A trip to Mount Rainier National Park brings you through lush landscapes dotted with wildflowers. However, a beast lies beneath the park! The mountain is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Does that mean the park is dangerous? On this episode of Podcasts with Park Rangers sit down with a Park Geologist to learn more about the volcanic activity and geology of Mount Rainier National Park.
 
Show Notes found at: https://www.virtualkamper.com/pwpr21/
Help keep the show on the road: https://www.patreon.com/virtualkamper/

Podcast Resources:

* Mount Rainier NP – NPS Website
* Mount Rainier Wiki Page
* Episode 22: Mt Rainier NP – Glaciers and Climate Change

Topics Covered

* About Scott Beason
* About Mount Rainier
* An Active Volcano
* How Does a Subduction Zone Work?
* Historical Eruptions at Mount Rainier
* Types of Volcanoes
* One of the Most Dangerous Volcanoes in the World
* How They Monitor the Volcano
* Current Research into the Geology of Mount Rainier
* Not All Lahars Occur During Eruptions
* Travels to Colombia to Study Lahar
* The Devastation of Nevado del Ruiz
* What Mount Rainier’s Geologists Can Learn from Nevado del Ruiz
* The Ultimate Question: Is It Safe to Visit Mount Rainier?
* Scott’s Love for Mount Rainier and the NPS
* Thanks to Our Listeners – Let’s Connect More!

About Scott Beason
Scott is one of the few Park Geologists in the National Park System. According to him, there are about 8-9 people who work in the specialty.
Since 2004, Scott has worked off and on with the National Park Service and started as an intern at Mount Rainier. Through a variety of roles: interpretation, law enforcement, and resources — Scott found a love for the NPS.
Additionally, the Pacific Northwest captured Scott’s heart. It’s why he now calls Mount Rainier home, even after he’s worked at other parks. As a result, he decided to work on the NPS resource team and study the geology of Mount Rainier after he graduated with his Master’s degree.
About Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is approximately 70 miles southeast of Seattle/Tacoma in Washington state. As the fifth National Park in the Park System, it spans 240,000 acres and a variety of ecosystems. Low elevation rainforest, sub-alpine areas, volcanoes, and glaciers draw over 2 million visitors a year.
The mountain is a beacon in the Pacific Northwest at 14,410 feet tall. And when you consider all the other mountains in the area are around 3,000 feet, it stands out for hundreds of miles around. In addition to the height, it’s also the most glaciated peak in the Cascade Mountain range.
An Active Volcano
Mount Rainier is considered to be an active volcano because it has a magma source beneath the surface. And over ½ million years, it’s erupted over and over again. Evidence of both magma eruptions and lahars exist.