00:00Scientists in Washington state are watching Mount Rainier more closely than ever,
00:04and what they are seeing is raising eyebrows at the United States Geological Survey.
00:09The USGS has recorded elevated seismic activity and subtle ground deformation
00:14at one of America's most dangerous volcanoes.
00:17Now, to be clear, scientists are not saying an eruption is imminent,
00:22but they are saying the patterns require heightened, continuous surveillance.
00:26And here is why this matters so profoundly for American lives.
00:30Mount Rainier sits directly above the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area,
00:34nearly 4 million people.
00:36It is classified as a decade volcano,
00:39specifically because of the catastrophic threat it poses to densely populated land.
00:44An eruption of Rainier's ice-capped summit could unleash lahars,
00:48volcanic mudflows moving faster than a car,
00:51that could reach communities 50 miles from the volcano within hours.
00:55The USGS says this is a situation worth watching very carefully.
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