Mt. Rainier

Background Information

  Mt. Rainier is a widely known active volcano that is located in the Cascade Mountains.  With an elevation of 14,411 feet and being covered in thick layers of glacial ice, Mt. Rainier is known as the highest Mountain in Washington and one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  It is a Stratovolcano (one that builds layers of volcanic material around itself) that is included in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which goes from Canada through California.

Physical Features

            Atop the summit, there are two volcanic craters that are each over 1000 ft. in diameter.  Since Mt. Rainier is active, volcanic heat rises to the top and prevents snow from forming on these craters.  Thus, within the craters lies the world’s largest volcanic glacier cave that is about 2 miles in length.  In the western crater, there is a small lake; about 130 by 30 ft. and 16 feet deep, this is the highest lake in North America at an elevation of 14, 203 ft.  Mt. Rainier’s glaciers harbor the beginning of the Puyallup, Carbon, Mowich, Nisqually and Cowlitz rivers.  The three peaks on Mt. Rainier are: the Columbia Crest at 14,411 ft., Point Success at 14,158 ft., and Liberty Cap at 14,112 ft. 
History

              A fourth peak resides on the eastern side known as Little Tahoma Peak with an elevation of 11, 138 ft.  This peak once was much higher like the rest of Mt. Rainier, which once stood at 16,000 feet before erosion from avalanches and the Osceola Mudflow occurred.  Geologists have discovered that Mt. Rainier is over 840,000 years old by observing it's layers of lava, tephra, pumice and volcanic ash. Lahars (mudflows of volcanic material) are prominent because of the thick glacial ice that covers the mountain.  The Osceola Mudflow occurred in this way, a large chunk slid off the side of Mt. Rainier and reduced its height by 1600 ft., leaving it at its current elevation.  After multiple eruptions, its cone figure was brought back to its original state.
Eruptions

The last recorded volcanic eruption was between 1820-1854, but multiple accounts have been taken in of volcanic activity since then.  The last huge eruption, about 2000 years ago shows that they are not as much a problem, and less common as lahars and breakage of the mountain's layering.  Mt. Rainier has shown no signs of an imminent eruption but is referred to as a Decade Volcano, one of 16 volcanoes that would destroy a great amount of life if it were to erupt or have pieces break off.  This is because of the type of volcano Mt. Rainier is -Stratovolcano- large pieces from the man layers of glacier and mud can slide down the mountain and can easily destroy anything at the base and continue to flow towards society.  This mountain is known for having constant seismic swarms, which are many occurrences of small earthquakes near the base.  The many glaciers present help the stream flow of the many rivers that branch off of the mountain and they also help erode parts of the volcanic cone so it does no break off and create lahars.
Tourism

The Native American’s referred to Mt. Rainier are Tacoma, meaning larger than Mt. Baker.  This name stuck for a while, being the other option for the name when it was decided in 1890.  About 8,000 to 13,000 people climb Mt. Rainier each year.  With over 90 trails based on difficulty, the Mountain's diversity draws in people from hundreds of miles away.  The most popular trail is the Wonderland Trail, stretching 93 miles and encircling the mountain.  Other winter activites that are available are snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding and sledding.  The summer activities include : horseback riding, camping, hiking, fishing and biking.  There are about 20 different lodges that are present in Mt. Rainier National Park, and over 30 camping and other privately owned and rented places in the park as well. 

Bibliography:
"Mount Rainier." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, Sept.-Oct. 2011. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rainier.

Mount Rainier National Park Lodging, Events, Hiking, and Other Activities for the Mt. Rainier Area. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. <http://www.visitrainier.com/>.