(Fox13 Seattle)—Seismologists are closely monitoring Mount Rainier after a swarm of earthquakes struck the Pacific Northwest’s tallest volcano this week. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that hundreds of small quakes have occurred since the swarm began, making it the largest such event at the mountain since 2009.
Wes Thelen, a seismologist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory, told FOX 13 Seattle that the quakes began as a concentrated group of seismic events happening in quick succession.
What they’re saying:
“We had an increase in activity in seismic activity up to about 26 events an hour, which is a pretty good event rate for a quiet volcano,” explained Thelen. “Since then, it’s tailed off.”
He added that while the swarm has calmed slightly, the activity could intensify again.
“We don’t necessarily have a crystal ball to understand what is happening under there,” he said.
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