photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Photos by Paul | profile | all galleries >> A FEW NIFTY GALLERIES >> THE MOUNT ST. HELENS AFTERMATH . . tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

THE MOUNT ST. HELENS AFTERMATH . .



MOUNT ST HELEN'S IS THE MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE CASCADE MOUNTAIN RANGE “VOLCANIC BELT”. IT CONSISTS OF 14 VOLCANOES, AND EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THROUGH OREGON AND WASHINGTON, AND ENDS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. THESE VOLCANOES HAVE ERUPTED A TOTAL OF 8 TIMES IN THE LAST 200 YEARS AND 50 TIMES OVER THE PAST 4000 YEARS.

THE LAST OF THESE ERUPTIONS WAS ON MAY 18, 1980 AND WAS FROM MOUNT ST HELENS. HERE ARE SOME FACTS OF THAT ERUPTION . . . .

IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES, IT LEVELED 230 SQ. MILES OF FOREST. THE MOUNTAIN LOST 1300 FEET OF HEIGHT AND ABOUT 2/3 CUBIC MILE OF EARTH. THE ERUPTION BEGAN WITH A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE THAT BURIED 14 MILES OF RIVER TO AN AVERAGE DEPTH OF 150 FEET. THE “LATERAL BLAST” FLATTENED TREES AS FAR AWAY AS 17 MILES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE VOLCANO. THE VERTICAL ASH ERUPTION ROSE TO A HEIGHT OF 15 MILES AND LASTED FOR 9 HOURS. ASH DRIFTED TO THE NORTHEAST.

HERE‘S A GOOD REFERENCE FOR MORE INFORMATION . . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Range



ENLARGING EACH PHOTO WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION OF . . . . THE AFTERMATH.

LOOK BELOW FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE USGS TO THESE PHOTOS . .
THE CALDERA . . . IN THE BACKGROUND . .
THE CALDERA . . . IN THE BACKGROUND . .		 THERE WAS 230 SQ MILES OF THIS !
THERE WAS 230 SQ MILES OF THIS !		 SOME PYROCLASTIC FLOW . .
SOME PYROCLASTIC FLOW . .		 A CONTRAST . . .
A CONTRAST . . .
SPIRIT LAKE
SPIRIT LAKE		 A WIDE ANGLE VIEW . . .
A WIDE ANGLE VIEW . . .		 PUMICE AND LOGS . . .
PUMICE AND LOGS . . .		 Did someone call me ?
"Did someone call me ?"
PUMICE . .
PUMICE . .		 MT. ADAMS . . . BEHIND THE BARREN LANDSCAPE
MT. ADAMS . . . BEHIND THE BARREN LANDSCAPE		 NEW GROWTH . .
NEW GROWTH . .		 THE NORTH FACE . .
THE NORTH FACE . .
ONE OF *MANY*
ONE OF *MANY*		 ERODING PUMICE . .
ERODING PUMICE . .		 10 MILES DISTANT, AND . . .
10 MILES DISTANT, AND . . .		 MORE GEOLOGY . .
MORE GEOLOGY . .
ANOTHER RIVER . . .
ANOTHER RIVER . . .		 I WAS HERE BACK THEN !
"I WAS HERE BACK THEN !"		 CALDERA - 2007
"CALDERA - 2007"		 27 YEARS LATER . . . . . . IN LATE SUMMER .
27 YEARS LATER . . . . . . IN LATE SUMMER .
MT. ST. HELENS IN THE WINTERTIME
MT. ST. HELENS IN THE WINTERTIME

comment | share
Photos by Paul20-Sep-2011 17:22
An interesting email response to these photos from the USGS . . .

Paul,

Here are some brief geology explanations.

"More Geology" This view from Johnston Ridge shows lava layers deposited during the upper Eocene or Oligocene age Goble Volcanoes (in the vicinity of 30 million years ago). The Goble is one of many examples of volcanism in the Cascades that occurred millions of years before development of the current Cascade volcanoes.

"Some Pyroclastic Flow" The photograph shows the Toutle River flowing in a canyon it eroded through 1980 debris avalanche deposits. Note the old terraces adjacent to the current valley, which were cut by the river in previous years.

"Pumice" The canyon of Step Creek is visible in the foreground; Loowit Canyon is in the middle background. The hills in the back right of center are part of the 1980 debris avalanche. The debris avalanche is the scientific name for the massive landslide that happened on the morning of May 18th, 1980.

"Pumice and Logs" This photograph shows logs being eroded from within the 1980 debris avalanche deposit. These trees were some of the tens of thousands that were destroyed by the debris avalanche on the morning of May 18, 1980.

"Eroding Pumice" The Toutle River flows through a valley within the larger 1980 debris avalanche deposit. Again, note older stream terraces and the erosion gullies on the left side of the photo.

"I was here back then" Do you know the name of the gentleman in the photograph?

A word about text at the top of the Aftermath website: Note that there have been now just a few, but many dozens of eruptions at Cascade volcanoes during the last 200 years. We'll never know exactly how many due to the lack of deposit preservation, so the amount that we know about is a minimum.

Your photographs are beautiful! Thanks for pointing us to them.

Carolyn


Carolyn L. Driedger
Hydrologist/Outreach Coordinator
Fay Stout16-Jul-2011 19:57
I remember when Mt. St. Helens erupted and I was in shock. Somehow you just don't think of that happening in this country. The force of the eruption was incredible.
click on thumbnails for full image