Mount St. Helen Erupts and Throws Ash 16,000 Feet High

Vancouver, Washington (HDW) October 2, 2004 – Mount St. Helen, a volcano with a history of eruptions in the State of Washington, erupted yesterday in a small 25-miunute-long eruption around noon from a vent just south of its lava dome. The United Sates Geological Survey (USGS) provided the picture above, and noted that seismic activity dropped to a low level for several hours after the eruption. Currently earthquakes are occurring at a rate of 1-2 per minute and they remain shallow. The current level of seismic energy release is slightly above where it was prior to the eruption yesterday. The USGS believes that Mount St. Helens may have re-pressurized, and as a result, additional steam-and-ash eruptions may occur at any time.

Updated wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) coupled with an eruption model indicate that the wind direction are from the east so that any ash clouds produced today will drift to the west. NOAA also reported that the ash clouds created by the eruption reached as high as 16,000 feet above sea-level. Both NOAA and the USGS continue to monitor Mount St. Helen for future eruptions, and future trouble.

In 1980, Mount St. Helen erupted and killed 57 people while sending thick clouds of ash hundreds of miles around it. The current activity from Helen is not expected to be as bad, but scientists are observing it closely for signs of trouble.