Mount Rainier

Tectonic Processes and Plate Information
Mount Rainier is located in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is a massive Stratovolcano that has an elevation of 14,411 feet. Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the Cascade Mountain Range, and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Mount Rainier is located on the Juan de Fuca Plate and it is a divergent boundary. It is a subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate and North American Plate. This is shown in the map below to the left. The Gorda Ridge Plate is a transverse boundary that is moving by the Juan de Fuca Plate. The most recent recorded eruption was between 1824 and 1850, but many witnesses say they have seen eruptions in the late 1800's as well. Since there have been no recent eruptions, the plate that Mount Rainier is located on is a very slow moving plate with not much activity.   

Cultural History of Mount Rainier
Up until the late 1800's, native american  tribes lived in the Takoma area, which is where Rainier is located. In 1792, a British explorer named George Vancouver names the mountain Mount Rainier after his friend Peter Rainier. In 1870, Hazard Stevens and Philemon van Trump make the first recorded hike to the summit of Mount Rainier. In 1899, it is named as the countries fifth national park. In the 1960's, Mount Rainier is famous for being the training grounds for people that wanted to climb Mount Everest.