Mount Rainier

NOAA Ship RAINIER is named for Mount Rainier , the tallest peak in Washington State , and the fourth tallest in the United States .

The first recorded view of Mount Rainier was made by Captain George Vancouver while mapping Puget Sound in 1792. His voyage into Puget Sound marked the earliest recorded exploration of the area, and he named the magnificent mountain peak in honor of Peter Rainier, who later became an admiral in the British Navy.

Mount Rainier is an episodically active volcano. The volcano began to grow between one half and one million years ago. The slopes of lava flows on opposite sides of the mountain probably projected more than 1,000 feet above the present summit. The upper portion of the cone was likely removed by explosions and landslides. The current summit, Columbia Crest, lies at 14,411 feet above sea level, on the rim of the recent lava cone.