Location: South central Washington State (Cowlitz County). Latitude: 46°20' N Longitude: 122°18' W.
Type: Stratovolcano
Size comparison: Mt. St. Helens is the smallest of the five major volcanoes in Washington State, and also the youngest of these. It's last eruption was 123 years earlier.
Elevation : 9,677 feet before; 8,363 feet after; 1,314 feet removed
Main Eruption: May 18, 1980, 8:32 a.m. (Pacific time)
Pyroclastic flow speed : at least 300 miles per hour (some material traveled much faster).
Pyroclastic flow temperature : As high as 1,300 degrees F (700 degrees C)
Energy released: 24 megatons thermal energy (7 by blast, rest through release of heat); 50 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic blast.
Landslide note : The landslide is the World's largest recorded event EVER!
Ash plume height : Reached about 80,000 feet in less than 15 minutes
Ash cloud dispersal : Spread across U.S. in 3 days; circled Earth in 15 days.
Deaths : At least 60-65 persons, and thousands of animals, birds, and insects.

"On March 20, 1980, after a quiet period of 123 years, earthquake activity once again began under Mount St. Helens volcano. Seven days later, on March 27, small phreatic (steam) explosions began." --Donald A. Swanson, April 10, 1980.

"On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Mount St. Helens. The bulge and surrounding area slid away in a gigantic rock slide and debris avalanche, releasing pressure, and triggering a major pumice and ash eruption of the volcano. Thirteen-hundred feet (400 m) of the peak collapsed or blew outwards. As a result, 24 square miles (62 square Km) of valley was filled by a debris avalanche, 250 square miles (650 square km) of recreation, timber, and private lands were damaged by a lateral blast, and an estimated 200 million cubic yards (150 million cubic meters) of material was deposited directly by lahars (volcanic mudflows) into the river channels. Fifty-seven people were killed or are still missing." --Austin Post, May 18, 1980.

"For more than nine hours a vigorous plume of ash erupted, eventually reaching 12 to 15 miles (20-25 km) above sea level. The plume moved eastward at an average speed of 60 miles per hour (95 km/hr), with ash reaching Idaho by noon. By early May 19, the devastating eruption was over. Shown here is a close-up view of the May 18 ash plume." --Donald A. Swanson, May 18, 1980.

• Mount St. Helens - 20th Anniversary Events (USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington). See also the National Monument's Official site. See photos and images at the official site.
• ASL Virtual Exhibit . Photographs and images from USGS sites and publications. Highlights the eruption and aftermath. Additional photographs are located below in the Images section.

• Search BISON the UB catalog : enter s = Saint Helens Mount (Wash.) The University at Buffalo Libraries have a great wealth of materials on the eruption, and subsequent history.

• Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future . USGS Learning site. Online version of a book by Robert I. Tilling, Lyn Topinka, and Donald A. Swanson. Has text, photographs, and maps. Discusses history of the volcano, from the earliest records through the present, and offers comments on the future.

• 1973 Landsat Image Landsat MSS images of the Mount Saint Helens area in southern Washington in 1973, 1983, and 1988. The 1973 image shows the area before eruption. The area north of the crater in the image with the bluish color was most devastated by the 1980 eruption. In the 1988 image the light pink color in the blow-out area shows vegetation regrowth.

• Ashfall from Mount St. Helens . Map of the U.S. showing amounts and range of ashfall.

• Statistics and Summary of the Eruption . Chronology and data.

• Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument . On the park, with data, history, images.

• Mount St. Helens Main Index from Volcano World. Includes pages such as, effects on the environment , the Cascades Adventure, 1999 by Julie Gilbert; and Mount St. Helens VR Tour , which includes a 360 degree panorama view (in QuickTime).

• " Mount St. Helens Recovery " See how the Corps of Engineers was involved before and after the 1980 eruption.

• Mount St. Helens Magma Volume Activity . Science pages from Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA Classroom of the Future™.

• Climbing Information for Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument . Information for those who wish to climb the volcano, from the NPS.

• Mount Saint Helens Volcano Tour . EcoTours site.

• Mount St. Helens Seismicity Information . Cascade Volcano Locations and 4,000 year Eruption Summary.

• Tour Information .

• Narrative on the Mountain . A personal site by a professor, with additional photographs and text.

• Interactive Map of the Park . Click on the map to see photos, data, and notes on the events. An interactive map of the region surrounding the mountain is also available.

• Index to 7.5-minute-USGS-Topographic Quadrangles surrounding Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. prepared by the USGS. You can locate the printed maps that are available in the UB Libraries Map Collection , or through a USGS map distributor.

• Aerial Views site.

• Before and After the Eruption . Western Washington University photos. Photos from NOAA photograph collection, with annotations.

• Video Clips of the Eruption from CNN archives.

• Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Photo Gallery . From the official site .

• Other views of the region from a personal collection of photographs. Shows the effects of the eruption.

• Mt. St. Helens National Monument . From a personal page by John Donohue. Views of devastation.

• Mount St. Helens Succession Collection . Incredible set of photographs from before the eruption through the present. The Mount St. Helens Succession Collection consists of 235 photographs taken by Dr. Roger del Moral since 1980. These consist of a series of "permanent plot views", photos taken of the same site over a period of years, general aspects of impacted habitats, and photos of some of the more common species of plants. The impacts of the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens varied from very minor deposits of ash to total destruction. These photos capture some of the changes that have occurred during the last 20 years. (Univ. of Washington Libraries, Digital Initiatives Program.)

• Mount St. Helens and Vicinity, Washington, September 1992 . -- NASA Photo, courtesy NASA Earth From Space; Modified with text by USGS/CVO. [Image,346K,GIF]. This shows the affected regions.

• Mount St. Helens, Washington, September 1994 . -- NASA Photo, courtesy NASA Earth From Space; Modified with text by USGS/CVO. [Image,347K,GIF]. A closer view, clearly showing the main features that were created/destroyed during the 1980 eruptions.

• Before & After the Eruption . Impressive comparison photos from the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Photo Library Site.

• More views by a professor from UCSC. Part of a course study guide.

• Generalized North-South Geologic Cross Sections Through Mount St. Helens . Diagrams visually show the mountain prior to, during, and after the eruption.

• Lakes Affected by the Eruption . Map shows the results of the eruption on the local lakes.

• Additional Maps and Graphics , of Mount St. Helens and the rest of the Cascades.

• LiveCam of the Mountain . Is taken off-line for periods of time; check to see.
• Current Volcanic Information . Current data (some is dynamic) with monthly summaries; up to date data maps.
• Mount St. Helens Seismicity Information (from the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network ).
• Time vs. Depth View of Recent MSH Seismicity . Graph of a year's worth of seismic actions, but updated continuously.
• Weather/Climate Data for the area. Current data from a NOAA site.

• Cascade Range Maps . Map showing main volcanoes of the range ; map showing major population centers within the range.

• Cascades Volcano Observatory (USGS). Primary site for anything dealing with Cascades volcanic and seismic activity.

• Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier . Space Shuttle image taken on 09/20/92 from STS-47 (STS047-73-058). This view of Mount St. Helens (46.5N, 122.0W), taken 12 years after the volcanic eruption on May 18, 1980, shows the rapid vegetation recovery within the blast area. Many fir trees have grown to heights of 20 ft. within the 150 square mile devastated area. Mount Adams, an extinct volcano is just to the east and Mount Rainier is to the north. Checkerboard logging can be seen throughout. Information Source: Shuttle Images at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

• Cascade Range Volcanoes including Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams with links, and photographs.

• Cascade Eruptions During the Last 4,000 Years . Table that graphically shows the recorded eruptions of the 14 main volcanoes in the Range. (USGS Open File Report 94-985). Mirror copy .

• Northwest Volcanoes site. Brief notes on mountains: Adams , Baker , Hood , Lassen Peak , Rainier .

• Cascade Range Volcanoes . Interactive map or table . Both contain photographs, with descriptions of each of the volcanoes along the range.

• Mount Hood seismic activities data.

• Pacific Northwest Earthquake Information . Volcanoes and seismic activity are interrelated. This is one of the key sites for gathering seismic data on the Cascades. It is one of a number of organizations, including the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network that monitor activities.

• Recent Earthquakes in Pacific Northwest . Get current and recent coordinates for seismic activity You can click on any earthquake on the map to get details and data on the specific event. The maps are updated five minutes after an earthquake, or every hour. There is a Mount St. Helens Special Map , and Seattle Region Special Map.

• Volcano Hazards Assessments - Reports and Maps. USGS reports and published data on the Cascade Range, and on each volcano in the range.

• CVO Photo Archives . Official photographs of the entire Cascade Range. Annotated database of photographs.

Largest of the Washington Cascades, this volcano has much more potential for destruction. It is not a matter of if, but when the explosive mountain will awaken.

• Mount Rainier , Washington. USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington. Visit a mountain that is vastly larger (and potentially more dangerous) than Mount St. Helens. Includes images, maps, and data on the mountain. See examples such as: Hazards Map (pdf), Cascades Eruptions During the Past 4000 Years (table); a report on " Volcano Hazards from Mount Rainier, Washington, Revised 1998 ," and other charts, photographs, etc.

• Mud / Water flows around Mount Rainier

• VolcanoWorld is one of the most complete sites for study and learning about volcanoes worldwide. This site includes sections for young students ( Kid's Volcano World ), college students, and researchers.

• Electronic Volcano , from Dartmouth, is a window into the world of information on active volcanoes. From here you can find many types of materials on active volcanoes worldwide, such as maps, photographs and full texts of dissertations and a few elusive documents. The Electronic Volcano will guide you to resources in libraries or resources on other information servers.

• Photo glossary of volcano terms . Photgraphs and text describe a large list of terms.

• Global Volcanism Program (GVP). Smithsonian Institution site, gathering data and information on volcanoes over the past 10,000 years to assist in the study and prediction of volcanic activity worldwide. Produces the monthly Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network. Has comprehensive computer databases and an archive of relevant maps, photos, and documents.

• Volcano Hazards Program (USGS). For study of hazard potential, to help prediction and damage mitigation.

• Volcanoes resource page . Arizona State University Library. Links to organizations, data centers, research, and other materials.

• Volcanoes Page Michigan Technological University.

• Volcanoes Online . All aspects of vulcanology presented. Easy to read for all levels.

• Earth Sciences Resources : WWW Virtual Library - links on all aspects of earth science.

• World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO). For detailed links to volcanic research worldwide.

• Excerpt from "Dynamics of Mount St. Helens' 1980 Pyroclastic Flows, Rockslide-Avalanche, Lahars, and Blast" Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research , 37, 205-231, 1989.

• FACT SHEET: Living With Volcanic Risk in the Cascades . Dzurisin, Dan, Stauffer, Peter H., and Hendley, James W. II, 1997, Living With Volcanic Risk in the Cascades: USGS Fact Sheet 165-97

• " Mount St. Helens Life Reviving " Seattle Times September 8, 1998.

• Mount St. Helens Nature on Fast Forward (Excerpts from the May 2000 National Geographic ). The first article on the eruption was January 1981.

• Rapid Erosion at Mount St. Helens Steven A. Austin, Research Associate in Geology. Origins 11(2):90-98 (1984).

• REPORT: Volcanic-Hazard Zonation for Mount St. Helens, Washington, 1995 -- Edward W. Wolfe and Thomas C. Pierson, 1995, Volcanic-Hazard Zonation for Mount St. Helens, Washington, 1995: USGS Open-File Report 95-497.

• Foxworthy, B. L. and Hill, M. (1982). Volcanic Eruptions of 1980 at Mount St. Helens: The first 100 days. U.S. Geological Survey professional paper 1249. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

• Lipman, P. W. and Mullineaux, D.R. (Eds.). (1981). The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington . U.S. Geological Survey professional paper 1250. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

• Tilling, R. I. Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, present, and future . U.S. Geological Survey series of general interest publications. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. [ SEL US I 19.2: M86/ 2/ 990 ].

• U.S. Department of Commerce. The Eruption of Mount Saint Helens (NOAA/NGDC Publication No. 739-A11-004). Boulder, CO: U.S. DOC.

Return to Top