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30th Anniversary Of Mt St Helens Eruption - May 18, 2010
Mt St Helens, a volcano in Washington State, had a huge eruption on May 18, 1980. The eruption caused billions of dollars in damage, and 57 people were killed. Far from the worst volcanic eruption on record, but one of the most shocking. It took more than a few installment loans to clean up, and Mt St Helens has been closely watched since.
Article Source: 30th anniversary of Mt St Helens eruption: May 18, 2010
Mt St Helens Eruption
In March of 1980, Mt St Helens was shaken by a series of earthquakes after being dormant for over a century. For the next two months, the mountain was closely monitored. An earthquake with a magnitude above 5 on the Richter scale hit the volcano. A landslide on the north face opened a vent to the interior. A blast of super hot gas, magma, and rock ripped out of the side of the mountain.
The blast
The pyroclastic (volcanic) blast that ripped through the side of the mountain as a result of the landslide reached the speed of sound. The debris was shot 20 miles out of the side. Pyroclastic flows (material pouring out of the mountain) continued after the eruption, and 17 were observed afterward. Two weeks after the explosion and flows, the pyroclastic material that flowed from the volcano still was 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The damage
Material flowed out of the volcano up to 20 miles away. Mud flows and debris were shot into river systems, causing floods and heavy damage to river systems. More than one cubic mile of debris was shot out of the mountain. 200 homes, 27 bridges, 15 miles of railway and 185 miles of highway were destroyed, and 57 perished. President Carter declared the landscape as desolate as the lunar surface.
Ripple effects
An ash cloud extended 12 miles into the atmosphere. The ash spread all over Washington state, and the city of Yakima received a heavy layer by the next day. Spokane, Wash., was plunged into total darkness, with a visibility of about 10 feet. Ash fell as far south as New Mexico and as far east as Minnesota. Countless flights were grounded at airports, just like the recent Iceland volcano eruptions forced airports to do. The blast was 1,600 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. The mountain was more than 1,000 feet shorter and left a crater almost 2. Occasional smaller eruptions and activity have occurred since. Over $ 1 billion in damage was done by the Mt St Helens eruption. It serves as a stern reminder that nature is a harsh mistress.
Sources
Mt St Helens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens
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