Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Despite cloudy skies, the crater is mostly clear this morning. The mountain is blanketed in new snow, and discoloration of that snow in the rear of the crater suggests minor ash emissions or rockfalls from the dome have occurred recently. Overnight images from the VolcanoCam reveal a diffuse glow from the dome. The National Weather Service's forecast indicates we can expect little relief from storms at least through the middle of next week. Data from seismic and GPS stations show no significant changes in the level of activity over the past day.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 09:49 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift southeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The past two weeks have given a taste of what a real Cascade winter would have been like, in contrast to the sunny and dry one that has allowed us to work in the field almost at will. The National Weather Service's forecast doesn't provide much hope for relief from storms at least through the middle of next week. Data from seismic and GPS stations show no significant changes in the level of activity over the past day.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:11 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and east-southeastward later.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Stormy weather continues with snow forecast for today and intermittently throughout the week. Data from seismic and GPS stations show no significant changes in the level of activity over the past day.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 09:15 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift eastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Storm clouds continue to obscure the volcano. The spate of larger earthquakes in the magnitude 2.5 to 3.2 range during the past few days appears to be waning. Those looking at PNSN webicorders will see an impressive signal beginning just before 8:30 a.m. PST from this morning's magnitude 8.5 earthquake in Indonesia on most stations in the PNSN region, but not on stations near Mount St. Helens. That is because the sensitivity of seismic instruments near St. Helens has been turned down so that they will stay on scale and record well the entire size range of events that are occurring at the volcano during the ongoing eruption.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:15 | Permalink

• Mount St. Helens woke from long slumber 25 years ago 2005-Mar-28 08:16 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Twenty-five years ago this month Mount St. Helens ended a dormant period and started shaking with earthquakes.

  Activity started on March 20 and continued to build until the volcano erupted on May 18, 1980, with a blast that killed 57 people, leveled forests and dumped ash across Washington state.

  also in KOMO (ch.4) Seattle

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 09:19 | Permalink

• Mount St. Helens woke from long slumber 25 years ago 2005-Mar-27 13:53 from The Portland Oregonian

  MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. (AP) — A traffic reporter from Portland, Ore., was the first to see steam and ash spew from Mount St. Helens a quarter century ago — less than two months before the volcano blew its top, killing dozens of people.

  "Hey, this thing's exploding!" Mike Beard, a KGW traffic spotter radioed back to the station as he flew over the snow-peaked mountain around 1:15 p.m. on March 27, 1980.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 21:25 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Clouds and rain obscure the volcano this morning. Since midnight Saturday, nearly 8 inches of rain have fallen at the mountain, raising river levels and increasing flow from the crater. In the past few days, 8 “large” earthquakes (M2 to 3) have occurred. Similar “swarms” of large quakes occurred in November and December. Those in December were attributed largely to breaking up of the whaleback. When weather allows, crews will conduct observation flights and deploy more equipment to the crater. On a historical note, today marks the 25th anniversary of the first steam explosion of Mount St. Helens in 1980, an event that unequivocally showed its reawakening from a 123-year slumber.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 12:32 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: A couple of inches of rain fell in the crater overnight and rainfall continues this morning. Rapid melting of recently deposited snow and subsequent erosion of ash and debris could generate small mudflows from the crater over the next few days. Two recent magnitude 3+ earthquakes (4:20 yesterday afternoon and 6:15 this morning) are the largest detected since December 2004. Such activity is within the normal range of seismicity recorded during this eruption.

Also added to the USGS website is a Eruption Chronology for the current activity, consisting of a full archive of these daily summaries, along with weekly summaries.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 11:30 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northward to eastward at low altitudes, but strongly southeastward at higher altitudes.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Clouds continue to partly obscure the volcano this morning. These clouds may hinder slinging new instruments to the crater today. Forecasts are for heavy rains and high freezing levels this weekend. Hence, rapid melting of recently deposited snow and subsequent erosion of recently deposited ash could generate small mudflows from the crater over the next few days.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 09:56 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift initially along somewhat westward trajectories and shift later in the day to more northwestward to northward trajectories.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Although clouds partly obscure the volcano this morning, the crater is visible and the volcano is emitting a moderate steam plume. The recent storms have coated the volcano in snow, and we can probably expect continued steaming in the near future. When weather permits, we will sling new instruments into the crater to replace those destroyed earlier in the month.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:04 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift along trajectories that vary with time and altitude. Low-level clouds will drift southwestward early and shift progressively eastward later. At higher altitudes, drift will vary from northeastward to southwestward trajectories early, and to broad northward to eastward trajectories as the day progresses.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Today marks the 6-month anniversary of the current eruptive activity. To date, the eruption has been characterized by a remarkably sustained phase of nearly steady dome growth, 7 substantial explosions that have lofted ash thousands of feet above the vent, and brief periods of dome collapse. In the short term, we expect the eruption to continue in much the same manner. Results from analysis of imagery of 21 February show that the highest part of the new lava dome stands at an altitude of 7,682 feet, 527 higher than the old lava dome, and 92 feet below the level of Shoestring Notch on the southeast crater rim. This morning, clouds continue to obscure the volcano. When weather permits, we will sling new instruments into the crater to replace those destroyed earlier in the month.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:14 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift in greatly different directions depending on altitude and time of day. Ash clouds at low altitudes (below about 15,000 feet) would drift westward early in the day and southwestward to southward later. Those at higher altitudes would drift eastward to southeastward throughout the day.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Poor visibility, owing to weather clouds and moderate steam clouds rising from the growing lava dome, caused cancellation of today's field work. When conditions improve, we will sling new instruments into the crater and make observations.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:22 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: New snow covers the crater and Pumice Plain this morning and clouds continue to obscure the growing lava dome and the upper flanks of the volcano. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will continue to sling new instruments into the crater to replace those destroyed earlier in the month. Results from the digital elevation model produced from imagery of 21 February show that the highest part of the new lava dome was 12 meters (about 40 feet) higher than on 1 February and that the volume of dome and surrounding uplift had increased by 3 million cubic meters (4 million cubic yards) during that three week period. The average rate of growth continues at about 2 cubic meters (2.6 cubic yards) per second.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 11:02 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Stormy weather has obscured the volcano during the past 24 hours. A rain gage near the mouth of the crater measured about 2 inches of rain and acoustic-flow monitors (AFMs) showed increases in stream flow, but no evidence of debris flows. No changes were detected overnight in the ongoing patterns of earthquakes and ground deformation.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:18 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and northeastward later.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The crater is filled with clouds this morning; rain gages measured minor precipitation during the past 24 hr. No changes were detected overnight in the ongoing patterns of earthquakes and ground deformation.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 11:06 | Permalink

Views taken on 2005-Mar-15

A short series of photos of the new lava dome.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 18:46 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift eastward, although early in the day high altitude plumes would follow a more east-southeastward trajectory.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is mostly shrouded in broken clouds this morning and emitting a small plume of steam. Seismicity remains unchanged over the past several days. Next week as time and weather allow, we will conduct observation flights and gradually replace more equipment in the crater.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 11:31 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift southeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is shrouded in clouds this morning, and inclement weather is forecast for the next several days. A new seismometer slung by helicopter to the old lava dome Tuesday is functioning well. We have now replaced a few stations within the crater lost in last week's explosive event. As time and weather allow, we will gradually replace more of the lost equipment.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:08 | Permalink

Aerial views taken on 2005-Mar-11

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift eastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Yesterday field crews got good views and thermal images of the growing lava dome. They found no major changes, but noted deposits of small warm flows of pulverized rock that had sloughed off the east side of the lava dome and onto the east arm of the glacier. A seismometer was slung by helicopter to the old lava dome and placed at the site of station SEP, which was destroyed in last week's explosion. The new seismometer is a different type than the old one, so signals on SEP Webicorder plots look different. Also, about 1 p.m. (PST) a crew reduced the gain setting on seismic station YEL, which makes the signals look smaller than on earlier YEL Webicorder plots.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:50 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift southeastward early in the day and east-southeastward later.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Crews are headed to the volcano this morning to make thermal-sensing and visual observations, to sling a new seismic station to the west side of the 1980-1986 lava dome to replace one destroyed by last week's explosion, and to make adjustments to a GPS instrument and repairs to a radio repeater. As has been common during this dry winter, the volcano is clear.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 09:25 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift south-southeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and a minor amount of steam is rising from several spots around the growing lava dome. Seismicity remains unchanged from levels of the past few days. Field work this week awaits the completion of new seismometers and GPS units to replace those lost during last week's explosion.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:49 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift south-southwestward to southward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning. Only a minor amount of steam is rising from several spots around the growing lava dome. Seismicity remains unchanged from levels of the past few days. Scientists are working hard to complete construction of new seismometers and GPS units to replace those lost during last week's explosion.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 12:37 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift south-southeastward early in the day. Later in the day, low-level clouds would drift south-southwestward but higher-level clouds would drift south-southeastward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and emitting little steam. Revised analyses of Thursday's gas measurements indicate that gas emissions are very low and essentially unchanged from those measured in late February. Hence there is no evidence at this time to indicate that a batch of more gas-rich magma has worked its way near the surface. Seismicity remains at a level comparable to that of the days before Tuesday's explosive event. Next week, crews plan to deploy new seismometers and GPS units to replace those lost to the explosion.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:25 | Permalink

• Subtle tremor may hint of eruption 2005-Mar-11 from The Seattle Times

  Before it let loose this week, Mount St. Helens started to hum.

  Now geologists are trying to figure out whether the subtle tremor that preceded Tuesday's explosion might help them predict future outbursts.

  They've already factored the tremor into their automated alarm system. If the volcano starts rattling again the way it did Tuesday, the computer will page scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), day or night.

• Scientists say St. Helens calming down 2005-Mar-11 11:18 KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - Scientists are examining the crater of Mount St. Helens to see what happened in Tuesday's steam burst.

  The U.S. Geological Survey's Jon Major told a news conference Thursday that there was no obvious new growth. The source of the eruption was found to be to the northwest of the lava dome, he said.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 23:03 | Permalink

Views and damaged equipment from 2005-Mar-08

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift lazily north-northwestward to north-northeastward early in the day, and switch to a stronger eastward drift later.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and sporting a modest steam plume. Yesterday crews made more visual observations, measured gases, retrieved and deployed GPS units, and collected more ash samples. The source of Tuesday's explosion from the north-northwest side of the new dome was confirmed. Gases were up slightly from the last measurement, but are well within the range of previous measurements. They do not indicate the presence of a new batch of particularly gas-rich magma. A new GPS unit was placed on the old lava dome, and a unit on the glacier was retrieved. Seismicity remains at a level comparable to that of the days before Tuesday's explosive event. Today, crews are conducting further visual observations and making needed adjustments to our voice communication system.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 11:13 | Permalink

• Scientists say St. Helens calming down 2005-Mar-10 18:37 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - Scientists are examining the crater of Mount St. Helens to see what happened in Tuesday's steam burst.

  The U.S. Geological Survey's Jon Major told a news conference Thursday that there was no obvious new growth. The source of the eruption was found to be to the northwest of the lava dome, he said.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 08:39 | Permalink

• Visitors were in right place at right time 2005-Mar-10 from The Vancouver Columbian

  COLDWATER RIDGE -- Tom and Barbara Gentry hadn't been up to Mount St. Helens for several years, so it seemed like a good time to visit it again.

  They couldn't have picked a better time. The Vancouver couple saw Tuesday's magnificent plume of steam and ash from about nine miles away.

• St. Helens blast was ‘small but significant' 2005-Mar-10 15:26 from The Tacoma News-Tribune

  Tuesday's Mount St. Helens eruption was an eye-catching performance, but “small potatoes” in comparison with the kind of violent release of energy that the mountain has produced before, U.S Geological Survey research hydrologist Jon Major said Wednesday.

  The 5:25 p.m. eruption shot a cloud of steam and ash as high as 36,000 feet above sea level. Within a few hours, small amounts of ash drifted over the Cascade Mountain crest and dusted the Central Washington communities of Ellensburg, Yakima and Toppenish.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 15:46 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift southeastward at higher altitudes, but remain very near the volcano at lower altitudes.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can fall in trace amounts 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and sporting an intermittent steam plume. There have been no explosive events since 5:25 p.m. local time on Tuesday. After the event Tuesday, seismicity returned to a level similar to that in the several hours prior to the explosion, and it remains at about that level at this time. Yesterday, the new dome was found to be remarkably intact. Ballistics up to ~1 m in diameter were hurled as far as the northern flank of the old dome. No ballistics were found along or beyond the crater rim. Ash deposits were found along a narrow eastward swath. Ash up to ~1 inch thick was deposited along the east flank of the volcano. Although no obvious vent was observed, the distribution of ballistics and ash suggest the explosion emanated from a source very near that of the October 1, 2004 and January 16, 2005 explosions. Today, crews will conduct more visual observations, measure gases, do routine maintenance on some far-field instrument stations, and redeploy GPS units.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:13 | Permalink

• St. Helens assessed after blast 2005-Mar-10 00:00 from The Seattle Times

  Scientists who flew over Mount St. Helens yesterday weren't able to pinpoint the source of Tuesday's explosion, but they got a good view of the havoc wrought by the most violent outburst since the volcano reawakened nearly six months ago.

  The blast mangled or buried seven scientific instruments and flung rocks the size of washing machines up to a third of a mile away. A quarter-inch layer of ash covered the plains two miles from the crater floor, and traces drifted as far as western Montana.

• St. Helens just blowing off a little steam; no big eruption on horizon 2005-Mar-10 from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

  JOHNSTON RIDGE OBSERVATORY -- Scientists tamped down speculation yesterday that the large steam and ash emission at Mount St. Helens Tuesday was unexpected -- or any kind of likely precursor to a 1980-sized eruption.

  According to Jon Major, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, the emission was "a relatively small explosive event," and there was no hazard to people beyond the immediate vicinity of the volcano, which has been closed to the public since late last year.

• Portlanders gawk, in awe, at free show 2005-Mar-10 from The Portland Oregonian

  Portland's the kind of place where -- as a deliciously nocturnal doughnut shop's slogan goes -- "the magic is in the hole." It's the sort of city where for decades a beloved purveyor of fine appliances and furniture has proclaimed "Free is a very good price."

  So when Mount St. Helens exploded smack in the middle of Tuesday afternoon's rush hour, spewing a magical show skyward, and Portlanders watched it without having to fork over a dime , why, that was Rose City entertainment at . . . yeah, its peak.

• Mount St. Helens lava dome intact 2005-Mar-10 07:53 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - Scientists are taking a look at the crater of Mount St. Helens to see what happened in Tuesday's steam burst.

  The U.S. Geological Survey's Jon Major told a news conference Wednesday the lava dome is "remarkably intact." He said there was no lava flow, no mudflow and there is no hazard beyond the mountain itself.

• Earthquakes Continue To Rumble Under Mount St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 16:56 from KIRO (ch.7) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Hundreds of small earthquakes have rumbled under Mount St. Helens since Tuesday as steam continues to vent at the top. The biggest quake registered a magnitude 2.6 on Wednesday.

  Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's volcano observatory here were getting ready to head home when the squiggly line on the computer which tracks seismic activity at Mount St. Helens suddenly turned a solid black.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 08:37 | Permalink

Post activity photos

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and shift to an east-southeastward drift later in the afternoon.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can fall in trace amounts 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: A small but significant explosive event occurred at 5:25 pm PST on 03/08, creating a steam-and-ash plume that reached an altitude of 36,000 feet above sea level within minutes. Within minutes of the onset of this event, we lost communication with 7 monitoring stations in the crater, but not with any stations outside the crater. The event followed a few hours of slightly increased seismicity that was noted but not interpreted as precursory activity. There were no other indications of an imminent change in activity. There were reports of fine dustings of ash falling in Ellensberg, Yakima, and Toppenish, Washington between 7pm and 9pm yesterday. According to the Washington Volcano Ash Advisory Center, a faint and diffuse ash cloud was last detected in satellite imagery at 3:30 am PST on 03/09 over western Montana. Today, field crews made observations in the crater, sampled ash along the flanks, recovered two damaged monitoring stations, and installed a new seismometer. Observations in the crater found no obvious vent source for the 5:25 pm explosion, and the new dome was found to be remarkably intact. Ballistics up to ~1 m in diameter were seen at distances as far as the northern flank of the old dome, including at all locations where monitoring stations were lost. No ballistics were found along or beyond the rim. Ash deposits in the crater indicate that the plume was very narrow and directed primarily eastwards. Ash up to ~1 inch thick was deposited along the Plains of Abraham east of the volcano.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 20:45 | Permalink

• Mount St. Helens: Its bark was worse than its bite 2005-Mar-09 13:43 from The Portland Oregonian

  VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's volcano observatory here were getting ready to head home when the squiggly line on the computer which tracks seismic activity at Mount St. Helens suddenly turned a solid black.

• Big burst from St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 13:26 (updated) from The Seattle Times

  Mount St. Helens cranked up the drama yesterday, sending a plume of ash and steam 36,000 feet in the air shortly before sunset.

  Clearly visible from Portland, the cloud was at least as big as any since the volcano rumbled back to life in late September.

• Mount St. Helens lava dome intact 2005-Mar-09 12:56 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - Scientists are taking a look at the crater of Mount St. Helens to see what happened in Tuesday's steam burst.

  The U.S. Geological Survey's Jon Major told a news conference Wednesday the lava dome is "remarkably intact." He said there was no lava flow, no mudflow and there is no hazard beyond the mountain itself.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 13:54 | Permalink

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and shift to an east-southeastward drift later in the afternoon.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can fall in trace amounts 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: A small but significant explosive event occurred yesterday at 5:25 p.m. PST. Pilot reports indicated that the resulting steam-and-ash plume reached an altitude of 36,000 feet above sea level within minutes. The main eruption pulse lasted about 10 minutes, but lower levels of activity persisted for at least another 15 to 45 minutes. Within minutes of the onset of this event, we lost communication with 7 monitoring stations in the crater, but not with any stations outside the crater. The event followed a few hours of slightly increased seismicity that was noted but not interpreted as precursory activity. There were no other indications of an imminent change in activity. Still images from a camera at the northeast end of the crater mouth show a clear component of explosive vertical jetting associated with the event and evidence of ballistics extending at least as far as the north side of the old dome. Aerial photos in of the waning phases of the activity in conjunction with these still images show evidence of small ash flows having moved north and onto to old lava dome. There were reports of fine dustings of ash falling in Ellensberg, Yakima, and Toppenish, Washington between 7pm and 9pm yesterday. As of 2am today, the leading edge of the plume had been tracked to western Montana as a faint and diffuse cloud. Today, field crews will make visual observations and attempt to retrieve and possibly redeploy some of the crater instrumentation stations.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:09 | Permalink

• St. Helens bellows large steam plume 2005-Mar-09 the Vancouver Columbian

  Mount St. Helens on Tuesday uncorked its most spectacular explosion since it reawakened last autumn, sending a rush-hour blast of billowing white steam and ash 36,000 feet into the air.

  Within a few minutes, the huge cloud unfurled itself to the height of jetliners passing by at cruising altitude. It is believed to be the biggest explosion at the volcano since 1982, easily eclipsing a pair of sizable steam and ash blasts in early October. This event lasted about 30 minutes.

  None of the previous explosions flung rocks outside the crater, and scientists aren't expecting to find anything more than ash beyond the crater this time. The ash cloud, which drifted off toward the east-northeast, appeared to dissipate more quickly than a smaller ash cloud that dumped a light coating of ash 30 miles northeast in Randle on Oct. 5.

• Mount St. Helens - The Crater Glacier: Tulutson 2005-Mar-08 the Vancouver Columbian

  Tulutson Glacier will be the official name of the new glacier nestled in the crater of Mount St. Helens at least so long as the formation continues to exist.

  The Washington State Board on Geographic Names last week selected Tulutson, the Cowlitz Indian word for ice, among a list of four finalists. The board unanimously selected Tulutson over the names Crater, Spirit and Tamanawas, a loose tribal translation meaning "spiritual guidance."

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 10:02 | Permalink

• Large plume billows from Mount St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 03:33 from The Portland Oregonian

  VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Mount St. Helens appeared to be settling down early Wednesday after a startling blast that shot gritty volcanic ash to about 36,000 feet above sea level.

  A fine dusting was reported as far as away 125 miles to the east-northeast in southern Grant County by the time ashfall stopped late Tuesday night, the National Weather Service reported. An ashfall advisory for some areas east of the Cascade Range was canceled at midnight.

• Mount St. Helens puts on a show 2005-Mar-09 08:22 from The Tacoma News-Tribune

  A spectacular eruption from 8,363-foot Mount St. Helens sent a cloud of ash and steam 36,000 feet above sea level late Tuesday afternoon – three times as high as the eruptions that marked the mountain's October reawakening, scientists said.

  “It was beautiful. There was this big, roiling, cauliflowerlike structure rising in the air,” said U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Carolyn Driedger, who saw the towering plume from the window of her office at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash., about 35 miles from the volcano.

• St. Helens blows againAshfall seen in Yakima 2005-Mar-09 from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

  Mount St. Helens spewed a gray plume of ash miles into the air yesterday, surprising scientists and enthralling onlookers with its largest show of force in months.

  The eruption, which began at 5:25 p.m., lasted about 30 minutes and sent a billowing cloud about 36,000 feet into the air.

• Big burst from St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 08:28 from The Seattle Times

  Mount St. Helens cranked up the drama yesterday, sending a plume of ash and steam 36,000 feet in the air shortly before sunset.

  Clearly visible from Portland, the cloud was at least as big as any since the volcano rumbled back to life in late September.

• Mount St. Helens erupts 2005-Mar-09 06:51 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - Mount St. Helens appeared to be settling down Wednesday morning after a startling blast Tuesday afternoon shot gritty volcanic ash to about 36,000 feet above sea level.

  A fine dusting was reported as far as away 125 miles to the east-northeast in southern Grant County by the time ashfall stopped late Tuesday night, the National Weather Service reported. An ashfall advisory for some areas east of the Cascade Range was canceled at midnight.

• Eruption At Mt. St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 from KOMO (ch.4) Seattle

  MOUNT ST. HELENS - A plume billowing thousands of feet into air slowly drifted to the northeast Tuesday as Mount St. Helens released a towering column of steam and ash.

  The explosion happened around 5:25 p.m., about an hour after a 2.0 magnitude quake rumbled on the east side of the mountain, said Bill Steele, coordinator of the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network at the University of Washington.

• Large Plume Billows From Mount St. Helens 2005-Mar-09 07:38 from KIRO (ch.7) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Wispy steam rose from Mount St. Helens on Wednesday morning, a day after a steam burst sent a plume of volcanic ash 36,000 feet into the air.

  Tuesday's half-hour outpouring began with practically no warning about 5:25 p.m.

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 08:42 | Permalink

Eruption views taken on 2005-Mar-08

A small explosive event at Mount St. Helens volcano began at approximately 5:25 p.m. PST. Pilot reports indicate that the resulting steam-and-ash plume reached an altitude of about 36,000 feet above sea level within a few minutes and drifted downwind to the east-northeast. The principal event lasted about 30 minutes with intensity gradually declining throughout. The USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory lost radio signals from three monitoring stations in the crater soon after the event started. The cause of the outage won't be known until scientists can visit the crater tomorrow to assess the situation, weather permitting. The event followed a few hours of slightly increased earthquake activity that was noted but not interpreted as precursory activity. There were no other indications of an imminent change in activity.

Update: 22:25 — Added photo link

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 18:59 | Permalink

• Eruption At Mt. St. Helens 2005-Mar-08 from KIRO (ch.4) Seattle

  SKAMANIA COUNTY - Mt. St. Helens sprung back to life Tuesday afternoon as perhaps the largest eruption since the volcano became active again occurred at 5:25 p.m.

  Video from our sister station KATU-TV in Portland showed a large steam and ash plume rising as high as 15,000 to 25,000 feet from the volcano's crater.

  UW Seismologist Bill Steele said that ironically, recent tests within the last few days showed very low volcanic gas levels. They did record a slight increase in average magnitude of quakes in and around the lava dome before the evening eruption.

• Mount St. Helens sends ash cloud into the air 2005-Mar-08 18:24 (updated: 20:33) from The Seattle Times

  Mount St. Helens cranked up the drama in its six-month-long eruption, sending a plume of ash 30,000 feet into the air beginning today at 5:25 p.m.

  Clearly visible from Portland, the ash cloud was as big or bigger than any since the rumbled back to live in late September.

Update: 18:32, 22:35

Posted by Raoul Ortega at 18:18 | Permalink

• Large Ash Explosion From Mount St. Helens 2005-Mar-08 17:55 (Updated: 18:36) from KIRO (ch.7) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A large plume of steam is being emitted this afternoon from the crater of Mount Saint Helens.

  The plume was accompanied by an earthquake of about 2-point-zero magnitude.

• Mount St. Helens erupts 2005-Mar-08 18:03 from KING (ch.5) Seattle

  VANCOUVER, Wash. - A large plume of steam rising up to 36,000 f