Summary: Over the past two months, several small
earthquakes have shaken the earth beneath Mount St. Helens, Washington, the volcano
that erupted most recently in the United States. The quakes are too small to be
felt at the surface, being 0.5 or less on the Richter scale, but there are
nearly 40 of these small quakes happening per week. This is usually suggestive
of recharging magma. The magma chamber
is presumably pushing against the crust nearest to it as the system recharges. The recent activity is no reason to fear as
the quakes in the 90s had much higher quake rates and energy outputs. Nonetheless,
there have been seismometers placed on the surrounding mountains to monitor the
quakes and prevent an unlikely disaster if the energy outputs or quake rates
spike drastically.
Synopsis: The last time Mt. St. Helens erupted on May
19, 1980, it unexpectedly blew its top after having lied dormant for years, it
sent ash across at least a dozen states, leveled a forest, triggered the
largest landslide in recorded history, and killed 57 people. It has taken 35
years for the forest around the mountain to grow back and, in a similar way,
the people affected by the disaster are still recovering from the shock. The
mountain itself, since then, has appeared to slumber, but it appeared the same
several years ago. It’s good that they are taking preventative measures despite
the apparent lack of danger. This is one dangerous mountain.
For more
information, click on the link below:
For
information about the quake from the 1980s, click on this link:
Brenna Hale(6th Period)
ReplyDeleteMountains are so different from the ocean, whose threat is apparent because it is so vast and constantly moving. But mountains are quiet and peaceful, and any movement on their part is unexpected, like these eruptions.