SCI/TECH: Mount St. Helens Erupts; Magma Eruption Expected

Originally posted by Tusayen
Thank you much... will adjust my settings...

De Nada.
Take a look at this one just for reference. Pretty drastic difference between activity and relative quiet.
www.pnsn.org...
This was the time frame when the little steam spurt eruption occured and right after when she went quiet.

Talk about a difference...

This is the latest for southridge...
www.pnsn.org...
... I wonder how much longer this can continue... be for it finally ruptures...depressurizes and and erupts?

I wonder how big the eruption be when it erupts. I don't think it will be as bad as the one in 1980.

Can someone bring me up to speed with the situation right now?

Last thing I heard about 5 hours ago was that an erupation might happen within the next 12 hours? How are things looking now, more stable, more dangerous?

I'm no expert on reading the graphs.

It's more dangerous than yesterday now it is level 3 and the safety zone was upped from 3 to 5 miles.

I saw a press conference once again on FNC about MSH.
Here are some quotes from the site

"I don't think anyone now thinks this will stop with steam explosions," geologist Willie Scott said Sunday at the Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash., about 50 miles south.

At this point, scientists do not expect anything close to the devastation of the May 18, 1980 explosion, which killed 57 people and coated much of the Northwest with ash.

"Of course the volcano reserves the right to change its mind," said monument scientist Peter Frenzen with the U.S. Forest Service, which operates the park.

"No one is predicting it as a sure thing," said Bill Steele at the University of Washington's seismology lab in Seattle. "This could be going on for weeks."

FNC

No one knows if, when, or what will happen. I just hope that no lives will be lost if she goes loco.

Originally posted by cpr12r
I wonder how big the eruption be when it erupts. I don't think it will be as bad as the one in 1980.

It cannot be as big for some time. There is not a enough mass. To be as bad. That is why it cant be a major eruption, untill the mass grows back.

A major eruption soon. 8 miles is the sfae zone now.

Originally posted by cpr12r
It's more dangerous than yesterday now it is level 3 and the safety zone was upped from 3 to 5 miles.

Ok thanks.

Would I be right in thinking that this type of volcano wouldn't produce lava flows? Would an eruption just consist of a release of ash and boulders and the danger of a landslide?

Ok, for everyone that thinks it going to be a Major eruption, can we base the 1980 as a major eruption? If this one does not compare to the 1980 eruption. Can we say it was not a major eruption? Also can we not base it on how many people died or do die in this one?


Again, there is not enough mass in the side of the mountain to Be a major eruption. Of course lava is going to fly, but the damage done by rocks is not going to be no where close. There HAS to be more smaller ones like this one, so the lava can flow and build the mountain back up.



[edit on 3-10-2004 by SpittinCobra]

[edit on 3-10-2004 by SpittinCobra]

The real danger of any volcano isnt the lava or the ash n soot n rocks etc...its the Pyroclastic cloud...corrosive gases...smoke..soot...probably chunks of other stuff.

Same as pompeii....the people didnt die from the volcano....they died from the Pyroclastic cloud.

Wish this damn thing would just blow already as its gettin annoyin to hear about it every 5 seconds.

I've been at the beach so I haven't had access to the internet until now. I'm back at home in Vancouver, WA where all of the scientists are based. I'm going to try and head down to the headquarters and get a feel for just how big this thing is.

According to local reports, the 1980 eruption was classified as a level 5 eruption. The steam/ash release on Friday has been classified as a less than level 1 eruption. According to local tv, the scientists are saying this new eruption could be a 3 or a 4. Of course, they are also saying it could be just a lava dome building event with no spectacular show (this has happened many times since The Big One).

Originally posted by Gryffen
Wish this damn thing would just blow already as its gettin annoyin to hear about it every 5 seconds.

I agree, it needs to make up its mind... first they say 12-24 hours and now according to the news they say it could keep rumbling for some time. Basically they have no idea when its going to blow... I keep reading... we'll know when all the data comes back. They are even considering dropping the level back down a notch... Dependent of course on the data.

It could be somewhat of a spasm of the Earth everytime it erupts, like somehow a problem has arised, and whenever it reaches a certain notch St. Helens would erupt. I take this because in 1980 we don't have nearly as much Technology, or Problems as we do now. If it would be the same then Im guessing it will be either as powerful or more than the one in 1980, although. Logically if it were to be more powerful it would have erupted sooner.

Why did Helen`s spectogram suddenly turn blue?



It all changed on this one: 1. Oct Helens

...and more reddish appear at Rainers...


Spectograms

I was watching the news and there is video of these people (nuts) that have collected on a ridge across from St. Helens to watch for an eruption. If I recall right that was the spot where a scientist (or photographer... I cant remember which) was standing when it blew in 1980. The blast knocked him on his rear and he ended up having to run for his life. He was lucky and escaped. But these people are just nuts. They have no idea what they might be up against.

It seems we've shifted from 'canes to volcanoes ehh? This is my backyard, well kinda. Anyway, the latest seismograph from the crater seems to be showing magma movement again, indicated by the continuous clipped readings.

Definatly looks that way... Knowing my luck it will blow while I'm asleep...
You know geologically speaking (time wise) this mountain seems pretty active seeing as how its erupting... again. Wonder if we will see future rumblings from this mountain.

If the magma doesnt move up, and all the pressure builds were its at now, about 1/2 mile down, it could be very bad.

As of now there hasnt been any tremors at the low part of the mountain, all "shallow". So if the tremors start to move down the mountain, then we need to worrie about a big eruption.

I guess I nailed the harmonic trmor assessment, the news just reported that the magma movement last night was the biggest so far, 90 minutes.