Posted on 09/30/2004 7:53:41 AM PDT by Michael Goldsberry
SEATTLE - The flurry of earthquakes at Mount St. Helens intensified further Thursday, and scientists warn that a small or moderate blast could spew ash and rock as far as three miles from the crater in the next few days.
The volcano began rumbling last week, and by Wednesday earthquakes ranging from magnitude 2 to 2.8 were coming about four times a minute, possibly weakening the lava dome in the crater of the 8,364-foot mountain, the U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites) said.
The quakes continued to strengthen early Thursday with several exceeding magnitude 3, according to the Web site of the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network.
Still, scientists did not expect anything like the mountain's devastating eruption in 1980, which killed 57 people and coated towns 250 miles away with ash.
Few people live near the mountain, which is in a national forest about 100 miles south of Seattle. The closest structure is the Johnston Ridge Observatory, about five miles from the crater.
The heightened alert has drawn a throng of sightseers to observation areas. Dawn Smith, co-owner of Eco Park Resort west of the mountain, told The News Tribune of Tacoma, "It's just been crazy the past couple of days."
A sign in front of the business reads, "Here we go again."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Oh this must be the October surprise....
Silly grammar question: Why is it written Mount St. Helens, not Mt. St. Helens or Mount Saint Helens? It seems to me they should be consistent one way or the other.
Darned if I know. Too long one way, too may abreviations in a row the other?
I sort of like it "Mt. Saint Helens" myself. Maybe the lamestream media has trouble with the saint word. To them it's better off scrunched up.
I question the timing of this....Karl Rove had to be involved in ths. (/sarcasm)
Maybe God's evening things out for pummeling Florida.
Experts hell....even a severely inebriated amateur could predict this one...
ya weird using the same abreviation for Saint and Street eh? what would they do with Saint Street... St. St.?
Bump and ping!
A sign in front of the business reads, "Here we go again."
For crying out loud, the last eruption was 23 years ago! Ask Florida what they think about, "Here we go again." They can tell you 'tha trute'.
I think it started when Klinton thought that St. Helens was an intern
"For crying out loud, the last eruption was 23 years ago! Ask Florida what they think about, "Here we go again." They can tell you 'tha trute'."
The big difference is people flee hurricanes. Volcanoes seem to attrack hordes of gawkers. Just like in 1980. Maybe that is what they mean by "here we go again."
Note to self: Must have coffee before trying to type.
I'm more intrigued by why it is "Helens," instead of Helen. Were there TWO Helens? Come to think of it, I've never heard of a St. Helen. Does Helens stand for something else?
Two months ago the experts were also predicting a Kerry win.
Mount Baker, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount Rainier were all named by Captain George Vancouver in the 18th Century. Each of the volcanoes was named after a prominent member of the House of Lords.
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