It's OK, Mount Rainier isn't erupting, says National Park Service

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An unusual cloud formation on top of the mountain led hikers to worry that a new fissure had appeared in the volcano

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State
(Image credit: Getty)

The National Park Service has reassured visitors to Mount Rainier National Park (and residents living nearby) that the mountain isn't about to erupt. Hikers and locals became worried after pictures appeared on social media seeming to show a cloud of smoke, steam, or volcanic gas hovering over Rainier's peak. The mountain is an active volcano, so it wasn't beyond the real of possibility that a new fissure might have appeared.

A video shared on Twitter by meteorologist Kristin Clark shows what looks like steam or gas seeping from the top of the mountain.

However, experts from the NPS analyzed images from several webcams and determined that it was in fact a lenticular cloud, and no cause for concern.

As the UK Meteorological Office explains, a lenticular cloud is a lens-shaped cloud wave that forms when the air is stable, and winds blow across hills and mountains at different heights through the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere. The rising motion of the air as it moves across the higher land can cause water vapor to condense into a cloud.

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Cat Ellis
Cat Ellis
Former editor

Cat is Homes Editor at TechRadar and former editor of Advnture. She's been a journalist for 15 years, and cut her teeth on magazines before moving online. She helps readers choose the right tech for their home, get the best deals, and do more with their new devices.