Could Mt. Rainier Explode? Surrounding Towns Preparing for It

I love volcanos. I think they're just fascinating. And I love exploring the lava tubes by Mount St. Helens. But Washington volcanos aren't all fun and games. Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world! And it's been seeing recent seismic activity.

Scientists describe the inside of Rainier as an acidic sauna. The gases are eating away at the rock, turning it into a clay consistency. They say it's "rotting" inside. Even though the magma is deep beneath the surface and will not rise, this crumbling of the mountain could cause massive rock and mud slides. This could trigger the glaciers melting and further escalate the mud slides.

Geologists say mud slides from Rainier have flattened ground as far away as Tacoma.

150,000 could potentially be impacted. Most of the surrounding towns have alert systems in place and drill children and hospitals on evacuation procedures.

To make things even more scary, Rainier has been experiencing significant seismic activity this month!