Mass Wasting

Due to the fire and ice effect taking place in Mount Rainier National Park, and the immense eroding of the glaciers, mass wasting is extremely prominent. According to the textbook, “the interaction of processes of mass wasting, weathering, volcanism, and glaciation has created a powerful group of mechanisms for eroding, transporting, and depositing debris far and wide” (Harris, Tuttle, and Tuttle 519).  This raises a great deal of concerns and questions regarding not only the safety of the environment surrounding and in Mount Rainier National Park, but also the surrounding life.  Because Mount Rainier is fire and ice, volcano-watchers not only have to keep watch for lava flows and ash fall, they also have to keep water for avalanches and immense snow fall. Unlike most mountains, because Mount Rainier is affected by both fire and ice, it is not uncommon for watchers to see both of these occurring in the same exact day. Because of this, it is that much more important to monitor Mount Rainier because there are so many things that can come into play that can drastically effect the surrounding environment.  Many of these violent changes can happen with in succession of each other, whether it is intense mudflows destroying all vegetation and life that stands in its’ way all due to heavy rainfall, or avalanches and rock falls that result from stream explosions(Harris, Tuttle, and Tuttle 519-521). The following is a map of mudflows and deposits from Holocene Time.

Map of Mudflows, lava flows and deposits during Holocene Time
(Harris, Tuttle, and Tuttle 521)

 All of these things have the very potential to destroy the local environment in and around Mount Rainier National Park.  This is especially important because it is recorded that “ lahars and mudflows travel at speeds of about 50 miles per hours” (Harris, Tuttle, and Tuttle 521). Because of this Mount Rainier National Park is constantly checking the conditions of Mount Rainier in both fire and ice aspects, and has set up not only an effective warning system but also evacuation plans for surrounding areas. This is because with mudflows and lahars moving at such speeds, and the potential for lava flows to be moving even faster, it is important that Mount Rainier National Park is able to effectively and efficiently warn all locals and visitors early enough for them to be able to clear the area before these mudflows, lahars or lava flows reach them. (Harris, Tuttle, and Tuttle 519-521)

Information and pictures from this post are credited to the following sources:

Harris, Ann G., Esther Tuttle, and Sherwood D. Tuttle.Geology of National Parks. sixth ed. . Dubuque,Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004. 519-21. Print.