Nobody says that Mt. Rainier is going to erupt any time soon.
In fact, it probably won't. Over the millions of years since the first eruption at this place, violent volcanic periods have been separated by eons of silence. And yet, the quiet of the Cascade Range, of which Mt. Rainier is a part, is punctuated by occasional awakenings. And so today, sensors listen for tremors under the slopes of Mt. Rainier. Surveyors measure the volcano for signs the ground is shifting and molten rock is moving deep within the mountain.