Mount St Helens

The long dormant Mount St. Helens volcano of the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State erupted on May 18, 1980.

May 18, 1980, 8:32 A.M.: An earthquake suddenly triggered an avalanche on Mount St. Helens, a volcano in southern Washington State. Minutes later, Mount St. Helens blew the top off its peak and exploded into the most devastating volcanic eruption in U.S. history. What caused the eruption? What was left when it ended? What did scientists learn in its aftermath? In this extraordinary photographic essay, Patricia Lauber details the Mount St. Helens eruption and the years following. Through this clear accurate account, readers of all ages will share the awe of the scientists who witnessed both the power of the volcano and the resiliency of life.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused tragic loss of life and property, but also created a unique opportunity to study a huge disturbance of natural systems and their subsequent responses. This book synthesizes 25 years of ecological research into of volcanic activity, and shows what actually happens when a volcano erupts, what the immediate and long-term dangers are, and how life reasserts itself in the environment.

This sourcebook addresses the breadth of the effects of the volcanic eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 1980 on lakes, rivers, streams, the Columbia River Estuary, ground water, and precipitation in the Western U.S. Data and conclusions from scores of reports and scientific papers are reviewed, covering the myriad of subjects involved in characterizing the Geological Survey, other Federal and State agencies, and individual researchers are summarized. Extensive references are cited. Tables and map in pocket.

As plants, animals, and people have reclaimed Mount St. Helens over the last 20 years, the mountain remains a looming reminder of an event that forever changed the face of the Northwest. Essays and photos document the events that surrounded the eruption.