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Geologic Field-Trip Guide to Volcanism and its Interaction with Snow and Ice at Mount Rainier, Washington

Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5022-A
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175022A

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Abstract

Mount Rainier is the Pacific Northwest’s iconic volcano. At 4,393 meters and situated in the south-central Cascade Range of Washington State, it towers over cities of the Puget Lowland. As the highest summit in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier hosts 26 glaciers and numerous permanent snow fields covering 87 square kilometers and having a snow and ice volume of about 3.8 cubic kilometers. It remains by far the most heavily glacier-clad mountain in the conterminous United States despite having lost about 14 percent of its ice volume between 1970 and 2008.

Five major rivers head at Mount Rainier—the White, Carbon, Puyallup, Nisqually, and Cowlitz Rivers. Because Mount Rainier is situated west of the Cascade Range crest, all of these rivers eventually turn and drain westward. The Puget Lowland, situated west to northwest of Mount Rainier, is the Pacific Northwest’s most densely populated area, including Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. The Puget Lowland is now home to a population of more than 4.5 million and a vibrant economy.

Mount Rainier is one of the most hazardous volcanoes in the United States, not so much because of its explosivity, but rather because of its frequent eruptions, its propensity to produce voluminous far-traveled lahars, and its proximity to large population centers of the Puget Lowland. Steep-sided, glacially carved valleys serve as lahar conduits, and even mild eruptions commonly produced large lahars that traveled into areas now populated by hundreds of thousands of people.

This guide describes a five-day field trip to view the geology of Mount Rainier as it relates to volcanism and its interaction with snow and ice. Day 1 will focus on lahars in the White River valley. We will drive to Enumclaw, Washington, to begin the day then work our way back upvalley toward Mount Rainier. Day 2 concentrates on geology of the Sunrise-Glacier Basin area within Mount Rainier National Park. As part of day 2 activities, we will hike about 10 miles from Sunrise to the top of Burroughs Mountain, down into Glacier Basin, and be picked up at White River Campground. On day 3 we will pack up and move to Paradise, stopping to examine geology along Stevens Canyon Road. We will hike from Paradise along the Golden Gate Trail and eventually eastward to the former Paradise Ice Caves area (the ice caves have melted out). Day 4 involves hiking from Comet Falls trailhead to Mildred Point and return (~7 miles; 11 km), examining geology along the way. During the first half of day 5, we will visit sites on the south side of Mount Rainier to study lahar deposits, then return to the tour origin.

Suggested Citation

Vallance, J.W., and Sisson, T.W., 2022, Geologic field-trip guide to volcanism and its interaction with snow and ice at Mount Rainier, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5022–A, 76 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175022A.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Tectonic Setting
  • Regional Geology
  • Holocene Volcanism of Mount Rainier
  • Volcano Hazard Assessments and Mount Rainier
  • Field Trip Itinerary and Field Stop Descriptions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Geologic field-trip guide to volcanism and its interaction with snow and ice at Mount Rainier, Washington
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2017-5022
Chapter A
DOI 10.3133/sir20175022A
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Volcano Science Center
Description Report: xi, 76 p.
Country United States
State Washington
Other Geospatial Mount Rainier
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details