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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| USGS: Mount St. Helens could erupt within 24 hours |
| 2004-10-03 |
| Observatory 3 miles from volcano's base evacuated Scientists warn that Mount St. Helens could erupt within 24 hours, and with more force than previously expected. Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a Level 3 Volcano Alert, indicating an eruption could occur within the next day, said Tom Pierson with the USGS. That level alert is the third of four -- with the fourth being eruption. The alert was issued after scientists detected the movement of magma, or underground lava, the USGS said. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
#5  Tive vs depth chart of eartquakes. Note on righrt-hand side...pushing to the surface...  Also most recent strong earthquake is west of Fridays blowing off of steam...  USGS Volcano Cam shows haziness in the crater spreading east - wind blowing ash-dust from Friday's event... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-03 1:24:50 PM |
| #4 I'd been wanting to see Mt. St. Helens ever since the 1980 eruption, and I finally got my chance two years ago on a vacation to the west coast. All I can say is, that sucker is IMMENSE. And so was the devastation from the '80 eruption: miles and miles of blasted forest. It was pretty sobering. What I found most interesting was how fast the area is recovering: what once was grey, ash-covered moonscape right after the eruption is now covered by trees and brush, some of it 20-30 feet high. Down along the river, the growth is so thick in places you can't see the mountain. At one point, I went on a sort of "nature trail" that described the expected recovery from the eruption, detailing what sort of vegetation could be expected "X" number of years after the blast; and I noticed that what I was seeing **WAY** exceeded what they predicted even a half-century from now. All in all, it was pretty amazing. As for the current activity, I doubt it'll amount to more than a small fart, compared to the 1980 blast. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-10-03 10:10:17 AM |
| #3 Time to donate a small portion of Washington state to Russia, methinks. There goes Kyoto... |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-10-03 9:10:48 AM |
| #2 I don't know, but I saw a geologist being interviewed a few hours ago on CNN and he looked really happy about the coming show. |
| Posted by: Bryan 2004-10-03 8:59:07 AM |
| #1 How big are they predicting? |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-10-03 8:54:56 AM |