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Another residence on Heimaey lsland,
south of lceland, is tbreatened during
1973 eruption of Eldfell. Eerie glow
of lava attracts scientists and tourists
alike to Hawaii's Kilauea. Mauna Ulu
(Giowing Mountain), one of several
vents on Kilauea. Beauty of an
eruption along its east rift belies
destructive potential. Awesome fury of
Mount Eldfell pours forth during
1973 eruption. Above and right:
Mount
St.
Helens was considered to
be one of the most beautiful peaks in
the
U.S.
northwest. After the 1980
eruption, a moonscape.
southwestern Washington state,
when he radioed his base with the
frantic message.
Seconds later, he became en–
gulfed and perished in one of the
most awesome events in the realm
of natural disasters.
At 8:39 a.m. tbat morning, the
once stately Mount St. Helens
erupted with the awesome fury of a
50-megaton hydrogen bomb. This
massive upbeaval sent thunderous
plumes of more than 1.5 cubic
miles of hot ash, rocks and earth
sorne 12 miles ( 19 kilometers) high
in the air.
Millions of trees in a 150-
square-mile (390 square kilome–
ters) area were snapped like twigs
only seconds after the initial blast.
Superheated gases released from
the awakening giant almost in–
stantly melted the ice and snow on
the mountain. The result was a
huge avalanche as earth and water
descended together to form a mas–
sive wall of boiling mud that
destroyed the once crystal clear
waters of Spirit Lake and altered
the course of the Toutle River.
A blizzard of fine gray asb cov–
ered parts of severa! Western
states, turning day into night.
Moscow, Idaho, 300 miles east of
24
the erupting volcano, was covered
with about eight tons of ash an
acre.
In all, 65 people lost their lives
while 370,000 were put out of work
because of the eruption. Millions
more sutfered as officials estimated
the cost of the damage to be m
excess of US$2,700,000,000!
Anniversaries to Remember
The devastation caused by the
eruption of Mount St. Helens just
four short years ago is still very
mucb evident in tbe area around
the volcano. Though new life has
sprung up out of the devastation,
the inhabitants can still see the
scars on a land that in 1980 was
more akin to a moonscape than its
once breathtaking vistas. An uneas–
iness remains.
Mount St. Helens bad been quiet
for 123 years befare it erupted.
Many residents simply were un–
aware that they were living in the
shadow of an ominous time bomb.
Millions more around the world are
even now in the same dangerous
predicament.
We do not realize that pictur–
esque mountains like Mount Rai–
nier, also in Washington, or Mount
Fuji in Japan could one day come
back to life with all of the sound
and fury of a Mount St. Helens–
with disastrous results.
Sleeping Giants
The world experiences an average
of 30 eruptions each year from the
more than 600 active volcanoes that
dot our planet.
More than 75 percent of these
volcanoes lie within the so-called
Ring of Fire. This region encom–
passes the coastal areas of tbe cir–
cumpacific from Chile north to
Alaska across to Siberia and down
to New Zealand.
The other great volcanic region
is the Mediterranean Belt that
stretches from Southern Europe to
Central Asia. Within these two
great regions also occur more than
95 percent of all earthquakes.
These areas are full of sleeping
giants just like Mount St. Helens.
Despite centuries of dormancy,
many are waiting to thunder back
to life.
A Window on the Earth's Interior
Volcanoes, like eartbquakes, are
manifestations of the enormous
forces tbat lie beneath the earth's
surface. You might call a volcano a
window on the heart of tbe earth.
Many volcanologists have
learned more about these forces
through firsthand experiences at
places like the Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory near tbe frequently
erupting Kilauea volcano. Others,
like David Johnston, have chosen to
examine more dangerous volcanoes
like Mount St. Helens.
Through the use of sophisticated
equipment, volcanologists are able
to measure the many changes that
take place in volcanoes. This has
improved their understanding of
the complex processes involved
befare, during and after an erup–
tion.
Yet even with this improved
understanding, scientists are quick
to point out that the art of forecast–
ing volcanic eruptions is no more
perfected than the much-maligned
weather forecast. One reason
meteorologists have such a hard
task may be because of volcanic
eruptions.
Volcanic Activity and lts Effects
Volcanoes long have been a major
factQr in shaping our environment.
Significant amounts of our atmo–
sphere have come from gases
released by volcanoes. Much of our
landscape has been shaped by
The PLAIN TRUTH