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Mount Rainier

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

                         Mount Rainier
   Mount Rainier as viewed from the Sourdough Ridge trail.
   Elevation     14,410 ft (4,392 m)
   Location      Washington State, USA
   Range         Cascades
   Prominence    13,211 ft (4,026 m) Ranked 21st
   Coordinates   46°51′11.9″N, 121°45′35.6″W
   Topo map      USGS Mount Rainier West
   Type          Composite volcano
   Age of rock   < 500,000 yr
   Last eruption 1854
   First ascent  1870 by Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump
   Easiest route rock/ice climb via Disappointment Cleaver

   Mount Rainier is a composite volcano in Pierce County, Washington,
   located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle, Washington, in the
   United States. It is the highest peak in the Cascade Range, with a
   topographical summit of 14,411 feet (4,392 m). The mountain and the
   surrounding area comprise Mount Rainier National Park. The mountain is
   mostly covered by snow and glaciers, but heat from the volcano keeps
   areas of the crater rim on its summit cone mostly free of snow and ice.
   The geothermal heat has also caused the formation of glacier caves in
   the twin summit craters.

   Mount Rainier was originally known as Talol or Tahoma (not to be
   confused with Tacoma), from the Puyallup word təqʷúʔbəʔ ("mother of
   waters"). It has a topographic prominence of 13,211 feet (4,026 m),
   greater than that of K2. It can be seen prominently to the south from
   most of the Seattle Metropolitan Area. On clear days, it can also be
   seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon. Because of its scenic
   dominance, Seattle/Tacoma-area residents often refer to it simply as
   "the Mountain."

   Mountain climbing on Mount Rainier is difficult. It includes climbing
   on the largest glaciers in the U.S. south of Alaska and most climbers
   require two to three days to reach the summit, with weather and
   conditioning being the most common reasons for failure. Climbing teams
   require experience in glacier travel, self-rescue, and wilderness
   travel. About 8,000 - 13,000 people attempt the climb each year , about
   90% via routes from Camp Muir on the southwest flank. Most of the rest
   ascend Emmons Glacier via Camp Schurman on the northeast. About half of
   the attempts are successful. About two to three mountaineering deaths
   each year occur due to rock and ice fall, avalanche, falls, and
   hypothermia associated with severe weather.

   Hiking, photography, and camping are very popular in the park. There
   are several hiking trails, including the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile
   circumnavigation of the peak. Mount Rainier is also popular for winter
   sports, including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

   The Carbon, Puyallup, Nisqually, and Cowlitz Rivers begin at eponymous
   glaciers of Mount Rainier. The sources of the White River are Winthrop,
   Emmons and Fryingpan Glaciers. The White and Carbon join the Puyallup
   River which discharges into Commencement Bay at Tacoma, the Nisqually
   empties into Puget Sound east of Lacey and the Cowlitz joins the
   Columbia River between Kelso and Longview.

Geological history

   Mount Rainier with its main summit, Columbia Crest (14,410 feet) at the
   center. Massive Emmons Glacier covers most of the visible flank of the
   mountain. Left of the glacier is sharp pointed Little Tahoma (11,138
   feet) with Frying Pan Glacier on its flank.
   Enlarge
   Mount Rainier with its main summit, Columbia Crest (14,410 feet) at the
   centre. Massive Emmons Glacier covers most of the visible flank of the
   mountain. Left of the glacier is sharp pointed Little Tahoma (11,138
   feet) with Frying Pan Glacier on its flank.

   Mount Rainier's earliest lavas are over 840,000 years old and are part
   of the Lily Formation (2.9 million to 840,000 years ago). The early
   lavas formed a "proto-Rainier" or an ancestral cone prior to the
   present-day cone. The present cone is over 500,000 years old (Sisson
   1995). The volcano is highly eroded, with glaciers on its slopes, and
   appears to be made mostly of andesite. Rainier likely once stood even
   higher than today at 16,000 ft. (4,877 m) before a major debris
   avalanche and the resulting Osceola Mudflow 5,000 years ago.
   Hazard map
   Enlarge
   Hazard map

   In the past, Rainier has had large debris avalanches, and has also
   produced enormous lahars (volcanic mudflows) due to the large amount of
   glacial ice present. Its lahars have reached all the way to the Puget
   Sound. Around 5,000 years ago, a large chunk of the volcano slid away
   and that debris avalanche helped to produce the massive Osceola
   Mudflow, which went all the way to the site of present-day Tacoma and
   south Seattle. This massive avalanche of rock and ice took out the top
   1,600 ft. (488 m) of Rainier, bringing its height down to around 14,400
   ft. (4,389 m). About 530 to 550 years ago, the Electron Mudflow
   occurred, although this was not as large-scale as the Osceola Mudflow.

   After the major collapse 5,000 years ago, subsequent eruptions of lava
   and tephra built up the modern summit cone until about as recently as
   1,000 years ago. As many as 11 Holocene tephra layers have been found.

   The most recent recorded volcanic eruption was between 1820 and 1854,
   but many eyewitnesses reported eruptive activity in 1858, 1870, 1879,
   1882 and 1894 as well. As of 2002, there is no imminent risk of
   eruption, but geologists expect that the volcano will erupt again.

   Lahars from Rainier pose the most risk to life and property, as many
   communities lie atop older lahar deposits. Not only is there much ice
   atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by
   hydrothermal activity. According to Geoff Clayton, a geologist with
   RH2, a repeat of the Osceola mudflow would destroy Enumclaw, Kent,
   Auburn, and most or all of Renton. Such a mudflow may also reach down
   the Duwamish estuary and destroy parts of downtown Seattle, and
   (speculatively) may cause tsunamis in Puget Sound and Lake Washington.

   Rainier is also capable of producing pyroclastic flows as well as lava.
   3,300 foot (1,000 m) high Willis Wall dominates the north face of the
   mountain (right center). Winthrop Glacier (left) is bounded by
   Steamboat Prow and Curtis Ridge.
   Enlarge
   3,300 foot (1,000 m) high Willis Wall dominates the north face of the
   mountain (right centre). Winthrop Glacier (left) is bounded by
   Steamboat Prow and Curtis Ridge.
   Descending from the summit ice cap, Tahoma Glacier is flanked by
   Puyallup and South Tahoma Glaciers
   Enlarge
   Descending from the summit ice cap, Tahoma Glacier is flanked by
   Puyallup and South Tahoma Glaciers

Human history

   Mount Rainier was first known by the Native Americans as Tah-ho-ma. At
   the time of European contact, the river valleys and other areas near
   the mountain were inhabited by many Pacific Northwest tribes who hunted
   and gathered berries in the forests and mountain meadows. These
   included the Nisqually, Cowlitz, Yakama, Puyallup, and Muckleshoot.

   Captain George Vancouver reached Puget Sound in 1792 and became the
   first European to see the mountain. He named it in honour of his
   friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.

   In 1833, Dr. William Tolmie explored the area looking for medicinal
   plants. He was followed by other explorers seeking challenge. Hazard
   Stevens and P.B. Van Trump received a hero's welcome in the streets of
   Olympia after their successful summit climb in 1870. John Muir climbed
   Mount Rainier in 1888, and although he enjoyed the view, he conceded
   that it was best appreciated from below. Muir was one of many who
   advocated protecting the mountain. In 1893, the area was set aside as
   part of the Pacific Forest Reserve in order to protect its
   physical/economic resources: timber and watersheds.

   Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public
   enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a
   national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899,
   President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as
   America's fifth national park. Congress dedicated the new park "for the
   benefit and enjoyment of the people; and...for the preservation from
   injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural
   curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their
   natural condition."
   View of Mount Rainier from the observation deck of the Space Needle.
   Liberty Cap is the visible summit from this view, sitting atop the
   Willis Wall, the large snow-free area.
   Enlarge
   View of Mount Rainier from the observation deck of the Space Needle.
   Liberty Cap is the visible summit from this view, sitting atop the
   Willis Wall, the large snow-free area.

   In 1998, the United States Geological Survey began putting together the
   Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System to assist in the emergency
   evacuation of the Puyallup River valley in the event of a catastrophic
   debris flow. It is now run by the Pierce County Department of Emergency
   Management. Tacoma, at the mouth of the Puyallup, is only 37 miles
   (60 km) west of Rainier, and moderately sized towns such as Puyallup
   and Orting are only 27 and 20 miles (44 and 32 km) away, respectively.

Subsidiary peaks

   Mount Rainier from space
   Enlarge
   Mount Rainier from space

   The broad top of Mount Rainier contains three named summits. The
   highest is called Columbia Crest. The second highest summit is Point
   Success, 14,158 ft (4,315 m), at the southern edge of the summit
   plateau, atop the ridge known as Success Cleaver. It has a topographic
   prominence of about 138 ft (42 m), so it is not considered a separate
   mountain. The lowest of the three summits is Liberty Cap, 14,112 ft
   (4,301 m), at the northwestern edge, which overlooks Liberty Ridge, the
   Sunset Amphitheater, and the dramatic Willis Wall. Liberty Cap has a
   prominence of 492 ft (197 m), and so would qualify as a separate
   mountain under most strictly prominence-based rules. However it is not
   usually considered a separate mountain, due to the massive size of
   Mount Rainier, relative to which a 492 foot drop is not very large.

   High on the eastern flank of Mount Rainier is a peak known as Little
   Tahoma, 11,138 ft (3,395 m), a volcanic remnant of an earlier
   configuration of Mount Rainier. It has a prominence of 858 ft (262 m),
   and it is almost never climbed in direct conjunction with Columbia
   Crest, so it is usually considered a separate mountain.

Washington state quarter

   The quarter, which will be released in March or April 2007, will
   feature the volcano and a salmon.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rainier"
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