Mount Rainier in Washington is an active volcano, and geologists believe it is just a matter of time before some type of volcanic activity occurs there again.
Some have even called Mount Rainier the most dangerous volcano in the United States.
They predict that the worst threat to the area would come from debris flows, since about 100,000 people now live in areas where those flows have occurred in the past.
Over the past 10,000 years, some 60 debris flows, a combination of mud and rock that slides down Mount Rainier’s sides, have covered the surrounding region near Tacoma, Washington.
Located in the Cascade Mountain range, Mount Rainier covers 100 square miles (260 sq km) and is home to 41 glaciers.
The last large eruption took place about 2,000 years ago, and the latest volcanic activity occurred in 1882.
The U.S. Geological Survey constantly monitors volcanic activity at Mount Rainier and other volcanoes in the Cascades range.
Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the state. On clear days it can be seen from Seattle, about 50 miles (81 km) away.
This peak holds the record for the biggest snowfall ever recorded in one season in North America, from July 1971 through June 1972, the Rainier Paradise Ranger Station saw 1,122 inches (2,850 cm) of the white stuff.
