An “earthquake swarm” started at Mount Rainier in Washington during the early morning hours on Tuesday with
over hundreds of tremors have been recorded up to now,
marking it as the biggest of its kind at the volcano since 2009.
“Earthquakes serve as a reminder that Mount Rainier remains an active volcanic structure,” said Weston Thelen, a research seismologist with the Cascade Volcano Observatory (CVO).
.
From what we have observed, we believe the primary reason for the earthquakes is water shifting within the crust located above the magma chamber.
Why It Matters
Mount Rainier is a living stratovolcano.
Located 45 miles southeast of Tacoma and 60 miles south-southeast of Seattle, according to a USGS report, its most recent volcanic activity consisted of “a light layer of ash” in 1894. Major eruptions have not taken place in over 1,000 years.
Mount Rainier experiences frequent earthquakes, typically around nine each month. However, on Tuesday, hundreds of tremors occurred within a short period.
The report about the swarm could worry people living close to the volcano, yet the USGS has reassured the public that there is nothing to fear.
What To Know
Sometimes, earthquakes can trigger volcanic activity, but this occurs only if the volcano is already ready to erupt and the earthquake is strong enough, specifically with a magnitude of 6.0 or higher, according to the USGS.
Volcanologists from the USGS do not expect Mount Rainier to experience an eruption. The volcano’s alert status is still set to NORMAL, with the active warning code currently labeled as GREEN, per the USGS. This indicates that the volcano is not actively erupting.
Mount Rainier experiences earthquake swarms approximately one or two times annually, typically involving only a few quakes. Nevertheless, over 1,000 tremors occurred during the 2009 event, which spanned three days. The strongest earthquake in that series measured 2.3 on the Richter scale.
The USGS stated, ‘Previous swarm events have been linked to the movement of fluids combined with existing fault lines.’
The earthquake activity started at 1:29 a.m. local time on Tuesday. According to Thelen, the biggest one measured 1.6 in magnitude, which is not strong enough to be felt. Nevertheless, larger tremors may occur later.
Damage doesn’t typically occur
until an earthquake has a magnitude of 4 or 5.
What People Are Saying
Research seismologist Weston Thelen from the Cascade Volcano Observatory stated
:
Earthquakes frequently occur under volcanoes, including those that are not currently active, due to the presence of significant amounts of water and heat underneath. Clusters of earthquakes happening closely together in both time and location—known as swarms—are commonly observed near volcanoes. Although the recent earthquake swarm at Mount Rainier includes more quakes than usual for this area, our detailed monitoring of the volcano began only in the late 1980s. Considering the last major eruption occurred approximately 1,000 years ago, there remains much to learn through continued observation to fully grasp the complete volcanic activity cycle at Mount Rainier.
USGS Volcanoes, on X, previously known as Twitter:
Prior instances of such swarms are believed to result from the movement of hydrothermal fluids under the summit coming into contact with existing fault lines.
USGS Volcanoes, in a subsequent update:
Mount Rainier is closely watched through an extensive system of seismic, infrasound, GPS, and camera stations. At present, no other developments are visible at the volcano.
Mount Rainier National Park, on Facebook:
No safety issues have been reported for tourists, employees, or nearby residents due to the heightened seismic activity at the peak of the mountain. The warning status for Mount Rainier continues to be GREEN/NORMAL.
What Happens Next
Surveillance will remain ongoing at Mount Rainier, with further alerts being released if necessary. Thelen mentioned that it remains uncertain how long the seismic activity will persist or whether it could become more severe.
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