USGS Frequently Asked Questions
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Question:
What is the greatest hazard presented by Mount Rainier?
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Answer:
Debris flows
pose the greatest hazard to people near
Mount Rainier.
A debris flow is a mixture of mud and rock debris that looks
and behaves like flowing concrete. Giant debris flows sometimes develop when
large masses of weak, water-saturated rock slide from the volcano's flanks.
Many of these debris flows cannot be predicted and may even occur independently
of a volcanic eruption. Giant debris flows can also form during an eruption as
hot rock fragments tumble down the volcano's slopes, eroding and melting snow
and glacier ice. Although they happen infrequently, giant debris flows have the
potential to inundate much of the southern Puget Sound lowland. Scientists
estimate that debris flows can travel the distance between Mount Rainier and the
Puget Sound lowland in as little as 30 minutes to a few hours. About 100,000
people now live in areas that have been buried by debris flows during the past
few thousand years.
-- From: Walder and Driedger, 1995, Living With a Volcano in Your Backyard -
Volcanic Hazards at Mount Rainier: USGS Open-File Report 95-421.
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Source of this FAQ:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicFacts/misc_volcanic_facts.html
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey