Mount Rainier Terrain

A matching pair for the gallery

Yakima Valley Museum commissioned this Mount Rainier terrain model as a companion to its Mount St. Helens model. The two projects use a matching grayscale approach and the same horizontal scale, creating a consistent basis for looking at the volcanoes.

We worked from elevation data, cut the terrain on a CNC machine and laser-etched satellite imagery into the surface as a grayscale finish. Built at the same 1 inch = 1,500 feet scale as Mount St. Helens, the model lets visitors compare the two volcanoes directly, from the regional setting down to changes in elevation.

Keeping the comparison at the same scale

The Rainier model measures 36 × 42 × 8 inches and uses a horizontal scale of 1 inch = 1,500 feet. Using the same scale as the Mount St. Helens terrain model means the horizontal distances have the same meaning in both displays. Visitors do not have to mentally resize one landscape to compare it with the other.

Combining relief and surface information

The elevation data supplies the shape of the land. CNC cutting translates that shape into a physical surface, and the laser-etched satellite imagery adds visible information across it. Keeping the finish grayscale gives the pair a consistent appearance while allowing the landforms to remain the subject of the exhibit.

Planning a series of terrain models

A companion model introduces decisions that a single display may not need: shared scale, related finishes and a consistent way to present the subject. Those decisions should be considered together before fabrication. Our terrain model scale guide explains how coverage, relief and display size relate; the elevation data checklist explains what to assemble for the landscape itself.