Mount St. Helens Notice of Volcanic Unrest

USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington ^ | 9-26-2004 3:00 Pacific Daylight Time

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The ice cap and glaciers on Ranier is one of the chief concerns should that volcano blow. The eruption will melt the ice which will cause massive flooding. They fear all the homes in the area surrounding the volcano (that includes quite a ways out) will be destroyed.

From what I heard on the news last night, they suspect some sort of activity within the next couple of days. However, they said it is highly unlikely it would be anywhere near the magnitude of the 1980 blast. The last magma activity was in 1986. That was just a swelling, I believe, and then a settling.

My greater concern is that another blast could hasten the shifting of the Cascade fault. That's one earth quake that I don't want to be near to witness. Seattle will be a pile of rubble.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, the one time in known history that the Cascade fault shifted, it created that nice Harbor on the coast there..

[Not A Snowbird]

Beautiful!

[Not A Snowbird]

My greater concern is that another blast could hasten the shifting of the Cascade fault. That's one earth quake that I don't want to be near to witness. Seattle will be a pile of rubble.

Which is why I bought earthquake insurance...

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Depending on where you live, it may not matter.

If you haven't researched the Cascade fault, I'd recommend it. I'll see if I can find the web site that discusses it.
Essentially, when the Cascade fault slips, it is massively destructive, creating a tsunami that they believe reached Japan 500 years ago, and dropping large chunks of the land into the water. The difference between this and other quakes is that the other quakes are quick, short jolts lasting only about a half minute. They say when the Cascade goes, it will last at least 5 minutes, which will create a series of massive waves through the earth's crust. Earthquake-reinforced buildings are built to withstand a jolt. They can't withstand the waves, though, and most will come down.

[Solson]

Thanks...all that taken sitting in a car with my little Sony Clie NZ90. a really really beautiful area...

[Not A Snowbird]

Gosh. I'll have a nice view of the end of the world from my 22nd floor office as it tumbles down the hill into Eliot Bay...

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Here is a good site for quake-related info in the PNW:

http://www.pnsn.org/INFO_GENERAL/INFOSHEET/welcome.html

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Yikes!!!!

Here's a site with lots of quake info:
http://www.pnsn.org/INFO_GENERAL/INFOSHEET/welcome.html

I accidentally posted it to myself!

[Oorang]

If you haven't researched the Cascade fault, I'd recommend it. I'll see if I can find the web site that discusses it.

Hmmm. If you do find and post that web site would be mind giving me a ping? I live about 40 miles from St. Helens (as the crow flies) and about 8 miles from the base of Mt. Adams, right smack in the middle of the Cascades. Guess I better fasten my seat belt, again.

[rdl6989]

At 3:08pm Monday 9-27-04 a 2.6 quake occured under the mountain.
Here is a link that give real time info on the quakes there.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Maps/US2/45.47.-123.-121.html

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

See post 89. There are quite a few links on that page. Also, if you go to the home page of the story posted at the top of this thread, you can find more information.

I wouldn't worry, but it's good to keep an eye on these things and keep your basic 1-month survival supply fresh and up-to-date (as it should always be maintained).

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Actually, it isn't the home page, but two branches down.

Here is the 'home' page of the Cascades portion of the USGS site:

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/

[Mama Shawna]

"So y'all are kinda like the scene in Mordor when they can see Mt. Doom in the distance :)"

I can see Mt. Rainier out my kitchen window...

Mama

[Oorang]

Thanks for the links. We do check the usgs website periodically. Kind of a habit considering where we live. I just wasn't familiar with the tsunami info which I will look into.

Also, Ghost, your advice regarding a month supply of provisions is a good idea. We always try to have a one year supply. Always better to have it and not need it, etc.

[rdl6989]

Sounds like a nice view.

[rdl6989]

On Monday, a helicopter lowered a geophysicist onto the lava dome to replace a failed instrument used to measure tiny movements that indicate whether the dome is swelling, Winn said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6092368/

[EUPHORIC]

You can SEE St. Helens at the Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam site here. Or cut and paste the link: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Pic updates once every five minutes. What is really interesting is that this site has been DOWN for a couple of years and was rushed back online about the same time as that swarm of quakes started up!

Someone expecting something perhaps?!?!?!

[Billthedrill]

As I understand it, Ranier and St. Helens share a common caldera; hence activity at St. Helens may well provide some relief for Ranier. Having lived for a decade in the Seattle area, I can tell you that a Ranier blow would constitute a truly cataclysmic event (worse than Bush winning in '04).

At least they're more or less prepared at St. Helens. After the last blow the cities downwind (Yakima, Richland/Pasco/Kennewick, etc) were buried in a horrible, gritty ash that choked automobile engines and turned the sky night-dark. Pantyhose and cheesecloth around the air filters kept some people going for awhile but the gunk had to be cleaned out at frequent intervals.

Good luck to all there. You got a bunk if you live to reach Idaho...

[ezo4]

Cool satellite Image I found a few weeks back