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| Mt. Rainier was out in all of its splendor today, nestled in evergreens. |
Mount Rainier[7] is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft (4,392 m).[1][2] Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list.[8] Because of its large amount of glacial ice, Mt. Rainier could potentially produce massive lahars that would threaten the whole Puyallup River valley.[9]
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.[26]
Although Mount Rainier is an active volcano, as of 2010 there was no evidence of an imminent eruption.[27] However, an eruption could be devastating for all areas surrounding the volcano.[28] Mount Rainier is currently listed as a Decade Volcano, or one of the 16 volcanoes with the greatest likelihood of causing great loss of life and property if eruptive activity resumes.[29] If Mt. Rainier were to erupt as powerfully as Mount St. Helens did in its May 18, 1980 eruption, the effect would be cumulatively greater, because of the far more massive amounts of glacial ice locked on the volcano compared to Mount St. Helens[25] and the vastly more heavily populated areas surrounding Rainier.[30]
During my 1966 visit to Washington State we visited Mt. St. Helens and slid on our butts in the snow. This, of course, was before it erupted in 1980.
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a stratovolcano located in Washington, in the United States, was a major volcanic eruption. The eruption (which was a VEI 5 event) was the only significant one to occur in the contiguous 48 US states since the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak in California.[1] The eruption was preceded by a two-month series of earthquakes and steam-venting episodes, caused by an injection of magma at shallow depth below the volcano that created a huge bulge and a fracture system on Mount St. Helens' north slope.
Prior to the eruption, USGS scientists convinced local authorities to close Mount St. Helens to the general public and to maintain the closure in spite of pressure to re-open it; their work saved thousands of lives. An earthquake at 8:32:17 a.m. PDT (UTC−7) on Sunday, May 18, 1980, caused the entire weakened north face to slide away, suddenly exposing the partly molten, gas- and steam-rich rock in the volcano to lower pressure. The rock responded by exploding a hot mix of lava and pulverized older rock toward Spirit Lake so fast that it overtook the avalanching north face.
An eruption column rose 80,000 feet (24,400 m) into the atmosphere and deposited ash in 11 U.S. states.[2] At the same time, snow, ice and several entire glaciers on the volcano melted, forming a series of large lahars (volcanic mudslides) that reached as far as the Columbia River, nearly 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the southwest. Less severe outbursts continued into the next day only to be followed by other large but not as destructive eruptions later in 1980.
Fifty-seven people[3] (including innkeeper Harry R. Truman, photographer Reid Blackburn and geologist David A. Johnston) and thousands of animals were killed. Hundreds of square miles were reduced to wasteland, causing over a billion U.S. dollars in damage ($2.74 billion in 2011 dollars[4]), and Mount St. Helens was left with a crater on its north side. At the time of the eruption, the summit of the volcano was owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad, but afterward the land passed to the United States Forest Service.[5] The area was later preserved, as it was, in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
Lorrie goes back to work today, September 4. (She is, by the way, an exceptional school bus driver!) Southern Cayuga teachers and staff report as well. Students will be starting in Wellsville where Nate and Jessica teach third and second grade, respectively.
I, on the other hand, booked a whale watching cruise on the Victoria Clipper!
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| Pictures to follow. Dramamine purchased. :D |
CONTEST CORNER
CONTEST UPDATE, Second Opportunity to Receive a Clue
In the Day#14 post, dated 8/23/12, I announced the contest and the complete details required for submission. The short version is: Guess how many views this blog will have by the end of my journey, October 11. Prize to winner: dinner for two at a restaurant within 100 miles of your home, redeemable not later than October 2014. Guess the total number of blog views without going over. The closest one wins. Guess exactly and theatre tickets will be added. There were 800 views as of 8/23.
Realizing it will be in the entrants best interest to WAIT until closer to the end of my voyage to submit their one and only guess, I will be adding opportunities for people to earn clues to assist them with estimating their final guess. The first five (5) people who respond with the correct answer to the question #2 with be given the answer to the clue #2.
Question
#2:
What color door did Mary Kay sleep behind in Lodi?
What color door did Mary Kay sleep behind in Lodi?
Clue
#2:
The first five (5) individuals who answer Question #2 correctly will be told the average number of views per day between the post on Day #14 and the post on Day #21.
The first five (5) individuals who answer Question #2 correctly will be told the average number of views per day between the post on Day #14 and the post on Day #21.
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