We have three volcanoes close by Seattle. They are Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, and Glacier Peak. But are we in danger if these volcanoes erupt? As it turns out, Seattle would be in no immediate danger if any of these volcanos erupted, we are too far away from any of them. Here are some interesting things to know about these volcanoes: 

Mount Baker, also known as Kulshan, is in the Cascade Mountain Range, specifically the North Cascades. “Mount Baker has the second most thermally active crater in the Cascade Range after Mount St. Helens,” says Wikipedia. What does this mean for how worried we should be about it erupting? Mount Baker is an active volcano, but the last time it erupted was in 1843. 

Mount Rainier, or Mount Tahoma, is located 59 miles from Seattle and is part of the Cascade Mountain range. It is an active volcano. What would happen If Mount Rainier erupted? Seattle would get the majority of the ash and smoke from the eruption. The Puyallup Valley would be at the highest risk of mud and/or lava flows from Mount Rainier if it erupts.  

According to Wikipedia, Glacier Peak is one of Washington’s most active volcanoes. It is also the fourth tallest mountain in Washington state.  Glacier Peak gets its name from the 12 glaciers on the sides of the mountain.  Glacier Peak is also almost 4,000 feet shorter than Mount Rainier 

Which is closest volcano to Seattle? Most people would think it is Mount Rainier because you can see it from the city, but it is Glacier Peak. You can’t see it because it is shorter and farther into the Cascades. We have many other volcanoes in Washington state than just these three, these ones are just the closest to Seattle.

Mount St. Helens is another of Washington’s iconic volcanoes. It is actually closer to Portland, Oregon than it is to Seattle. It is also the most active volcano in the Cascade Range and is one of the U. S’s most likely volcanoes to erupt along with volcanoes from Hawaii.