Geologic Publications for Mount Rainier

Discovering spatial variability of critical zone processes at Mount Rainier using DAS

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Author(s): M Koepfli, M Denolle, V Gaete-Elgueta, B P. Lipovsky, A Swann, N Cristea, David R. Montgomery

Category: PRESENTATION
Document Type: Poster 34
Publisher: Environmental Seismology - Seismological Society of America - 14–18 October 2025, Denver, CO
Published Year: 2025
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Abstract:
Mount Rainier (4392 m a.s.l.), an active stratovolcano located ~95 km south-east of Seattle, WA, USA, poses hazards due to its steep glaciated slopes and highly porous volcanic surface. The combination of snowmelt, rainfall, and unstable surface materials frequently triggers debris flows and lahars, threatening downstream communities. At the same time, Mount Rainier’s glaciers play a crucial hydrological role, storing water that sustains rivers and therefore agriculture across the heavily populated lowlands during dry summer months.

To better understand the shallow subsurface (critical zone) and its connection to the surface, we collected data using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) along a ~40 km fiber-optic cable that spans over ~1000 m elevation and crosses diverse lithologies. We analyze ambient seismic noise by using auto- and cross-correlations to image and monitor near subsurface conditions and compare our results with data from nearby weather stations, river gauges, and soil pits.

We identify various coherent fiber sections and link the frequency content of seismic noise sources to local hydrological settings. We also find an increased signal-to-noise ratio for specific lithologies. Observed seismic velocity changes (dv/v) align with nearby ground moisture measurements but vary along the fiber. To explain these spatial variations, we investigate hydrological processes that connect surface conditions and subsurface responses

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Suggested Citations:
In Text Citation:
Koepfli and others (2025) or (Koepfli et al., 2025)

References Citation:
Koepfli, M., M. Denolle, V. Gaete-Elgueta, B.P. Lipovsky, A. Swann, N. Cristea, and D.R. Montgomery, 2025, Discovering spatial variability of critical zone processes at Mount Rainier using DAS: Poster 34, Environmental Seismology - Seismological Society of America - 14–18 October 2025, Denver, CO,