How would an eruption of Mount Rainier compare to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens?
Eruptions of Mount Rainier usually produce much less volcanic ash than do eruptions at Mount St. Helens. However, owing to the volcano's great height and widespread cover of snow and glacier ice, eruption-triggered debris flows (lahars) at Mount Rainier are likely to be much larger--and will travel a greater distance--than those at Mount St. Helens in 1980. Furthermore, areas at risk from debris flows from Mount Rainier are more densely populated than similar areas around Mount St. Helens.
Learn more: USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Related Content
What is the greatest hazard presented by Mount Rainier?
How dangerous is Mount Rainier?
How much ash was there from the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens?
How many eruptions have there been in the Cascades during the last 4,000 years?
How far did the ash from Mount St. Helens travel?
Why is it important to monitor volcanoes?
Can lakes near volcanoes become acidic enough to be dangerous to people and animals?
How can we tell when a volcano will erupt?
Is it dangerous to work on volcanoes? What precautions do scientists take?
Can an eruption at one volcano trigger an eruption at another volcano?
Ten ways Mount St. Helens changed our world—The enduring legacy of the 1980 eruption
Mount St. Helens was once enjoyed for its serene beauty and was considered one of America’s most majestic volcanoes because of its perfect cone shape, similar to Japan’s beloved Mount Fuji. Nearby residents assumed that the mountain was solid and enduring. That perception changed during the early spring of 1980. Then, on May 18, 1980,...
Driedger, Carolyn L.; Major, Jon J.; Pallister, John S.; Clynne, Michael A.; Moran, Seth C.; Westby, Elizabeth G.; Ewert, John W.
Field trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington—Recent and ancient volcaniclastic processes and deposits
This field guide explores volcanic effusions, sediments, and landforms at Mount St. Helens in Washington. A detailed synopsis outlines the eruptive history of Mount St. Helens from about 300,000 years ago through 1980 and beyond.The five days in the field include about 28 stops and 12 potential stops. Exposures in valleys surrounding Mount St....
Waitt, Richard B.; Major, Jon J.; Hoblitt, Richard P.; Van Eaton, Alexa R.; Clynne, Michael A.
When volcanoes fall down—Catastrophic collapse and debris avalanches
Despite their seeming permanence, volcanoes are prone to catastrophic collapse that can affect vast areas in a matter of minutes. Large collapses begin as gigantic landslides that quickly transform to debris avalanches—chaotically tumbling masses of rock debris that can sweep downslope at extremely high velocities, inundating areas far beyond the...
Siebert, Lee; Reid, Mark E.; Vallance, James W.; Pierson, Thomas C.
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U....
Ewert, John W.; Diefenbach, Angela K.; Ramsey, David W.
U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program—Assess, forecast, prepare, engage
At least 170 volcanoes in 12 States and 2 territories have erupted in the past 12,000 years and have the potential to erupt again. Consequences of eruptions from U.S. volcanoes can extend far beyond the volcano’s immediate area. Many aspects of our daily life are vulnerable to volcano hazards, ...
Stovall, Wendy K.; Wilkins, Aleeza M.; Mandeville, Charles W.; Driedger, Carolyn L.
Mount Rainier: living safely with a volcano in your backyard
Majestic Mount Rainier soars almost 3 miles (14,410 feet) above sea level and looms over the expanding suburbs of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Each year almost two million visitors come to Mount Rainier National Park to admire the volcano and its glaciers, alpine meadows, and forested ridges. However, the volcano's beauty is deceptive - U.S....
Driedger, Carolyn L.; Scott, William E.
Eruptions in the Cascade Range during the past 4,000 years
Volcanoes have been erupting in the Cascade Range for over 500,000 years. During the past 4,000 years eruptions have occurred at an average rate of about 2 per century. This chart shows 13 volcanoes on a map of Washington, Oregon, and northern California and time lines for each showing the ages of their eruptions.
Myers, Bobbie; Driedger, Carolyn L.
Debris-flow hazards caused by hydrologic events at Mount Rainier, Washington
At 4393 m, ice-clad Mount Rainier has great potential for debris flows owing to its precipitous slopes and incised steep valleys, the large volume of water stored in its glaciers, and a mantle of loose debris on its slopes. In the past 10,000 years, more than sixty Holocene lahars have occurred at Mount Rainier (Scott et al., 1985), and, in...
Vallance, James W.; Cunico, Michelle L.; Schilling, Steve P.
Eruptions of Mount St. Helens : past, present, and future
Tilling, Robert I.; Topinka, Lyn J.; Swanson, Donald A.
Volcano hazards from Mount Rainier, Washington, revised 1998
Hoblitt, R.P.; Wilder, J.S.; Driedger, C.L.; Scott, K.M.; Pringle, P.T.; Vallance, J.W.
Volcanoes!
Volcanoes is an interdisciplinary set of materials for grades 4-8. Through the story of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, students will answer fundamental questions about volcanoes: "What is a volcano?" "Where do volcanoes occur and why?" "What are the effects of volcanoes on the Earth system?" "What are the risks and the benefits of living...
This dynamic earth: the story of plate tectonics
In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theory of plate tectonics started a revolution in the earth sciences. Since then, scientists have verified and refined this theory, and now have a much better understanding of how our planet has been shaped by plate-tectonic processes. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics...
Kious, W. Jacquelyne; Tilling, Robert I.
Mount St. Helens’ 1980 Eruption Changed the Future of Volcanology
If scientists armed with today's monitoring tools and knowledge could step back in time to the two months before May 18, 1980, they would have been able to better forecast the forthcoming devastating eruption.
EarthWord–Lahar
Which sounds more dangerous, lava or mud? The answer may surprise you...
May is Volcano Preparedness Month in Washington State
May is Volcano Preparedness Month in Washington, providing residents an opportunity to become more familiar with volcano hazards in their communities and learn about steps they can take to reduce potential impacts.
EarthWord–Subduction
It’s not flirting for submarines, but this week’s EarthWord does feature the ocean...
PubTalk 2/2018 — USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Title: The USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory - Research, monitoring, and the science of preparing society for low-probability, high-consequence events
- Volcanoes in the Cascade Range erupt twice per century on average, with eruptions often lasting for years.
- Although eruptions are generally not as high-consequence as large earthquakes, they are still
Mt. Rainier Lahar Hazard Map
Volcano hazard map showing the extent of lahar hazards in towns and valleys surrounding Mt. Rainier in Washington. Image credit: USGS
Photograph of Mount Rainier and Orting, Washington
Photograph of Mount Rainier and Orting, Washington, as seen from a ridge to the west. Orting is one of many communities that are in lahar-prone areas below the flanks of Mount Rainier.
Field Work on Mount Rainier
Researcher Amanda Kissel pauses by a lake in Mt. Rainier National Park.
Mount Rainier looms over the Puyallup Valley, Washington
Mount Rainier volcano looms over Puyallup Valley, near Orting, Washington.
Volcano Hazards
The United States has 169 active volcanoes. More than half of them could erupt explosively, sending ash up to 20,000 or 30,000 feet where commercial air traffic flies. USGS scientists are working to improve our understanding of volcano hazards to help protect communities and reduce the risks.
Video Sections:
- Volcanoes: Monitoring Volcanoes
Volcano Web Shorts 5 - Volcanic Ash Impacts
Volcanic ash is geographically the most widespread of all volcanic hazards. USGS geologist Larry Mastin describes how volcanic ash can disrupt lives many thousands of miles from an erupting volcano. The development of ash cloud models and ash cloud disruption to air traffic is highlighted.
Volcano Web Shorts 4 - Instruments
USGS technologist Rick LaHusen describes how the development and deployment of instruments plays a crucial role in mitigating volcanic hazards.
Volcano Web Shorts 3: Seismology
USGS volcano seismologist, Seth Moran, describes how seismology and seismic networks are used to mitigate volcanic hazards.
Volcano Web Shorts 2: Debris Flows
Debris flows are hazardous flows of rock, sediment and water that surge down mountain slopes and into adjacent valleys. Hydrologist Richard Iverson describes the nature of debris-flow research and explains how debris flow experiments are conducted at the USGS Debris Flow Flume, west of Eugene, Oregon. Spectacular debris flow footage, recorded by Franck Lavigne of the
Mount St. Helens: May 18, 1980
USGS scientists recount their experiences before, during and after the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Loss of their colleague David A. Johnston and 56 others in the eruption cast a pall over one of the most dramatic geologic moments in American history.
Mount St. Helens: A Catalyst for Change
The May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens triggered a growth in volcano science and volcano monitoring. Five USGS volcano observatories have been established since the eruption. With new technologies and improved awareness of volcanic hazards USGS scientists are helping save lives and property across the planet.