(Untitled)

[puppygrrl]

So the mountain went splody again. First reports were most nifty, but it seems to just be another steam and ash eruption, albeit a larger than usual one. The webcam shows some nice IR images of the crater though. Fortunately they got the webcam back online just this afternoon after a few days down. Talk about timing.

Comments

[prairieflower]

I went and read an article... has it been venting often? It made it sound like its done this off and on since it blew when I was moving last fall.

Since I'm no longer up there, I don't get quite as much local news. ;-)

[puppygrrl]

It's been venting pretty much constantly and building a new lava dome since October. This is just the largest venting yet. Apparently on flyovers the USGS is able to see the new lava creating the dome, but it is oozy, not flowing, so it is just making the dome bigger.

[prairieflower]

Interesting!!

:-)

Splody Mountians

[sordidatus]

I think Mt St Helens is our pressure release value in Cascadia. When Geologic forces get too much to handle it vents out at St Helens back down to managable levels. Kind of like a pressure cooker or an air compressor. This is good because we do not want the Geologic pressure to build up to the point where Rainier, Baker, Adams, or Hood goes off. That would be bad, very bad. The fact that St Helens has been very active lately, in my mind and in my humble opinion, should act as a warning system. Geologic pressue is building at a lightning fast rate, Geologically speaking, meaning that a large event is immenant in the near future. Perhaps another 6.5+ earthquake like back in 2001. Perhaps something bigger.