Mount Rainier | U.S. Geological Survey (2024)

Summary

During an eruption 5,600 years ago the once-higheredificeof Mount Rainier collapsed to form a large crater open to the northeast much like that at Mount St. Helens after 1980. Ensuing eruptions rebuilt the summit, filling the large collapse crater. Largelahars(volcanic mudflows) from eruptions and from collapses of this massive, heavily glaciatedandesiticvolcano have reached as far as the Puget Sound lowlands. Since the last ice age, several dozenexplosiveeruptionsspreadtephra(ash,pumice) across parts of Washington. The last magmatic eruption was about 1,000 years ago. Extensive hydrothermal alteration of the upper portion of the volcano has contributed to its structural weakness promoting collapse. An activethermalsystem driven bymagmadeep under the volcano has melted out a labyrinth of steam caves beneath the summit icecap.

April 25, 2024

Preparing for volcano hazards: Where is the world’s largest lahar evacuation drill held?

September 7, 2022

Mount Rainier reminds us that September is National Preparedness Month

April 29, 2022

USGS Offers Emergency Managers a New Tool to Assess Lahar Hazards at Mount Rainier

Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Agrigan, Ahyi Seamount, Alamagan, Anatahan, Asuncion, Belknap, Black Butte Crater Lava Field, Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field, Blue Lake Crater, Carrizozo Lava Flow, Cascade Range Weekly Update, Cinnamon Butte, Clear Lake Volcanic Field, Coso Volcanic Field, Crater Lake, Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field, Daikoku Seamount , Davis Lake Volcanic Field, Devils Garden Lava Field, Diamond Craters Volcanic Field, Dotsero Volcanic Center, East Diamante, Esmeralda Bank, Farallon de Pajaros, f*ckujin Seamount , Glacier Peak, Guguan, Haleakalā, Hell's Half Acre Lava Field, Hualālai, Indian Heaven Volcanic Field, Jordan Craters Volcanic Field, Kama‘ehuakanaloa, Kasuga 2, Kīlauea, Lassen Volcanic Center, Long Valley Caldera, Mammoth Mountain, Markagunt Plateau Volcanic Field, Maug Islands, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Medicine Lake, Mono Lake Volcanic Field, Mono-Inyo Craters, Mount Adams, Mount Bachelor, Mount Baker, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Rainier, Mount Shasta, Mount St. Helens, Newberry, Ofu-Olosega, Pagan, Red Hill-Quemado Volcanic Field, Ruby, Salton Buttes, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Sand Mountain Volcanic Field, Sarigan, Soda Lakes, South Sarigan Seamount, Supply Reef, Ta'u Island, Three Sisters, Tutuila Island, Ubehebe Craters, Uinkaret Volcanic Field, Valles Caldera, Wapi Lava Field, Weekly Update, West Crater Volcanic Field, Yellowstone, Zealandia Bank, Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field

Hydrothermal monitoring at Mount Rainier.

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November 8, 2023

Mount Rainier Hosts Three Hydrothermal Monitoring Sites

Hydrothermal monitoring at Mount Rainier.

U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) regularly perform repairs, upgrades, and maintenance on the monitoring equipment on Mount Rainier.

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November 8, 2023

Maintaining Monitoring Equipment on Mount Rainier

U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) regularly perform repairs, upgrades, and maintenance on the monitoring equipment on Mount Rainier.

The greatest potential volcanic hazard at Mount Rainier is a lahar, also known as a volcanic mudflow.

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November 8, 2023

Monitoring Lahars at Mount Rainier

The greatest potential volcanic hazard at Mount Rainier is a lahar, also known as a volcanic mudflow.