Significant earthquake swarm identified at Mount Rainier, the largest since 2009

An earthquake swarm, defined as a series of earthquakes occurring in a specific area within a relatively short period of time, has been detected at Mount Rainier, Washington, the largest such event since 2009.

The swarm has involved more than 200 earthquakes, with the most significant one measured at a magnitude of 2.3. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is monitoring the situation but has stated that there is no current indication that the seismic activity poses a risk to the public or suggests an impending volcanic eruption.

The earthquakes are too small to be felt on the surface and are likely to continue for several days. The most recent major eruption of Mount Rainier occurred between 500 to 600 years ago. The USGS emphasizes that the volcano is not "due" for an eruption and that there are no signs of one at this time. The cause of the earthquakes is believed to be related to the movement of water in the Earth's crust above the volcano's magma chamber.