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NATURAL HAZARDS
Impact/Purpose:
Improve knowledge of the nature and extent of hazardous geochemical processes associated with the hydrothermal system at Mount Rainier, WA.
Description:
Hydrothermal processes contribute to natural hazards by deleterious effects on water quality and on the structural stability of volcanic edifices. Hydrothermal processes can degrade water quality by discharging low-pH, metal-laden ground water or runoff. The full extent of hydrothermal leakage from Mount Rainier is not known. Aqueous discharge from the hydrothermal system may be masked by dilution and cooling from high infiltration rates of rainfall and snowmelt. Water quality measurements of thermally non-distinct, but geochemically anomalous discharge, is being used to evaluate hydrothermal leakage that may not be directly identifiable by elevated temperature alone.