Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier History
As the face of Mount Rainier constantly changes depending on weather, season and time of day, so does the mountain's interior. Its inner rumblings remind us that it is a mountain whose story is still being told.
Land of Fire
Mount Rainier is an active volcano, although the most recent documented eruptions occurred during the early to mid-1800s. It is part of the Ring of Fire of volcanic ranges that almost circle the Pacific Ocean, including the Aleutians, the western coast of North and South America, Antarctica, eastern Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan. The 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens, located about 50 miles southwest of Mount Rainier, and the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines demonstrate the volatile nature of the Ring of Fire.
The Making of the Mountain
Mount Rainier is the highest volcanic peak in the Cascades, a mountain range that stretches from Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia to Lassen Peak in Northern California. Mount Rainier was formed not in one great cataclysm, but by many years of volcanic activity. It is a composite volcano (or stratovolcano) made from sluggish, intermittent lava flows and explosive eruptions of ash and rock.
Volcanoes have been erupting in this region for at least 40 million years. About 500,000 years ago, fiery forces thrust molten rock through a weak spot in the earth's crust. Lava oozed out of the hole and rock and pumice spewed out violently, resulting in a volcanic cone. Mount Rainier grew to an estimated 16,000 feet above sea level.
About 5,700 years ago, the smoldering fires inside Mount Rainier erupted and the mountainside collapsed. Tons of rock, mud and debris rolled down the peak's northeast flank. A wall of mud 100 feet high cascaded like a river of wet cement across 125 square miles ending in the waters of Puget Sound. This mud slide is called the Osceola Mudflow; the towns of Kent, Sumner, Auburn and Puyallup are built on top of the flow. Gone was the 16,000-foot summit, leaving a northeast-facing depression measuring nearly two miles in diameter.
Small-to-moderate eruptions have occurred, on average, every few hundred years in the past 10,000 years. The most recent large eruption was about 1,000 years ago. The remains of the older, higher cone are seen in Liberty Cap and Point Success. The two craters overlap at the mountain's summit, 14,410-foot Columbia Crest. A small eruption occurred about 150 years ago and the mountain may continue to spew ash and steam intermittently during the next century, causing small floods and mudflows. Only time will tell when Mount Rainier will erupt again or be eroded away by the actions of ice, water and wind.
Mt. Rainier In Depth
News from the Parks
Alexander Backs New Source of Funding for National Parks
July 3, 2008 - 9:38am
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced he will cosponsor bipartisan legislation to create a new source of funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other national parks across the country as part of the “Centennial Challenge” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. “The Centennial Challenge could bring up to $4 million to the Smokies – the country’s most visited national park – and will go a long way toward improving park facilities, aiding conservation efforts, and helping build upon the excellent visitor services already offered. This 4th of July, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than backing legislation that will aid efforts to preserve and celebrate our national parks, one of America’s greatest treasures.”
July 3, 2008 - 9:38am
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced he will cosponsor bipartisan legislation to create a new source of funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other national parks across the country as part of the “Centennial Challenge” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. “The Centennial Challenge could bring up to $4 million to the Smokies – the country’s most visited national park – and will go a long way toward improving park facilities, aiding conservation efforts, and helping build upon the excellent visitor services already offered. This 4th of July, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than backing legislation that will aid efforts to preserve and celebrate our national parks, one of America’s greatest treasures.”
EPA's Pollution Plan Slammed
July 3, 2008 - 9:35am
City officials and business leaders here Wednesday warned that a federal proposal to relax air quality standards for the nation's national parks will ultimately be bad for business. Simply put, they said during a news conference at the entrance to Zion National Park, lower air standards being proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hurt this gateway city economically if fewer tourists visit the park. "Air pollution could damage the stars, vistas and clean air we enjoy," Springdale Mayor Pat Cluff said. "Some places deserve to be preserved and it is my responsibility to preserve [the park] for those who come here."
July 3, 2008 - 9:35am
City officials and business leaders here Wednesday warned that a federal proposal to relax air quality standards for the nation's national parks will ultimately be bad for business. Simply put, they said during a news conference at the entrance to Zion National Park, lower air standards being proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hurt this gateway city economically if fewer tourists visit the park. "Air pollution could damage the stars, vistas and clean air we enjoy," Springdale Mayor Pat Cluff said. "Some places deserve to be preserved and it is my responsibility to preserve [the park] for those who come here."
Dinosaur Fossils In Utah Inspire 'Jr. Paleontologists'
July 2, 2008 - 9:57am
Millions of years ago, northeastern Utah was a hot spot for dinosaurs. Today, people travel to the Dinosaur National Monument located on the borders of Colorado and Utah to see the leftover dinosaur bones. Visitors can see as many as 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Douglass Quarry.
July 2, 2008 - 9:57am
Millions of years ago, northeastern Utah was a hot spot for dinosaurs. Today, people travel to the Dinosaur National Monument located on the borders of Colorado and Utah to see the leftover dinosaur bones. Visitors can see as many as 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Douglass Quarry.
A Paiute Take On Bryce Canyon's Hoodoos
July 2, 2008 - 9:56am
The red spindly rock formations that make up the views at Bryce Canyon National Park are called hoodoos. Geologists say they were formed by erosion, but Kevin Poe, chief of interpretation at Bryce, shares his take on the Paiute legend about hoodoos.
July 2, 2008 - 9:56am
The red spindly rock formations that make up the views at Bryce Canyon National Park are called hoodoos. Geologists say they were formed by erosion, but Kevin Poe, chief of interpretation at Bryce, shares his take on the Paiute legend about hoodoos.
Can The Everglades Be Saved?
July 2, 2008 - 9:55am
Environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings about the deterioration of the Florida Everglades for years, saying these wetlands have to be restored in order to revive fragile ecosystems and increase scarce fresh water supplies. Over half of the Everglades are gone, irreversibly converted to urban or agricultural development. But this week, in an attempt to save what's left, the state of Florida announced a plan to buy nearly 200,000 acres of former wetlands from a sugar cane producer. Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history.
July 2, 2008 - 9:55am
Environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings about the deterioration of the Florida Everglades for years, saying these wetlands have to be restored in order to revive fragile ecosystems and increase scarce fresh water supplies. Over half of the Everglades are gone, irreversibly converted to urban or agricultural development. But this week, in an attempt to save what's left, the state of Florida announced a plan to buy nearly 200,000 acres of former wetlands from a sugar cane producer. Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history.
