush, abrade, bury, or carry away almost anything in their paths, as stated by the US Geological Survey, demonstrating the devastating potential of these mudflows.
"Tacoma and South Seattle are built on 100-foot-thick ancient mudflows from eruptions of Mount Rainier," Phoenix cautioned, indicating how vulnerable these populous areas are to future lahars.
"Volcanic eruptions usually cause lahars by rapidly melting snow and ice...but it doesn't always take an eruption to trigger a lahar," according to the Seismological Society of America, stressing the unpredictable nature of these events.
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