15-month eruption still producing lava at astonishing rate (Mount St. Helens )

Seattle PI ^ | 12-29-2005 | PEGGY ANDERSEN

[Cagey]

U.S. Geological Survey regional site: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/CurrentActivity/

Pacific Northwest Seismic Network: http://www.pnsn.org/HELENS/welcome.html

[MikefromOhio]

The mountain is about 50 miles north of Vancouver and 100 miles south of Seattle.

I had no idea that Vancouver was so far South of Seattle :)

[GaltMeister]

All that lava is going to warm the planet too much.

When Hildebeast gets elected she will put a stop to all this nonsense.

[canalabamian]

Vancouver, WA. Its just north (across the Columbia) from Portland, OR.

[Cagey]

Amazing what Volcanoes can do to geography, isn't it?

[Chani]

pong for later

[MikefromOhio]

I know....

It was in the article, but I decided to ignore it selectively....bad joke

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

[airborne]

I have a beautiful cerving made from St. Helens volcanic ash, that I got when visiting in September. 8^)

[jazusamo]

We've already got two beasts here in Sen. Murray and Cantwell. We sure don't need Hildebeast joining them.

[HairOfTheDog]

For more than a year now, Mount St. Helens has been oozing lava into its crater at the rate of roughly a large dump truck load - 10 cubic yards - every three seconds.

Even after being there many times... I just can't see change in the dome...

Sept - 03:

July -05:

Doesn't look a lot different to me. So I guess I just can't grasp the scale of this thing.

[llevrok]

We've already got two beasts here in Sen. Murray and Cantwell. We sure don't need Hildebeast joining them.

As a fellow Washingtonian, I'd pay 5 bucks to watch the three of them wrestle nude - in Portland cement.

[UCANSEE2]

I believe it pushes up a huge pile of ashes, then reaches a crescendo that rolls on down the mountainside, likely in small increments.

[HairOfTheDog]

It does push up and crumble again. What was visible in person (that doesn't show up in the pics) was a large 'tower' that was new last time since my earlier visit. This tower was evidently many stories tall and was destined to fall over. Again, it's hard to grasp the scale of it, even when you are looking at it.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

It is amazing the topography of the land can change in less than three minutes.

[jazusamo]

I'd pay five bucks to go to the event but I'd wear a blindfold, they're hazardous to your vision dressed.

[lesser_satan]

I'd pay five dollars to be excused from such an event.

[GretchenM]

fyi

and --- Happy New Year.

[jimtorr]

The new dome is behind of and uphill of the old dome, looking at them from the angle of the pictures you posted.

Of your two pictures, you can see the new dome most clearly in the July 05 picture. It is the slightly lighter shape behind and above the old dome. The steam plume appears to be coming from the top of it.

The problem with seeing the new dome is one of contrast. Viewed from the angle of these pictures it's the same shade of black and grey as the slope behind it.


Here's a link to the USGS Mt. St. Helens website, with a picture explaining the various features inside the crater:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/MSH05/MSH05_crater_from_north_with_whaleback_views_annotated.jpg

This link takes you to the main Mt. Saint Helens web site:

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Images/MSH/

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

I remember the horrible drought we had in the midwest from her exploding in '80. Regarding this past summers' drought and OK and TX I keep telling people Saint Helen needs to shut her piehole.