earthstory reblogged
Source: millivedder
earthstory reblogged
justemoinue2-deactivated2018070
The Fuherer’s Finger route and Upper Nisqually Glacier
Mount Rainier, Washington
earthstory reblogged
Landscape Language Thalweg (n) – the line that traces the lowest points along the length of a riverbed or valley Along the thalweg, a river flows its fastest as it follows its deepest channel. The thalweg connects the lowest points of a river, and is a natural dividing line in a valley. Thalwegs have been used many times as natural borderlines between properties and even countries. However, the exact geography of a thalweg can change as often as the river changes course. The braided rivers of Mount Rainier fluctuate more than most, making their thalwegs poor borderlines. NPS photo of the Nisqually River and Glacier Bridge, 10/21/2014. A white ribbon of a river weaves through a wide rocky valley floor and underneath a bridge. ~kl
The shadow of Mt. Rainier
Contrary to how it appears, this is not an eruption plume of Washington State volcano Mt. Rainier/Tacoma. This image shows Mount Rainier at sunrise when the first rays of sunlight hit the mountain before hitting the sky. A phenomenon like this only occurs when there is significant cloud cover, the sun rises to the far south and is in the exact position where the rays of light are blocked by the volcano.
At 4392m Rainier is the highest volcano of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. Located only 87km from Seattle it is also one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. 26 major glaciers cover its flanks and an eruption could cause the glaciers to melt which in turn could lead to massive lahars (mudflows) flowing down to Seattle and other populated areas (presumably around 150,000 people currently live on old lahar deposits of Rainier). A landslide similar to the one at Mt St Helens in 1980 occurred at Rainier around 5600 years ago. This, as you can imagine would be a huge disaster if it occurred again. There is uncertainty about the most recent eruption at Rainier. Sources mention this could have been between 1820 and 1894.
The name Rainier was given to the volcano by George Vancouver in 1792. However, its original native name is Mount Tacoma or Talol which could be from either the Salishan word ‘mother of waters’ or the Skagit word for ‘Larger than Mount Baker’ (Ta= larger and Koma= Mt Baker). Native tribes have been living around the volcano for at least 15,000-10,000 years. Only 3,5% of Mount Rainier’s park land has been investigated archaeologically, revealing more than 75 prehistoric sites and individual artifacts.
A Nisqually legend tells the story of Mount Rainier moving from the Olympia Peninsula to the east side of Puget Sound because the mountains on the Olympia Peninsula were growing too large, pushing Rainier away. At Puget Sound Rainier became a monster devouring everything in its way. Eventually changer in the form of a fox came and subdued Rainier. Supposedly Rainier then burst a blood vessel and a river of blood poured out of the mountain before it bled out. Some recent lava flows (500 years ago) of the White River Valley could actually be these rivers of blood. A different legend of the Cowlitz tribe mentions that Mount Rainier had an argument with its two wives, Mount St Helens and Mount Adams. During the argument Mount St Helens became very jealous blowing of her top and in the process also knocking the head of Rainier.
--BO
Image: Courtesy of Nick Lippert, October 2011.
References: http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/geology/a_volcanicrisk.html
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/188623
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/mount-rainier-shadow-sunrise_n_1062613.html
Vitaliano, B.B. 1973. Legends of the Earth: Their Geologic Origins: Indiana University Press, Bloomington
Source: facebook.com