Files
Abstract
Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the Cascade Mountain Range, has a history of violent volcanic eruptions. Due to the volcanos geographic location, it poses a significant danger to two main air highways that pass just north and south of the volcanos summit. These are used by many aircraft transiting the area as well as those arriving, departing, and on the tarmac at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac). The hazards to airborne planes as well as planes and equipment on the ground would be significant. This study uses an ash climatology for Mount Rainier created using the United States Geological Surveys (USGS) web application Ash3D. With the successful creation of an ash climatology, Air Traffic Control could better aid and reroute aircraft during a nighttime eruption from Mount Rainier.