Dave Land wrote: > On Sep 30, 2004, at 6:11 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: > >> Gosh - I hope not - it is one of the centrepieces of my Christmas >> holiday plans, along with Rainier and some other spots in the >> Cascades. >> >> Does anyone know what the authorities would do if it did blow - would >> the roads (such as they are in winter already) between St Helens, >> Rainier and Kelso or Tacoma be closed? > > A report I heard said that an eruption could send rocks flying as far > as ... the rim of the crater. I wouldn't cancel my plans if I were > you... Then again, if your plans included a hike to the rim, you may > be out of luck. >
Steam Cloud Rises Above Mount St. Helens Steam Eruption Exactly What Scientists Predicted POSTED: 2:42 pm EDT October 1, 2004 UPDATED: 6:26 pm EDT October 1, 2004 VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A steam eruption was seen at Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state, with the cloud of white steam and a small plume of ash coming from the mountain. The steam burst began just after 12 p.m. Pacific time and lasted about 20 minutes. A seismologist said the small earthquakes that have been taking place under the volcano for the past several days have now just about stopped. He said the pressure inside the volcano has been released, and the eruption appears to be over. Scientists had been saying in recent days that an eruption was likely, and the steam shot from the crater in exactly the way scientists had predicted, reported KIRO-TV in Seattle. Scientists aren't expecting anything nearly as powerful as the 1980 eruption that blew the top off the mountain and killed 57 people. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver issued a volcano advisory Thursday. They reported three or four quakes a minute with the largest a magnitude 3.3. All the earthquakes were still shallow and in or below the lava dome. A volcano advisory means there's a significant likelihood of hazardous volcanic activity, but that the evidence does not indicate the event will threaten life or property. Scientists had been checking gases, thermal imaging, and changes in the lava dome and the side of the volcano for signs that magma might be moving in the mountain. Jeff Wynn, the chief scientist at the Cascade Volcano Observatory, said Thursday the chance of a small eruption at Mount St. Helens in the next few days is about 70 percent. He said new measurements show the 975-foot lava dome in the volcano's crater has moved 2.5 inches to the north since Monday. He said, "That's a lot of energy." Meanwhile, an Oregon health official said volcanic ash from an eruption at Mount St. Helens is expected to pose a low health risk. Dr. Grant Higginson said research carried out after the 1980 eruption of the volcano showed there is no evidence of long-term health effects from this kind of exposure to volcanic ash and dust. Exposure to volcanic ash is primarily linked to eye and breathing irritation. xponent Where Is the Kaboom? Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
