Mount+Rainier

=__Introduction__=

What is Mount Rainier? - Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in Washington State, and to be specific, it is located on 46.87 N Lat, 121.758 W Long [a].

What is unique about it, or what caused it to be designated a national treasure? Mount Rainier is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Range (4392 meters), and also one of the most dangerous and seismically active [a].

Are there specific trails that people take? What is the topography like? There are 50 trails, the longest of which is the 93 mile Wonderland Trail which goes through all major areas of the park. The park has varied topography with many ridges and valleys, so on this trail there can be a 3500 ft change in elevation in a day [b]. -

=__Geologic Setting__= What are the unique geological features of the park that visitors come to see? how did these features form? Consider this question in depth: What is the bedrock of the area? Its location near a plate boundary affects the kind of bedrock it has. Under Mount Rainier, there is igneous rock that formed from lava and magma in the Tertiary period, which was between 65 and 1.8 million years ago, intruded by the granodiorite and quartz mononite of Tatoosh pluton. Most of the pluton (a structure formed when magma cools to rock below the surface) formed between 17.5-14.1 million years ago, but before that there formed some dikes (formed from magma entering fractures that cut through rock layers) and sills (formed from magma spreading out between parallel layers of rock.) [a] what tectonic activity has influenced the development of features? Mount Rainier formed along a convergent tectonic plate boundary, where the denser oceanic crust of the Juan de Fuca plate is subducted under the less dense continental crust of the North American plate. A continental volcanic arc formed at the boundary because as plate is subducted into the mantle it causes some magma to form and rise to the surface where it erupts. Over time the cone of the mountain was built of lava flows and breccia. what agents of erosion have influenced the shape of the landscape? How did they do it? Its many glaciers have helped erode the cone into its current shape and are still slowly reducing the size of the cone. Glaciers can erode by picking up pieces of rock they freeze around. Also, because the glaciers carry rock fragments they can abrade rock as they travel across it.

=__Climate and Weather__= Describe what the climate is like in this park and why? The climate is affected by its elevation, latitude and location near the Pacific Ocean. Rain and snow from water evaporated over the ocean is common. Cool weather can happen any time of year because it is next to an ocean, which heats more slowly than land in the summer, and because of its high elevation. Snow may remain on the mountain even in summer. Has the climate of the area had anything to do with the development of the features?

Is the climate changing? is there evidence of this in the park features? The size of glaciers on Mount Rainier has changed a lot since the past. Glaciers covered most of the area during the ice ages. There is evidence that large glaciers existed because of glacial deposits and erosion. From the 1300s to 1850, the Little Ice Age occurred, and a lot of the glaciers on Mount Rainier advanced farther down. Until 1920, the retreat of the Little Ice Age glaciers were slow, and then the retreat sped up. A quarter of the length of the glacier were lost between the Little Ice Age and 1950. From the 50s to the 80s, the glaciers advanced because of relatively cool temperatures of that time, and there were many high snowfalls. Glaciers started thinning, retreating, and slowed its advance up to 1992 since the 80s, because of drier climates at the volcano since 1977 [d].

• Any glacial deposit features? Mystic Lake. The glaciers that have caused erosion have also created deposits. Sediment deposited directly by a glacier is called till, and ridges of till deposited along the edges of glaciers when they are still for a while are called moraines. Where glaciers have been on Mount Rainier in the past, they have left lateral moraines, which form along the sides of glaciers, and end moraines, which form at the front. [a]

=__Biome__= What type of biome is the park in? The higher parts of the mountain are in an alpine biome, which are found on high land and have cold climates with a lot of precipitation. Here, because there is so much snow and ice, there are no trees and many places plants can't grow, but below it is the subalpine zone. Because of the large difference in elevation there are many life zones [e].

What kind of vegetation and animal life will we see? Since there is a 13,000 feet elevation difference, there are many types of animals that live on Mount Rainier. There are 56 mammal species; 11 species of amphibians and five species of reptiles; more than 229 species of birds; 8 species of native fish; but invertebrates probably represent 85% of the animal biomass in the park. Some examples would be Columbian black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels, noisy Stellar’s jays, and common ravens. The most diverse and abundant animals in the park, however, are the invertebrates – the insects, worms, crustaceans, spiders. Elk and black bear appear in the summer, and Mountain goats live in the alpine or sub-alpine regions [c].

There are many animals, but there are also many types of plants, and Mount Rainier has over 890 vascular species and more than 260 non-vascular plant species and fungi in the park. There are also more than 100 exotic plant species, especially along transportation corridors, near trails, and in riparian areas. Over half of the park (58%) is covered in trees and forests. There are two types of forests: Low elevation forests and mid elevation forests. Low elevation forests are located 1700 to 2700 ft high and contain Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar. Mid elevation forests are 4000 to 6000 ft high and contain Pacific Silver Fir, Alaska Yellow Cedar, Western White Pine, and Noble Fir [e].

Is the park, its inhabitants, or features in danger from human impact?

Air quality monitoring systems detect pollutants in the air. Man-made pollutants can travel around the globe, and they can come from Asia, Europe, and eastern North America. These pollutants can be deposited in lakes, streams, and on land in and around Mount Rainier, harming the animals and sometimes plants that live there.

Global Warming is a major threat to many of the glaciers, since there are a couple of glacier attractions at Mount Rainier. The unnatural heating can cause the glaciers to melt, causing these attractions to disappear, and the warming of the climate may change how the animals interact with the place they live. [f] Glaciers are also a cause of erosion; If they disappeared, how would it shape the mountain of igneous rock? From far away, the used to be beautiful white snow-topped volcano would look bland and boring in the future. Also, where would the animals that are used to living in icy regions of the mountains. If the ice melts, where would they go? Would the low-elevation animals take over?

Random Facts: • Mount Rainier is on the 2007 Washington State Quarter. • Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Rainier are sister mountains.

Cite pictures, and information properly.

http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/weather.htm ←climate http://www.nps.gov/archive/mora/home.htm ←overall mt rainier facts http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/mora/index.html ←pics Souces: [Temporary Numbering and includes fact list]

[a] "CVO Website - Mount Rainier Volcano." //USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO)//. Web. 7 June 2010. . [b] "Trail Descriptions, Mount Rainier National Park." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 8 June 2010. . [c] "Mount Rainier National Park - Animals (U.S. National Park Service)." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 2006. 6 June 2010. . [d] "Glaciers of Mount Rainier National Park." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 7 June 2010. . [e] "Mount Rainier National Park - Animals (U.S. National Park Service)." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America////.// Web. 2006. 7 June 2010. . [f] "Mount Rainier National Park - Air Quality." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America.// 2006. 6 June 2010. .