Volcano in United States
Mount Rainier volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Mount Rainier is being reported right now Last eruption: 1800–1899 (NOAA NCEI).
Is Mount Rainier erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Mount Rainier right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1800–1899. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.
No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).
Live status of Mount Rainier: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.
- Status now
- No open report
- Last eruption
- 1800–1899
- Elevation
- 4,392 m 14,410 ft
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 57 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Graham 46 km WNW
Earthquakes near Mount Rainier
USGS located 57 earthquakes within 50 km of Mount Rainier in the past 30 days, 10 of them in the last week. The largest was M1.9 on Oct 31, 2026, 12 km WSW of the summit at 9 km depth.
43 of them were shallower than 10 km. Swarms of shallow quakes can mean magma or gas is moving, but most swarms end without an eruption; observatories combine them with ground deformation and gas data.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Distance | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 01:07 UTC | M1.7 | 26 km WSW | 0 km | 2 km SW of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 7, 19:57 UTC | M1.8 | 26 km WSW | 5 km | 2 km SSW of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 5, 13:59 UTC | M0.7 | 27 km WSW | 4 km | 3 km SSW of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 4, 23:40 UTC | M0.8 | 0 km WNW | 1 km | 22 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 4, 21:15 UTC | M0.6 | 26 km WSW | 5 km | 3 km SSW of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 4, 15:34 UTC | M0.8 | 25 km SSW | 5 km | 13 km SE of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 4, 14:03 UTC | M0.5 | 20 km WNW | 12 km | 17 km S of Carbonado, Washington |
| Nov 4, 12:19 UTC | M0.0 | 16 km SW | 7 km | 7 km E of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 4, 04:22 UTC | M0.9 | 49 km SSE | -1 km | 21 km SSE of Packwood, Washington |
| Nov 2, 20:30 UTC | M0.2 | 20 km SSW | 3 km | 12 km ESE of Ashford, Washington |
| Nov 1, 15:50 UTC | M0.6 | 30 km NW | 14 km | 4 km S of Carbonado, Washington |
| Oct 31, 14:09 UTC | M1.9 | 12 km WSW | 9 km | 11 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 31, 02:40 UTC | M0.4 | 13 km WNW | 10 km | 16 km NNE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 30, 17:32 UTC | M1.6 | 26 km WSW | 4 km | 3 km SW of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 30, 17:21 UTC | M0.8 | 26 km WSW | 3 km | 3 km SW of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 30, 00:18 UTC | M0.9 | 20 km SSW | 6 km | 11 km SE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 29, 17:28 UTC | M1.8 | 30 km NW | 13 km | 4 km S of Carbonado, Washington |
| Oct 29, 16:45 UTC | M0.9 | 30 km NW | 13 km | 5 km S of Carbonado, Washington |
| Oct 29, 02:13 UTC | M0.8 | 26 km WSW | 6 km | 3 km SSW of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 27, 11:38 UTC | M0.2 | 4 km ESE | -2 km | 26 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 26, 22:07 UTC | M0.5 | 9 km SW | 10 km | 14 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 26, 12:27 UTC | M0.8 | 42 km N | 18 km | 9 km ENE of Enumclaw, Washington |
| Oct 25, 19:30 UTC | M1.3 | 1 km S | 0 km | 22 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 25, 19:30 UTC | M1.0 | 1 km SSW | 0 km | 22 km ENE of Ashford, Washington |
| Oct 25, 18:15 UTC | M0.8 | 25 km SSW | 6 km | 13 km SE of Ashford, Washington |
About Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in Washington, United States, rising to 4,392 m (14,410 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Dendrochronology".
Stratovolcanoes are steep cones built from alternating lava and ash layers; their eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns that can reach cruising altitude.
The nearest large town is Graham, about 46 km WNW of the summit; 5 other cities lie within 250 km.
- Graham (46 km) earthquakes nearby
- South Hill (50 km) earthquakes nearby
- Puyallup (55 km) earthquakes nearby
- Parkland (61 km) earthquakes nearby
- Auburn (62 km) earthquakes nearby
- Federal Way (67 km) earthquakes nearby
Flights and volcanic ash
3 major airports are within 400 km; the closest is Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), 78 km away. Volcanic ash melts in jet engines, so an explosive eruption can close airspace and cancel flights even far downwind.
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.
| Airport | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) | 78 km | NNW |
| Portland (PDX) | 154 km | SSW |
| Vancouver (YVR) | 281 km | NNW |
Other volcanoes in United States
United States has 58 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now, 2 of them with an open NASA activity report today. The closest other one is Mount St. Helens, 79 km away.
Nearby volcanoes
Volcanoes in United States
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Guides
Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.