NEWS

DNR GETS FUNDING TO IMPROVE STUDY OF MT. RAINIER’S HAZARDS

By: Lyle Evansiano December 16, 2009

Most of the time, volcanoes like Mt. Rainier just sit there looking pretty. But they can be deadly hazards.

Residents of Orting are among the thousands living in the path of destructive lahars (debris flows) near Mt. Rainier.

That’s why it was good news last week to hear that the U.S. Geological Survey’s volcano program has awarded $7 million to universities and state agencies to improve volcano monitoring. DNR gets $130,000 for its Division of Geology and Earth Resources to do loss-estimation modeling of lahars (volcanic mudflows) from future eruptions of Mt. Rainier. The modeling of potential losses will allow local governments to better target planning efforts and help safety planners put damage mitigation funds to the best use.

Due its height, huge load of glacier ice, and the large number of people living nearby, Mt. Rainier is considered the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range. Its greatest hazard is debris flow — a mixture of mud and rock debris something like flowing concrete.

As the state’s Geological Survey, DNR keeps people informed of geolgocal events and their consequences. Check out DNR’s volcano web page: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologicHazardsMapping/Pages/volcanoes.aspx