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

Main story updated.

Dome "intensely deformed" and cracked.
Magma at or near surface.
Seismic activity as noted above.

Current steam eruption ongoing for approx 45 min now.

Why does everything look a bit red up there?

or is the sun coming up????

I think it's the sun, it's up in the left, well what sun there is anyway

The good thing about this explosion...its gonna be well contained if the Lava makes an appearence.

All the valleys and rivers there will contain it to a degree and probably end up somewhere in a hole...so...less enviromental damage.

only thing to worry about now is the Pyroclastic cloud and the mud slides etc.

Unlike with the last event, the harmonic data does not seem to be subsiding. It would seem to be just as steady as it has been the last 2 days.

This ain't over by a long shot.

I don't think I would really consider the lava to cause environmental damage, at least not naural enviroments. True it will wipe out all human enviornments in its path, but its a part of nature just the same, and is part of the natrual cycle of the earth. Just as forestfires spawn new life afterwards, so does lava.

Can anyone see that Lava?

Is it lava? Looks like it to me its following the tracks look now!

Originally posted by markjaxson
Can anyone see that Lava?

Is it lava? Looks like it to me its following the tracks look now!

I believe what you are seeing there is a river. It is almost noon in WA, and with the sun straight up will will be reflecting the sunlight more then the earlier images when the sun was to the side. I don't notice any lava on the side of the mountain, so I am assuming it's not, but I haven't been to the TV yet.

You can see here the swell of the ground in the center

HOLY CRAP!
To be as noticable as that is from the distance that camera is at...
That's scariey! I am afraid of what will happen when that cork pops.
Nice work Sauron.

[edit on 10/4/2004 by phreak_of_nature]

Oh my god!
That's a rather drastic bulging, isn't it!!!

OK...there gettin worried now!!!!




That swelling has swelt again!!!!

*on the top right hand corner there was a helicopter...it musta been cut out due to image size!!!*

[edit on 4-10-2004 by Gryffen]

Like a big old molten zit!

Just for a reference I thought I would include this pic in this thread.

The difference between pre '80 eruption and today is huge.

Could the webcam not have been moved further up?

If you look at some rocks closer to the cam on both pics you notice a difference in size (the same rocks) if the cameras been moved further up then this could explain the bulge.

Otherwise if this has not happened and that truly is a bulge whoever lives near there is in deep #.

I would pack my essentials and get out of there asap.

But thats just me

Originally posted by markjaxson
Could the webcam not have been moved further up?

If you look at some rocks closer to the cam on both pics you notice a difference in size (the same rocks) if the cameras been moved further up then this could explain the bulge.

Otherwise if this has not happened and that truly is a bulge whoever lives near there is in deep #.

I would pack my essentials and get out of there asap.

But thats just me

The cam hasn't moved, examine the edges of the pic

Originally posted by markjaxson
Could the webcam not have been moved further up?

If you look at some rocks closer to the cam on both pics you notice a difference in size (the same rocks) if the cameras been moved further up then this could explain the bulge.

You can be pretty sure they didn't move the camera. I have been comparing some of the landmarks in the pic also. We may all be fooled by the tricks of light. The shadows in earlier images may have hiden some of the bulge, and now with the sun overhead we are seeing more of it.
Regardless of what the sun is showing us, they have stated that cracks are opening in the dome, and that it is expanding.

Originally posted by Gryffen
*on the top right hand corner there was a helicopter...it musta been cut out due to image size!!!*

[edit on 4-10-2004 by Gryffen]

Actually, everyone keeps linking the "live" image in the thread. So when they updated the image, the one with the helicopter was refreshed, and updated to the latest.

Remember, if you are trying to capture a moment in time from the cam, it's a "live" image. The next time it is refreshed your image will be too. If you want ot capture a certain moment, you will need to save the image to your computer, then upload it somewhere.

Hey all

Is this the webcam everyone is using?

www.fs.fed.us...

Or are there links to others out there?

Originally posted by rangeroftheeast
Hey all

Is this the webcam everyone is using?

www.fs.fed.us...

Or are there links to others out there?

You got it ranger