A GIS Analysis of Volcanic Hazards and Recreational Activities in Mount Rainier National Park

Lahars, or volcanic mudflows and debris flows, are a significant hazard inside Mount Rainier National Park and its surrounding areas. They flow like concrete and bury everything they cover. As the areas around Mount Rainier continue to grow in population, there has been a need to further understand their extents and environmental impacts to the landscape. There has been much research done on how potential lahars could affect the environment and populated areas, but this study conducts a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis on the lahars that could have potential impact on recreational activities in the area. Data used for this study were downloaded from the USGS, Washington State, and National Parks Service open data archives. Then the data were imported into ArcPro to create a new geodatabase. The new geodatabase and several GIS functions were utilized to observe the relationship between inundated lahar zones and hiking trails, and campsites. Upon analysis, 64 of the 121 trails and 11 of the 20 campsites inside Mount Rainier National Park found to be situated in or intersected with inundated lahar zones. These results illustrated the significant impact of volcanic hazards to recreational activities in Mount Rainier National Park