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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Thar She Blows!!!! |
| 2005-02-24 |
| Via Drudge: MOUNT ST. HELENS, Washington -- Mount St. Helens has shown an upswing in volcanic activity over the past two days, U.S. volcano scientists reported. Small collapses of hot rock from the south end of the lava dome -- which is growing at a rate of about 15 feet per day -- have sent several ash clouds upward and over the rim of the mile-wide crater, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists at Johnston Ridge Observatory, about five miles northeast of the volcano. About 3 a.m. Tuesday, scientists said they detected a seismic signal and witnessed a bright glow inside the crater that persisted for about 15 minutes. The glow apparently resulted from the collapse of material at the top of the lava dome, which for that brief time exposed hot rock from deeper inside the mountain. The last major eruption at Mount St. Helens occurred in May 1980, when the volcano lost nearly a quarter-mile of its elevation. The latest activity, which began last Oct. 11, is not expected to result in a comparable event, scientists said. |
| Posted by:anonymous2u |
| #15 Quite informative, Sobiesky. Thanx. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-02-24 1:16:03 PM |
| #14 Crap. When I saw the title "That She Blows", I thought it was an article about some fresh Michael Moore blathering... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2005-02-24 1:04:31 PM |
| #13 AP, I spent a week hiking the area in 1990 and the almost total lack of vegetation even after 10 years was mindbogling. I was gobsmacked. I very much enjoyed hiking the Oregon Cascades that year. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-02-24 12:06:36 PM |
| #12 Deacon Blues---I flew around Mt. St. Helens a few times close up in the summer of 1991 in my plane. Very humbling. Seeing the devastation of the forests and esp. Spirit lake was something else. We are pretty small creatures on this earth. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-02-24 11:50:52 AM |
| #11 I will never forget running into an old pre-1980 highway map of Washington State which touted the trout fishing in "Beautiful Spirit Lake Beneath Mount Saint Helens" there was a picture of the lake, and of course a pre-1980 mountain in the background... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-02-24 11:12:33 AM |
| #10 Yeah, it's all fun and games until Yellowstone blows again. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2005-02-24 10:15:10 AM |
| #9 St Helens activity... "On 14 and 15 February, the GPS instrument installed on the new lava dome moved an average of 6 m per day mostly southeastward with an upward component of about 1 m per day." Heh, faster than a congresscritter responding to your email... |
| Posted by: .com 2005-02-24 10:02:59 AM |
| #8 VolcanoCam anyone? |
| Posted by: Spemble Whaimp3884 2005-02-24 9:53:45 AM |
| #7 Sobiesky - After my first geology class in college I flew home for the holidays, and I spent the entire flight looking out the window going "Holy crap! I can SEE it ALL!" Amazing how a little knowledge changed how everything appeared. |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-02-24 9:08:03 AM |
| #6 I climbed Mt. St Helens in 1990. It was an expierience that really let me see just how frail humans are in the face of a violent event like the eruption in 1980. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-02-24 7:39:29 AM |
| #5 ... and current activity |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-02-24 4:06:58 AM |
| #4 Here is a classification of Volcano eruptive intensity. Note the terms used - MSH in 1981 was 'paroxysmal' |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-02-24 3:28:49 AM |
| #3 Oh yea, the Map |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-02-24 3:08:42 AM |
| #2 It may go on like this for a couple of years, a little steam off here and there. Something is brewing underneath, perhaps in larger area. Once I flew just south on Mt Baker and it was a crystal clear day with superb visibility for hundreds of miles. It was an amazing sight--all the major Western Rockies volcanos lined up almost in a straight line, like a dormant army waiting for a signal. The last one still visible was Mt Shasta. I like flying mainly for the reason that the geology is readily available like an open book. Many features that are not apparent on the ground are prominent from the bird perspective. I can trace the movement of glaciers that are long lost in the stream of time and see the results of forces with life spans totally alien to our experience. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-02-24 2:56:15 AM |
| #1 Well, there'll be more global cooling if she pops the cork. Better fire up your SUV's and circle the parking lot a few extra times looking for that perfect space that will save you walking 5 more ft. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-02-24 1:59:46 AM |