Mount Rainier has activated nearly 800 earthquakes in the past 30 days, including over 400 in a single 12-hour period in July, raising fears of volcanic activity. This stratovolcano poses significant risks to over 3.3 million people in the Seattle-Tacoma area due to potential ashfall, flooding, and mudflows, known as lahars, during an eruption. Although the USGS downplays immediate eruption risks, noting that recent tremors may be due to hot fluids rather than magma, the seismic activity suggests a potential for volcanic unrest in the future.
Mount Rainier keeps me up at night because it poses such a great threat to the surrounding communities. This stratovolcano could potentially create catastrophic lahars that would devastate rapidly large areas, threatening lives and infrastructure.
Large lahars can crush, abrade, bury, or carry away almost anything in their paths, making them extremely dangerous when a volcanic eruption occurs.
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