Scientists issues warning for America's most dangerous volcano that could have a devastating impact
Topics: Volcano, Washington
Kiesha Dosanjh
Featured Image Credit: VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Topics: Volcano, Washington
Over the years, there has been widespread online claims that Mount Rainier is ‘about to erupt’. Although these proved untrue, scientists have now issued a warning about the United States’ ‘most dangerous’ volcano.
Although warnings aren’t about an eruption, scientists have warned on the dangers of mudslides, also known as lahars at the volcano, which could completely destroy three Washington towns.
These are ‘a highly destructive, fast-moving slurry of water, volcanic ash, rock fragments, and debris that rushes down the slopes of a volcano,’ as per USGS.
Orting, Puyallup and Sumner, are at risk of 'obliteration,' should this happen to Mount Rainier, with 60,000 residents living around the danger zone. And a 'no-notice lahar' could hit within just half an hour, former Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) geophysicist Andy Lockhart told Popular Mechanics.
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Out of the three, experts say Orting will suffer most, due to ‘its limited evacuation routes’.
National Autonomous University of Mexico volcanologist Lizeth Caballero García, added that lahars can ‘grow and dilute’ and are a ‘complex phenomena that change a lot during transport.’
Although experts have spent years researching how to improve warning systems, so people can get out on time, ‘no-notice lahars’ can occur without warning, and therefore, are very hard to predict.
These can happen without an eruption or major earthquakes, experts say. In the past, factors such as dam failures and heavy thunderstorms have started fatal lahars worldwide.
“[No-notice lahars are] the thing that goes bump in the night. It creeps me out,” Andy added.
Areas surrounding the volcano have mass evacuation drills - so residents are prepared, should disaster strike.
Yes, it has had many in the past, and due to the threat of more in the future, is considered one of the ‘most dangerous’ volcanoes in the United States of America.
The most significant, happened over 5000 years ago which ‘caused 2 to 3 km3 (0.5 to 0.7 mi3) of mainly hydrothermally altered material from the volcano's summit and northeast slope to slide away,’ USGS reports.
Once again, yes it has. However, there hasn’t been a large eruption for hundreds of years.
There have been a number of recent eruptions elsewhere lately, with three people tragically losing their lives after Indonesia's Mount Dukono erupted.
The three people who died during the eruption were hiking on the mountain, despite restrictions as the volcano has erupted more than 200 times since March last year.