Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in the Cascade Range in Skamania County, Washington. On 18 May 1980, the volcano violently erupted after 123 years of dormancy and after several days of seismic activity that signaled the probable eruption. With 57 people killed, 250 homes destroyed, and 15 miles of railroad tracks covered, among many other costs, this eruption has been named the deadliest and costliest in US history to date (2014). A debris avalanche after the eruption caused the dome of the volcano to collapse, decreasing its height by over 1300 meters.
Contributed by Travis Batiza
Course: Modern Global Environmental History
Instructor: Dr. Wilko Graf von Hardenberg
University of Wisconsin–Madison, US
Regions:
Further Readings:
- Harris, Stephen L. Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes. Missoula: Mountain Press Pub., 1988.
- Tilling, Robert I., Lyn J. Topinka, and Donald A. Swanson. Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future. Reston: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1990.
Day:
18
Month:
5
Year:
1980