Volcanic Eruptions of 1980 at Mount St. Helens; The First 100 Days
Mount St. Helens (Loowit; Lawetlat’la) became solidified in national memory on May 18, 1980, when the ancient stratovolcano erupted in a massive plume of hot lava, ash, and rock after more than a month of seismic and volcanic activity. This report from the US Department of the Interior is aimed at educating the public and the government on the “first 100 days” of notable seismic activity on and surrounding the mountain, starting on March 20 and ending on June 27. Foxworthy explains basic geologic and seismic concepts, the history of Cascade volcanoes, and the particular conditions leading up to and immediately following the eruption. His report is made up of fairly accessible language, and the “first 100 days” themselves are chronicled in the form of mock field journals reporting on daily activities like data collection, airborne monitoring, hydrologic and geologic surveys, and situational assessment, as well as the high-level of inter-agency coordination that occurred before, during, and after Mount St. Helens’ eruption.
“The outlook for the future of Mount St. Helens and the areas that it affected can be discerned only partially. … In the meantime, the ash gradually will be assimilated into the soil. The streams and lakes that persist on the mountain flanks and in the devastated area will adjust to the new conditions of runoff and sediment load. Glaciers and snowfields will adapt to the different shape and lower altitude of the cone. Animals and vegetation, already returning to the devastated areas at the end of June 1980, will become abundant again. The restorative phase of the [volcanic] cycle, repeated many times before at this volcano and others in the Cascades, has begun once again.”
Foxworthy, B.L.; Hill, M. (1982). Volcanic Eruptions of 1980 at Mount St. Helens; The First 100 Days. Washington, District of Columbia; United States Department of the Interior.
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