1973 U.S.G.S. Map of Mt. Rainier and Environs, Washington

This is a 1973 Dwight 'Rocky' Crandell map of Washington State in the vicinity of the volcanic Mt. Rainier, considered North America's most dangerous active volcano. It illustrates the danger zones most at risk in a Mt. Rainier eruption.

A Closer Look

The map covers a large portion of Washington, including Puget Sound and the northern Cascade Range, with a focus on the volcanic Mt. Rainier. Cities and towns, administrative boundaries (including national parks and forests), airports, highways, waterways, mountains, ridges, buttes, lookout towers, and other features are labeled throughout. Shaded lines indicate the areas at the highest risk of mudflows in the event of an eruption of Mt. Rainier. A larger shaded area, mostly surrounding and to the east of the mountain, similarly marks areas at the highest risk of tephra (airborne rock debris) in the event of an eruption. An inset map at the top-right reflects Crandell's research on past eruptions of Mt. Rainier, namely the Osceola and Electron Mudflows (or Lahars), roughly 5,600 and 500 years ago, respectively. The text at right discusses Crandell's research and explains the impetus for the map, that is, the very real risk of Mt. Rainier erupting and threatening nearby populated areas. A small index map below the text displays the area covered in the main map as part of a wider index map of Washington state.

Mt. Rainier

Mount Rainier, a towering stratovolcano located in Washington State, is the highest peak in the Cascade Range at 14,411 feet and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the United States. Formed over the past 500,000 years, its geologic history is marked by repeated cycles of eruption, lava flows, and massive debris avalanches that have shaped its steep, glacier-covered slopes. Rainier's most recent volcanic activity occurred in the 19th century, but it remains an active volcano, monitored closely due to its potential for future eruptions. The primary hazard is not just explosive activity but the risk of lahars - fast-moving volcanic mudflows triggered by melting ice or structural collapse - which could devastate surrounding communities in the densely populated Puget Sound region.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Dwight 'Rocky' Crandell in 1973 for the U.S. Geological Survey. It is based on Crandell's groundbreaking research on the geologic history of the region, which was published by the Geological Survey in the 1967 report Volcanic Hazards at Mount Rainier, Washington. While the earlier report is widespread in institutional collections, the present map is only noted in the OCLC among the holdings of the University of New Mexico, San Francisco State University, and the Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire de la Sorbonne, with a later (1980) reprint held by the Université d'Ottawa.