U.S. raises Mount St. Helens alert level after volcanic tremors

[tk13]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20041002/ap_on_re_us/mount_st__helens_5

U.S. Raises Alert for Mount St. Helens

1 hour, 19 minutes ago Top Stories - AP

By PEGGY ANDERSEN, Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE - Government seismologists raised the alert level for Mount St. Helens on Saturday after its second steam eruption in two days was followed by a powerful tremor. They said the next blast could threaten life and property in the remote area near the volcano.

The hundreds of visitors at the Johnston Ridge Observatory just five miles from Mount St. Helens were asked to leave. They went quickly to their cars and drove from the scene.

"We're in an eruptive period where there's a potential hazard," said Bill Steele at the University of Washington's seismic laboratory in Seattle.

The concern was not Saturday's small steam release, "but the nature of the volcanic tremor signal that followed," he said. "It was far stronger after today's steam eruption" than the tremor that followed Friday's blast.

"We were picking it up throughout western Washington and into central Oregon. Yesterday we had a very weak tremor signal."

Also, earthquakes continued Saturday during the tremor.

Tremors indicate movement of gases or fluid within the volcano," Steele said, while earthquakes indicate "a pounding and breaking of rock."

[tk13]

They just aired a press conference on CNN about it. Said that they do believe there is magma moving now and that they do expect an explosion within the next 24 hours. Nothing too serious they think as long as you aren't too close to the mountain, but it could throw quite a bit more ash out there than the previous eruptions.

[Joe Seahawk]

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!

HEAD FOR THE HILLS...ERRR SEAS!!!!

[Skip Towne]

Hey Joe, how far from the volcano do you live?

[Hydrae]

It looks quiet enough on this web cam at Johnston Ridge:

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/images/mshvolcanocam.jpg

[Joe Seahawk]

Hey Joe, how far from the volcano do you live?

I live about 120 miles away, Taco and KC Dan are within 50.

Even if it erupted like it did in 1980, the damage would be much less because there is no snow up there right now. In 1980 there was a huge lake, millions and millions of feet of timber and all kinds of snow that caused a huge Lahar. I'm no expert, but I wouldn't expect anything like that again..

[Ugly Duck]

the next blast could threaten life and property in the remote area near the volcano.Yeah right.... conservatives don't believe in stuff like ozone layers, global warming, or volcanoes. They are just liberal conspiracies to destroy the economies of Oregon and Washington.

[Malcor]

....I'm no expert, but I wouldn't expect anything like that again..
Said the man from Pompeii...

jk ;)

I hope all turns out for the best...and the Yellowstone area doesn't decide to blow its cap...from what I understand we are roughly in that time frame...

[Hydrae]

Said the man from Pompeii...

jk ;)

I hope all turns out for the best...and the Yellowstone area doesn't decide to blow its cap...from what I understand we are roughly in that time frame...


If Yellowstone decides to blow it will change the world as we know it. It could even mean the end of civilization and a decent back to dark ages. However, it is only expected that it may blow in the next 1000 years or so. I, for one, am not worrying about it.

[BigOlChiefsfan]

The TV just mentioned a 'huge steam and ash eruption'...but I heard 'em say 'watch out for a huge steamy ass eruption'.

[Frazod]

The TV just mentioned a 'huge steam and ash eruption'...but I heard 'em say 'watch out for a huge steamy ass eruption'.

Well, I did have a burrito for lunch.... :fart:

[BigOlChiefsfan]

Well, I did have a burrito for lunch.... :fart:

I won't call you Vladamir, even if you're Putin.

[ROYC75]

I live about 120 miles away, Taco and KC Dan are within 50.

Even if it erupted like it did in 1980, the damage would be much less because there is no snow up there right now. In 1980 there was a huge lake, millions and millions of feet of timber and all kinds of snow that caused a huge Lahar. I'm no expert, but I wouldn't expect anything like that again..


I have family in Yakima, the 1980 ordeal wiped out their apple orchards. It took them 5 years to recover from it, and they were on the east side of the damn thing.

I feel for the ones down south, Taco, KC Dan and anybody else if that damn thing goes big time again.

I seen on the TV that a volcano in Italy and Mexico are acting up as well !

[Hydrae]

I have family in Yakima, the 1980 ordeal wiped out their apple orchards. It took them 5 years to recover from it, and they were on the east side of the damn thing.

I feel for the ones down south, Taco, KC Dan and anybody else if that damn thing goes big time again.

I seen on the TV that a volcano in Italy and Mexico are acting up as well !


And an earthquake in the middle of California earlier in the week. Are we about to finally let that state slide into the Pacific? :hmmm:

[Ultra Peanut]

So they're moving it from yellow, or "escalated," to orange, or "aw hell"?

[Over-Head]

I know,,,cover the entire top of the mountain in Orval Reddenbackers, that way when it blows, it’ll have a soft explosion with all that popcorn softening up the fall out :thumb:

[Slayer Diablo]

Keep your cars in your garages for a couple days after the huge eruption happens...if you remember what happened back in 1980, that is. :)