DOCSLIB.ORG

Sedimentology, Behavior, and Hazards of Debris Flows at Mount Rainier, Washington

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sedimentology, Behavior, and Hazards of Debris Flows at Mount Rainier, Washington Sedimentology, Behavior, and Hazards of Debris Flows at Mount Rainier, Washington U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1547 AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publications re­ leased prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications that may be listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back Inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" may no longer be available. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry. Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices listed below. BY MAIL OVER THE COUNTER Books Books and Maps Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Tech­ Books and maps of the U.S. Geological Survey are available niques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of over the counter at the following U.S. Geological Survey offices, all general interest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single copies of which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents. of Earthquakes & Volcanoes, Preliminary Determination of Epicen­ ters, and some miscellaneous reports, including some of the forego­ ing series that have gone out of print at the Superintendent of • ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Rm. 101, 4230 University Dr. Documents, are obtainable by mail from • LAKEWOOD, Colorado-Federal Center, Bldg. 810 US. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center • MENLO PARK, California-Bldg. 3, Rm. 3128, Denver, CO 80225 345 Middlefield Rd. Subscriptions to periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes and • RESTON, Virginia-USGS National Center, Rm. 1C402, Preliminary Determination of Epicenters) can be obtained ONLY 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. from the • SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Federal Bldg., Rm. 8105, Superintendent of Documents 125 South State St. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402 • SPOKANE, Washington-U.8. Post Office Bldg., Rm. 135, West 904 Riverside Ave. (Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of Documents.) • WASHINGTON, D.C.-Main Interior Bldg., Rm. 2650, 18th and C Sts., NW. Maps Maps Only For maps, address mail orders to Maps may be purchased over the counter at the following VS. Geological Survey, Information Services U.S. Geological Survey offices: Box 25286, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 • FAIRBANKS, Alaska-New Federal Bldg, 101 Twelfth Ave. Residents of Alaska may order maps from • ROLLA, Missouri-1400 Independence Rd. US. Geological Survey, Earth Science Information Center 101 Twelfth Ave., Box 12 • STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Mississippi-Bldg. 3101 Fab-banks, AK 99701 SEDIMENTOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND HAZARDS OF DEBRIS FLOWS AT MOUNT RAINIER, WASHINGTON Frontispiece. View of south side of Mount Rainier near the end of the 1987 drought; showing upper Kautz Glacier, right of center, and tributary Success Glacier, at lower left, separated by Kautz Cleaver. Sunset Amphitheater, far upper left, is above heads of Puyallup and Tahoma Glaciers. Note the volcanic edifice composed of steeply outward- dipping lava and pyroclastic flow units. Hydrothermal alteration has been intense along many of the stratigraphic contacts, converting them to potential planes of failure. Photograph by R. M. Krimmel, October 5,1987. SEDIMENTOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND HAZARDS OF DEBRIS FLOWS AT MOUNT RAINIER, WASHINGTON By K.M. Scott, J.W. Vallance, and P.T. Pringle U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1547 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1995 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Scott, Kevin M, 1935- Sedimentology, behavior, and hazards of debris flows at Mount Rainier, Washington / by K. M. Scott, J. W. Vallance, and P. T. Pringle. p. cm. — (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper; 1547) 1. Lahars—Washington (State)—Rainier, Mount, Region. 2. Volcanic hazard analysis—Washington (State)—Rainier, Mount, Region. I. Vallance, J.W II. Pringle, Patrick T. HI. Tide. IV. Series. QE599.U5S36 1995 363.3'495—dc20 94-43162 CIP CONTENTS Abstract.....................................................................^^ 1 Introduction........................................................^^^ 1 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................. 4 Types of flows at Mount Rainier.................................................................................... 4 General statement................................................................................................... 4 Cohesive debris flows (more than 3 to 5 percent clay).......................................... 7 Noncohesive debris flows (less than 3 to 5 percent clay)....................................... 8 Hyperconcentrated flows........................................................................................ 9 Flow magnitude and frequency...................................................................................... 9 Methods of study.................................................................................................... 9 Flows of high magnitude and low frequency (500 to 1,000 years)........................ 10 Greenwater Lahar and Osceola Mudflow....................................................... 12 Paradise Lahar................................................................................................ 18 Round Pass Mudflow (branch on Tahoma Creek)......................................... 19 Round Pass Mudflow (branch on Puyallup River)......................................... 20 Unnamed pre-Electron deposits, Puyallup River System.............................. 21 1,000-year-old lahar...................................................................................... 22 ElectronMudflow........................................................................................... 22 Other lahars and possible lahars..................................................................... 24 Synthesis of the record of large, low-frequency lahars.................................. 24 Flows of intermediate magnitude and frequency (100 to 500 years)..................... 24 White River System........................................................................................ 24 Cowlitz River System..................................................................................... 26 Nisqually River System.................................................................................. 26 Puyallup River System................................................................................... 30 Carbon River System...................................................................................... 30 Flows of low magnitude and high frequency (less than 100 years)....................... 31 Recurrence interval of small debris flows...................................................... 31 Seasonal distribution....................................................................................... 32 Row texture and formative transformations.................................................. 32 Flow dynamics and transformations............................................................... 32 Debris avalanches and the Tahoma Lahar.............................................................. 38 Historical floods compared with debris flows........................................................ 40 Summary of flow origins and transformations....................................................... 41 Risk analysis................................................................................................................... 42 Flow frequency and risk at Mount Rainier............................................................. 43 Debris flows and summit-cone volcanism............................................................. 44 Design or planning cases and hazard zonation............................................................... 44 Definition of cases.................................................................................................. 44 Measurements and estimates of flow dynamics..................................................... 44 Maximum lahar....................................................................................................... 45 Design or planning case I....................................................................................... 46 Design or planning case II...................................................................................... 47 Design or planning case ffl..................................................................................... 47 Hazard zonation...................................................................................................... 47 Zone I.............................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Overview of Landslide Hydrology
    water Editorial Overview of Landslide Hydrology Roy C. Sidle 1,2,* , Roberto Greco 3 and Thom Bogaard 4 1 Mountain Societies Research Institute, University of Central Asia, Khorog GBAO 736000, Tajikistan 2 Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr., Sippy Downs 4556, Queensland, Australia 3 Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘L. Vanvitelli’, via Roma 9, 81031 Aversa (CE), Italy; [email protected] 4 Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +996-770-822-144 Received: 11 January 2019; Accepted: 15 January 2019; Published: 16 January 2019 Most landslides and debris flows worldwide occur during or following periods of rainfall, and many of these have been associated with major disasters causing extensive property damage and loss of life [1–9]. Given concerns about the effects of climate change on precipitation regime, in the future, some mountainous areas may likely experience more landslides with a faster response to rainfall; however, most such projections are weakly based and remain untested [10,11]. Subsurface hydrology is usually the main triggering mechanism of these landslides and associated debris flows. While the effects of hillslope hydrology on runoff generation have been thoroughly studied, much less attention has been paid to these effects on landslide and debris flow initiation. Recent syntheses demonstrate that it is no longer appropriate to view the subsurface as a static media which facilitates the transit of subsurface water, rather a variety of factors affecting the dynamics of subsurface hydrology need to be considered [12,13].
    [Show full text]
  • Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis Revised January 2016
    COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY HAZARD IDENTIFICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS CITY OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS REVISED JANUARY 2016 OLYMPIA FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION 100 EASTSIDE STREET, N. E., OLYMPIA, WA 98506 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 1 OF 48 COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY HAZARD IDENTIFICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK. JANUARY 2016 PAGE 2 OF 48 COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY HAZARD IDENTIFICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis (HIVA) for the City of Olympia identifies various hazards in the region and then assesses the risk associated with each hazard. The City of Olympia Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, which facilitates each phase of emergency management, is built upon and designed to coordinate with this HIVA in accordance with WAC 118-30-060 (1) which states, “Each political subdivision must base its Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan on a hazard analysis.” This HIVA serves as a foundation for city planning including preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery activities and is a training tool, providing introductory knowledge of the hazards in City of Olympia. The data contained within the HIVA is not original, but extracted from many sources. The HIVA assesses potential hazards within the city, and surrounding areas with a focus on hazards that have the potential to cause large-scale disasters as well as hazards with less severe impacts that still require significant planning and response efforts to mitigate or neutralize. Even if the City of Olympia is not directly impacted by a hazard there is still a potential for significant indirect impact on the city as various critical infrastructure systems owned, operated, or utilized by the City extend beyond its borders.
    [Show full text]
  • An Inventory of Fish in Streams in Mount Rainier National Park 2001-2003
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science An Inventory of Fish in Streams at Mount Rainier National Park 2001-2003 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR—2013/717.N ON THE COVER National Park staff conducting a snorkel fish survey in Kotsuck Creek, Mount Rainier National Park, 2002. Photograph courtesy of Mount Rainier National Park. An Inventory of Fish in Streams at Mount Rainier National Park 2001-2003 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR—2013/717.N Barbara A. Samora, Heather Moran, Rebecca Lofgren National Park Service North Coast and Cascades Network Inventory and Monitoring Program Mount Rainier National Park Tahoma Woods Star Rt. Ashford, WA. 98304 April 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series provides contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline for Thesis
    THESIS APPROVAL The abstract and thesis of Thomas H. Nylen for the Master of Science in Geology presented October 25, 2001, and accepted by the thesis committee and the department. COMMITTEE APPROVALS: _______________________________________ Andrew G. Fountain, Chair _______________________________________ Scott F. Burns _______________________________________ Christina L. Hulbe _______________________________________ Keith S. Hadley Representative of the Office of Graduate Studies DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL: _______________________________________ Michael L. Cummings, Chair Department of Geology ABSTRACT An abstract of the thesis of Thomas H. Nylen for the Master of Science in Geology presented October 25, 2001. Title: Spatial and Temporal Variations of Glaciers (1913-1994) on Mt. Rainier and the Relation with Climate Databases have been constructed for the purpose of studying glacier changes at Mt. Rainier. Glacier cover on Mt. Rainier decreased 18.5% (112.3 km2 to 88.1 km2) between 1913 and 1971 at a rate of about -0.36 km2 a-1. The total area in 1994 was 87.4 km2, which equates to a rate of -0.03 km2 a-1 since 1971. Glaciers with southerly aspect lost significantly more area than those with a northerly aspect, 26.5% and 17.5% of the total area, respectively. Measured and estimated total volumes for Mt. Rainier glaciers also decreased. From 1913 to 1971 the total volume decreased 22.7% from 5.62 km3 to 4.34 km3 and from 1971 to 1994 decreased 3.1% to 4.21 km3. Nisqually Glacier shows three cycles of retreat and advance but an overall loss of 0.44 km2 since 1931. Cross-correlation with snowfall suggests about a decade response time for the glaciers.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Sediment Pulses on Channel Morphology in a Gravel-Bed River
    Effects of sediment pulses on channel morphology in a gravel-bed river Daniel F. Hoffman† Emmanuel J. Gabet‡ Department of Geosciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59802, USA ABSTRACT available to it. The delivery of sediment to riv- channel widening, braiding, and fi ning of bed ers and streams in mountain drainage basins material, followed by coarsening, construction Sediment delivery to stream channels in often comes in large, infrequent pulses from of coarse grained terraces, and formation of mountainous basins is strongly episodic, landslides and debris fl ows (Benda and Dunne, new side channels. After the sediment wave had with large pulses of sediment typically 1997; Gabet and Dunne, 2003). This sediment passed, they observed channel incision down to delivered by infrequent landslides and debris supply regime differs from that of channels an immobile bed and bedrock. Cui et al. (2003) fl ows. Identifying the role of large but rare in lowland environments with a more regular conducted fl ume experiments to investigate sed- sediment delivery events in the evolution of sediment supply and is refl ected in the form iment pulses and found that in a channel with channel morphology and fl uvial sediment and textural composition of the channel and alternate bars, the bed relief decreased with the transport is crucial to an understanding of fl oodplain. Processing large pulses of sediment arrival of the downstream edge of the sediment the development of mountain basins. In July can be slow and leave a lasting legacy on the wave, and increased as the upstream edge of the 2001, intense rainfall triggered numerous valley fl oor.
    [Show full text]
  • Disaster Management of India
    DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA DISASTER MANAGEMENT 2011 This book has been prepared under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (2009-2012) DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India c Disaster Management in India e ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The perception about disaster and its management has undergone a change following the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The definition of disaster is now all encompassing, which includes not only the events emanating from natural and man-made causes, but even those events which are caused by accident or negligence. There was a long felt need to capture information about all such events occurring across the sectors and efforts made to mitigate them in the country and to collate them at one place in a global perspective. This book has been an effort towards realising this thought. This book in the present format is the outcome of the in-house compilation and analysis of information relating to disasters and their management gathered from different sources (domestic as well as the UN and other such agencies). All the three Directors in the Disaster Management Division, namely Shri J.P. Misra, Shri Dev Kumar and Shri Sanjay Agarwal have contributed inputs to this Book relating to their sectors. Support extended by Prof. Santosh Kumar, Shri R.K. Mall, former faculty and Shri Arun Sahdeo from NIDM have been very valuable in preparing an overview of the book. This book would have been impossible without the active support, suggestions and inputs of Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, Assistant Country Director (DM Unit), UNDP, New Delhi and the members of the UNDP Disaster Management Team including Shri Arvind Sinha, Consultant, UNDP.
    [Show full text]
  • Bedload Transport and Large Organic Debris in Steep Mountain Streams in Forested Watersheds on the Olympic Penisula, Washington
    77 TFW-SH7-94-001 Bedload Transport and Large Organic Debris in Steep Mountain Streams in Forested Watersheds on the Olympic Penisula, Washington Final Report By Matthew O’Connor and R. Dennis Harr October 1994 BEDLOAD TRANSPORT AND LARGE ORGANIC DEBRIS IN STEEP MOUNTAIN STREAMS IN FORESTED WATERSHEDS ON THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON FINAL REPORT Submitted by Matthew O’Connor College of Forest Resources, AR-10 University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 and R. Dennis Harr Research Hydrologist USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Professor, College of Forest Resources University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 to Timber/Fish/Wildlife Sediment, Hydrology and Mass Wasting Steering Committee and State of Washington Department of Natural Resources October 31, 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii OVERVIEW 1 INTRODUCTION 2 BACKGROUND 3 Sediment Routing in Low-Order Channels 3 Timber/Fish/Wildlife Literature Review of Sediment Dynamics in Low-order Streams 5 Conceptual Model of Bedload Routing 6 Effects of Timber Harvest on LOD Accumulation Rates 8 MONITORING SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN LOW-ORDER CHANNELS 11 Monitoring Objectives 11 Field Sites for Monitoring Program 12 BEDLOAD TRANSPORT MODEL 16 Model Overview 16 Stochastic Model Outputs from Predictive Relationships 17 24-Hour Precipitation 17 Synthesis of Frequency of Threshold 24-Hour Precipitation 18 Peak Discharge as a Function of 24-Hour Precipitation 21 Excess Unit Stream Power as a Function of Peak Discharge 28 Mean Scour
    [Show full text]
  • Lahars in Crescent River Valley, Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
    LAHARS IN CRESCENT RIVER VALLEY, LOWER COOK INLET, ALASKA BY James R. Riehle, Juergen Kienle, and Karen S. Emmel GEOLOGIC REPORT 53 STATE OF ALASKA Jay S. Hammond, Governor Robert E. LeResche, Commissioner, Dept. of Natural Resources Geoffrey Haynes, Deputy Commissioner Ross G. Schaff, State Geologist Cover photo: Redoubt Volcano in eruption, January 1966. (Taken by Jon Gardey from an airplane on north side of volcano looking west.) Available from Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, P.O. Box 80007. College. 99708; 941 Dowling Rd., Anchorage. 99502; P.O. Box 7438, Ketchikan, 99901; and 230 So. Franklin St. (Rm 407), Juneau, 99801. CONTENTS Page Abstract ................................................................................ Introduction............................................................................. Description and inferred origin of the deposits................................................... Location .............................................................................. Internal characteristics .................................................................. Interpretation of observations ............................................................ Ageofthelahars.......................................................................... Originofthelahars........................................................................ Potential hazards of lahars .................................................................. Acknowledgments ........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Landslides, and Affected the Eruption Patterns of Some Geysers
    Earthquake Annex I Colorado State Emergency Operations Plan LEAD AGENCY: Dept. of Local Affairs, Office of Emergency Management SUPPORTING AGENCIES: Governor's Office, Personnel & Administration, Corrections, Labor & Employment, Military Affairs, Natural Resources, Public Safety, Transportation, Education, Human Services, Red Cross, Salvation Army, COVOAD I. PURPOSE This annex has been prepared to ensure a coordinated response by state agencies to requests from local jurisdictions to reduce potential loss of life and to ensure we maintain or quickly restore essential services following an earthquake. It is designed to supplement the operational strategy outlined in the Basic Plan. II. SITUATION The Southern and Middle Rocky Mountains extend from the mountainous parts of central and western Wyoming and northeastern Utah, through the rugged mountains of central Colorado, southward into extreme north-central New Mexico. Large, damaging earthquakes in this region are uncommon, but significant historical earthquakes have caused damage. The largest earthquake in the Southern and Middle Rocky Mountains occurred on November 8, 1882, and, although poorly located, probably was in north-central Colorado, west of Fort Collins and northwest of Denver. The earthquake occurred before the development of seismometers, but it had an estimated magnitude of 6.6 and was felt throughout most of Colorado and in adjacent parts of Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Nebraska. The most seismically active part of the Southern and Middle Rocky Mountains is in northwestern Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park, where ongoing volcanic activity is responsible for the spectacular geysers and other unique geologic features in the park. On June 30, 1975, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the park, caused rockfalls and landslides, and affected the eruption patterns of some geysers.
    [Show full text]
  • Types of Landslides.Indd
    Landslide Types and Processes andslides in the United States occur in all 50 States. The primary regions of landslide occurrence and potential are the coastal and mountainous areas of California, Oregon, Land Washington, the States comprising the intermountain west, and the mountainous and hilly regions of the Eastern United States. Alaska and Hawaii also experience all types of landslides. Landslides in the United States cause approximately $3.5 billion (year 2001 dollars) in dam- age, and kill between 25 and 50 people annually. Casualties in the United States are primar- ily caused by rockfalls, rock slides, and debris flows. Worldwide, landslides occur and cause thousands of casualties and billions in monetary losses annually. The information in this publication provides an introductory primer on understanding basic scientific facts about landslides—the different types of landslides, how they are initiated, and some basic information about how they can begin to be managed as a hazard. TYPES OF LANDSLIDES porate additional variables, such as the rate of movement and the water, air, or ice content of The term “landslide” describes a wide variety the landslide material. of processes that result in the downward and outward movement of slope-forming materials Although landslides are primarily associ- including rock, soil, artificial fill, or a com- ated with mountainous regions, they can bination of these. The materials may move also occur in areas of generally low relief. In by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading, or low-relief areas, landslides occur as cut-and- La Conchita, coastal area of southern Califor- flowing. Figure 1 shows a graphic illustration fill failures (roadway and building excava- nia.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence of a Changing Climate Impacting the Fluvial Geomorphology of the Kautz Creek on Mt
    EVIDENCE OF A CHANGING CLIMATE IMPACTING THE FLUVIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE KAUTZ CREEK ON MT. RAINIER by Melanie R. Graeff A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Environmental Studies The Evergreen State College June, 2017 ©2017 by Melanie R. Graeff. All rights reserved. This Thesis for the Master of Environmental Studies Degree by Melanie R. Graeff has been approved for The Evergreen State College by ________________________ Michael Ruth, M.Sc Member of the Faculty ________________________ Date ABSTRACT Evidence of a Changing Climate Impacting the Fluvial Geomorphology of the Kautz Creek on Mt. Rainier Melanie Graeff Carbon dioxide emissions have stimulated the warming of air and ocean temperatures worldwide. These conditions have fueled the intensity of El Nino-Southern Oscillation and Atmospheric River events by supplying increased water vapor into the atmosphere. These precipitation events have impacted the fluvial geomorphology of a creek on the southwestern flank of the Kautz Creek on Mt. Rainier, Washington. Using GIS software was the primary means of obtaining data due to the lack of publications published on the Kautz Creek. Time periods of study were set up from a 2012 publication written by Jonathan Czuba and others, that mentioned observations of the creek that dated from 1960 to 2008. In combining those observations of the Kautz and weather data from the weather station in Longmire, Washington, this allowed for a further understanding of how climate change has affected the fluvial geomorphology of the Kautz Creek over time. GIS software mapping showed numerous changes on the creek since 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Trip Report; Mt. Rainier Via Kautz Glacier. on July 25 , 2010, Mick
    Trip report; Mt. Rainier via Kautz Glacier. On July 25th, 2010, Mick Pearson, Nasa Koski and I began a three-day trip up Mt. Rainier, which included an ascent up the Nisqually, Wilson and Kautz Glaciers, and then a descent via the traditional, Disappointment Cleaver (DC) Route. During my eleven year mountaineering “career”, I never had the urge to climb Mt. Rainier, mostly because of trip reports that spoke of endless ropes of climbers ascending (read: clogging) the traditional route. I had experienced such crowds on Mt. Shasta in California and on the Nadelhorn in Switzerland and simply had no desire to be a part of another endless train of climbers up a mountain. My interests changed during a flight to the Northwest in 2008. I was visiting Seattle on my way to Mt. Baker when I caught a glimpse of Mt. Rainier from about 15,000 feet from the jet’s window. Although I was well aware of the often crowded situation on Rainier, the view of the mountain was fascinating and initiated thoughts of potentially ascending a less popular route, one with far fewer climbers and more challenge than the traditional route. In spring of 2010, I contacted Mick Pearson of Kaf Adventures, to inquire about the possibility of climbing Mt. Rainier together. Mick is an accomplished mountain/rock guide with experiences on many of the world’s famous mountain ranges. More importantly, he also was willing to establish a climbing partnership that included as much education and willingness to teach as it did desire to touch the top.
    [Show full text]