https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1942624246544433282
By Michael Snyder
Is there a possibility that a cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Rainier could occur in the not too distant future? On Tuesday morning, Mt. Rainier was shaken by over 400 earthquakes. It was the largest earthquake swarm that we have seen at Mt. Rainier since 2009. Those that have been following my work for a long time already know why this earthquake swarm immediately got my attention. One of these days, Mt. Rainier will suddenly erupt, and a lot of people living in the vicinity of the volcano will die. Authorities have always known about the threat that Mt. Rainier poses, but they just kept building more homes in the shadow of the volcano.
Mt. Rainier had been pretty quiet for a while, but that period of relative stability was shattered very early on Tuesday morning…
A swarm of small earthquakes was detected at Mount Rainier Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).
The activity began on July 8, 2025, at 1:29 a.m. PDT, with hundreds of earthquakes recorded at depths ranging from 1.2 to 3.7 miles below the summit. The largest earthquake so far has been a magnitude 1.7.
This is really big news.
By the time the earthquake swarm was over, the U.S. Geological Survey had recorded over 400 earthquakes…
A swarm of small earthquakes began early Tuesday morning beneath Mount Rainier, with more than 400 minor tremors recorded as of midday, according to scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington.
The activity began at 1:29 a.m. on July 8 and was detected by the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).
I didn’t think that I was going to be writing about Mt. Rainier today.
But then this happened.
According to the USGS, this was the biggest earthquake swarm that we have seen at Mt. Rainier since 2009.
So why is this such a big deal?
The reason why it is such a big deal is because Mt. Rainier is located so close to major population centers that it is considered to be a “Very Hight Threat” volcano…
Mount Rainier, located about 45 miles southeast of Tacoma, is an active stratovolcano and the tallest peak in the Cascade Range. It is considered a “Very High Threat” volcano due to its potential hazards, including volcanic mudflows known as lahars, ash fall, and pyroclastic flows.
In the past, I have discussed the fact that Mt. Rainier is known as the most dangerous volcano in the United States.
Throughout history, there have been times when it has produced tsunamis of super-heated mud known as “lahars” that are hundreds of feet high.
In fact, lots of homes in the region have literally been built right on top of ancient lahar deposits.
Many Americans remember the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, but Mt. Rainier is about twice the size of Mount St. Helens, and millions of local residents live within easy viewing distance of the volcano.
When it finally blows, vast numbers of people will suddenly find themselves in imminent danger.
Seismologists tell us that Mt. Rainier is capable of producing colossal tsunamis of super-heated mud known as lahars. These lahars can be hundreds of feet high and they can travel at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.
Thankfully, Mt. Rainier has not produced any lahars since the United States became a nation, but scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before it happens again.
Unfortunately, this long period of inactivity has lulled us into a false sense of security, and large numbers of people now live in communities that have been constructed on top of the danger zone.
If a lahar were to hit your home, everyone and everything inside would be instantly cooked and permanently buried in blazing hot mud.
According to the USGS, approximately 150,000 people currently live on top of old lahar deposits from Mt. Rainier.
Just think about that for a moment.
Needless to say, that was not very smart planning at all.
Experts tell us that Mt. Rainier is capable of producing a gigantic lahar that would completely destroy Enumclaw, Buckley, Orting, Kent, Auburn, Puyallup, Sumner and Renton. Tacoma would be in great danger as well, and there is a possibility that a lahar from Mt. Rainier could even reach portions of downtown Seattle.
The death and destruction that such an event would cause would be unlike anything that we have ever seen before in the entire history of our country.
If you are currently living in a home that is located directly on top of an ancient lahar deposit, you might want to think about relocating while you still can.
For a moment, I would like for you to imagine what it would be like to have a giant wall of super-heated mud that is hundreds of feet high rushing at you at 50 miles per hour.
Mt. Rainier is going to erupt at some point.
It is just a matter of time.
Meanwhile, unusual earthquake activity is occurring on the other side of the globe as well.
Over the past two weeks, more than 1,300 earthquakes have shaken one area of Japan…
More than 1,300 earthquakes have hit Japan’s Tokara Islands in two weeks, prompting evacuations of dozens of residents from the remote archipelago on the country’s southern tip.
Although no major damage has been reported and no tsunami warnings have been issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency has cautioned that tremors as strong as a “lower 6” on Japan’s seven-stage seismic intensity scale — such as one that occurred Thursday — may continue.
Lower 6 indicates an intensity that may make it difficult for people to stand without holding on to stable support.
