The Current Position of the Mount ST. Helens Volcano - Case Study Example

of (section) Todays Mount St. Helens Introduction: This report is based on understanding the current issues that are being faced due to a volcano getting reactivated in the past. The focus is on Mount St. Helen, a volcanic mountain located in Skamania, Washington. This mountain has received its name from the British diplomat Lord St. Helens, an explorer who surveyed this area in the 18 century. This report is aimed at focusing on the current position of the volcano and reasons why the volcano has become active again after the burst in 1980s. The next section will deal with understanding the history of Mount St. Helens, which will help understand the series of the activities that have taken place in regards to the volcanic eruptions over the years. Mount St. Helens: Before entering into analyzing the eruptions in Mount St. Helen, a basic understanding of the mountain is very important. This section will deal with the basics of the mountain and will various aspects like the height, location, and type etc. of the mountain. Mount St. Helens as already mentioned earlier, is located in Washington. This mountain falls under the group of active strato – volcanoes. A strato – volcano is one that is generally conical in shape and is composed of many hardened layers of lava, tephra and volcanic ash. The volcano is located within the Cascade Range and forms a part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc (US Department). This place has as many as 160 active volcanoes and St. Helens forms a part of this Range. The mountain was around 9,677 feet before the eruption and after the eruption the mountain went down to almost 8,363 feet. The mountain has lost as much as 1,314 feet due to the eruption. The mountain was very beautiful and well appreciated by all. It is also believed that the mountain was treated as a sacred place by the local Indian tribes. The mountain has been given a number of different names in the past due to the eruptive behavior. Names like Lawelatla – ‘From one who smokes comes’, Loo – Wit meaning ‘Keeper of fire’, etc have been given to the mountain over the years by ancient legends. The mountain is mainly comprised of large lava rocks inter – layered with pumice, ash and various other deposits (Smith, 2006). Volcanic Eruption 1980: Mount St. Helens is very well known for one of the most catastrophic eruptions that occurred on 18 May 1980. This has been one of the biggest and most destructive volcanic events in the history of United States. The eruption however was not one which came without any early warning. It has been studied that on 20 March 1980, the mountain gave the first sign of warning with an earthquake of 4.1 magnitudes this however was ignored by all. Then again on 27 March 1980, the mountain had a small explosion which made a 250 foot wide crater on the top of the mountain, however this was again ignored as it was on the top of the mountain and no one on the ground was aware of the crater (USGS, 2008). After this the small explosions became a common sight for the mountain. In April the mountain saw a large bulge formed which was mainly due to the growing pressures within the mountain and by May the bulge grew by 5 feet on a daily basis. By May 17th the mountain had grown to a large extent and it was on 18th morning that the mountain finally exploded. The volcanic eruption has caused quite a lot of losses it killed fifty – seven people of which a number of individuals were not found. There were also losses of almost two hundred and fifty houses, forty seven bridges, almost twenty four kilometers of railway tracks and as much as three hundred kilometers of the highways that were destroyed. This is a very massive loss and can highlight the wrath of the volcano. Figure 1: May 18, 1980 eruption photo by Austin Post The morning of 18 May 1980 saw an eruption at around 8:32 am. An earth – quake measuring to almost 5.1 on the Richter scale was felt which caused a collapse of the massive rock debris avalanche. The eruption caused a damage of almost 230 miles and it destroyed the forest, which was blown away, and parts were buried under the volcanic deposits. The eruption lasted for a long nine - hour period and the entire area around the mountain was covered with clouds of the ash that rose for feet skyward. The mountain included a lot of basalt and andesite through which a lot of domes of dacite lava has erupted (Mount St. Helens, 2008). This cloud covered most of Washington and even beyond, causing the day to be as dark as night. The volcano also destroyed the entire surrounding area within moments of the eruption. In memory of this volcano and the loss that was suffered, the government has created Mount St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument, which was built to assist the scientific studies of the volcano to understand better the various affects of the volcano and also to preserve the volcano for any kind of further study. This eruption has also caused a loss of almost $1.1 billion in terms of timber, civil works and even agricultural losses. It also affect the wild life and killed as many as seven – thousand big animals, millions of birds, almost twelve million Chinook and Coho salmon and millions of other small mammals were also killed due to the eruption. The eruption however has also provided a number of benefits. It provided valuable minerals, fertile soil, recreational opportunities and most importantly geothermal energy. However, post the major eruption every step has been taken to ensure to keep track of any changes. It was then that the Mount St. Helen was expected to continue erupting however there have not been any estimates as too how long the eruptions might start within, and how long they would last (Geography – Site, 2008). Since 2004: The Mountain has seen a lot of activities since 2004. It has been noted since 2004 that there has been growth of the lawa – dome. There has been continuous growth over the years, until 2007. There were several different transients that were noted during this period, including whaleback. This was a very delicate formation with a pressure of magma below it. The mountain has seen number of small eruptions since 2004. The whaleback broke off in 2005 and caused a massive rock – fall which caused a lot of ash and dust into the air (US Forest, 2008). Also the mountain has seen a lot of activity post 2005 March, when the mountain saw another eruption, causing an earthquake 2.5. The lava dome however continued to grow over the days and the growth has been noted to as much as 6 feet per day. Again in October 2006, another eruption with a magnitude of almost 3.5 was seen. Later on 19 December 2006, the mountain was seen with a large white plume of steam this was again a small eruption and was not taken very seriously. Further on since then and again on January 16 2008, where the mountain saw another small eruption which has been the most noticeable since 2004. During this eruption the lava dome was loosing up, however by the end of January the lava discharge has stopped and the possibility of a major eruption has been deemed low (USGS – 1). Figure 2: A comparison of MSH, before and after the eruption, also the growing lava dome since 2003 Lava Formation: The formation of lava is a process most people are aware of. The earth’s core consists of various layers of which one of them is made of molten rocks called Magma. These rocks are made of a number of different minerals and these rocks are at times in a solid form and at other times part liquid. When pressure increases within the earth it forces the pressure to be built within the chamber of the volcano, and the magma forms a gas, which causes the mountain to start steaming. Over a period and with the increasing levels of pressure the magma moves up into the chamber towards the top of the mountain. With the increase in pressure at some point the magma is forced out of the ground and is called lava once it moves out of the volcano chamber, thus causing a volcanic eruption. Conclusion: In the case of Mount St. Helens the pressure in the mountain has been growing thus making the lava move towards the top and creates the lava dome. It is to be noted this is mainly due to various factors on the surface of the earth as well. With the increasing global warming that is being faced and the great increase in the construction of buildings world wide, the inner layers of the earth are facing an increasing pressure. Thus the lava within volcanoes is also building. It is the main basis for all volcanoes however the timing of the lava building is at different times. It is essential for each individual to understand the consequences of the global warming and the intensity of its affects. It has been said that the danger of a major eruption is low however this is not very reliable. The chances of an eruption can be at any given point of time especially in a mountain which has been so inactive over the years. It is very evident from the growing lava dome that the eruptions can be expected at any time. It is important for everyone to realize that the global warming plays a very important role in the formation of the volcanic eruption which can cause a lot of problems for everything around in the area. Thus it is important for every single person to do their bit to try to reduce the acts that could further aggregate the global warming and try to ensure all the natural resources are not disturbed with the damaging affects of the doings of each individual on this planet. A volcanic eruption can be very damaging both in terms of monetary as well as life, thus it is essential to ensure that care is taken to move a step towards ‘green’. The above discussion of the history of the mountain and the recent past of the mountain shows the importance of a volcanic eruption and the various looses that can be made due to its occurrence. Thus from the above discussion it is clearly understood about the issues that can e faced by volcanic eruptions and the possible improvement to avoid the happening. Bibliography Geography - Site, The Geography Site. 15 October 2008. 26 November 2008 http://www.geography-site.co.uk/ Mount St. Helens, Mount St. Helens. 2008. 26 November 2008 http://www.mt-st-helens.com/history.html Smith, Valeria, The many faces of Mt. St. Helens. 06 June 2006. 26 November 2008. http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/StHelens.html? US Forest. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument 26 November 2008. 28 Novemeber 2008. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/ US Department of the Interior. Mount Helen returns to slumber. 07/10/2008, 26/11/2008 http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/home.html USGS - 1 Change in Mount St. Helens Alert Level and Aviation Color Code. 26 November 2008, 28 November 2008. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Eruption04/Monitoring/February2008/ USGS - Volcano Hazards Preparing for Volcanic Emergencies 17 July 2008, 28 November 2008 http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/planning.php USGS. History of Mt. St. Helens. 2008. 26 November 2008. http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2001Outwest/PacificNaturalHistory/Projects/BookV/eruption.htm Read More