Not again...

[MrRant 0]

SEATTLE - Small earthquakes rattled Mount St. Helens at the rate of one or two a minute Monday, and seismologists were working to determine the significance of some of the most intense seismic activity in nearly 20 years.

 

Early tests of gas samples collected above the volcano by helicopter Monday did not show unusually high levels of carbon dioxide or sulfur.

 

"This tells us that we are probably not yet seeing magma moving up in the system," said Jeff Wynn, chief scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites) in Vancouver, Wash. He noted additional tests are necessary to better define whether there's magma moving under the mountain's crater.

 

Scientists are trying to figure out what is going on beneath the 925-foot-high dome of hardened lava within the mountain's gaping crater. They want to know whether the quakes are the result of water seeping into the mountain or magma.

 

In either case, they'll continue to watch the volcano — which erupted to devastating effect in 1980 — from the Cascade Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, about 50 miles away. Additional flights are also planned but not yet scheduled, Wynn said.

 

A helicopter carried scientists and instruments over the crater Monday to assess the gases and ground deformation that would indicate pressure building below the dome.

 

Measurements of ground movement "will tell us whether there's any new magma coming into the system," said Seth Moran, a seismologist at the observatory. That data will not be immediately available.

 

Swarms of small earthquakes began Thursday and increased in frequency and magnitude until Sunday, when there were more than 10 events with a magnitude of 2 to 2.8. The quakes are at depths less than one mile below the lava dome.

 

By Monday, the pace was unchanged and the magnitude range had narrowed to between 0.5 and 2-plus, Wynn said.

 

"Since this morning, the energy releases have been slowly but steadily ramping up," he said. "We don't know what that means. ... That kind of energy hasn't been seen since 1986," when the mountain's last lava-dome-building eruption occurred.

 

Moran said there was potential for explosions within the crater that could throw rocks as far as the rim.

 

The USGS (news - web sites) issued a notice of volcanic unrest on Sunday, citing "an increased likelihood of a hazardous event." U.S. Forest Service officials closed hiking trails above the tree line at 4,800 feet on the 8,364-foot mountain, though the visitor's center and most other trails at the Mount St. Helens National Monument remained open.

 

St. Helens' May 18, 1980, eruption killed 57 people, leveled hundreds of square miles of forests and dumped volcanic ash across the Northwest.

 

Sunday's activity was the most in a 24-hour period since the 1986 eruption, said survey geologist Willie Scott. Earthquake swarms in 1998 and 2001 did not result in any surface activity.

 

If there is an explosion, Scott said concern would be focused within the crater and on the upper flanks of the volcano. A five-mile area, primarily north of the volcano, could receive flows of mud and rock debris.

 

On Monday, a helicopter lowered a geophysicist onto the lava dome to replace a failed instrument used to measure tiny movements that indicate whether the dome is swelling, Wynn said.

 

While the chopper was near the dome, the pilot was in radio contact with Bobbie Myers, another geophysicist who during the 1980 blast learned to detect subtle changes in seismic monitors.

 

"She's known to be able to predict explosive events up to a couple of minutes ahead of time," Wynn said.

 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...__helens_quakes

 

Make me uneasy when any of the mountains start doing this up here.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Pussy...

[Special K 0]

This is a good thing Mr. Rant! We were running out of Mt. St. Helens ash to sculpt into little bears and rhinos and puppies and sell at Pike Place market.

[Ted the Poster 0]

^^Good lord. It's no wonder Washington has the nation's highest suicide rate.

 

 

Hey Rant, what got you booted from the WWE folder this time?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Ha -- I'm interested, too.

 

Didn't even know he posted there...

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I believe you are not downwind, so enjoy the lights and sounds.

 

Now, if it was Rainier, holy shit.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I fell down part of Mt. Rainier one time. True story.

[Guest Smues]

I'd be more worried about Rainer when it goes. I've heard when that goes the mudslides (well there was some more technical term I learned in Geology class but I forget it) are going to do a lot of damage. On the other hand if St. Helens goes boom again at least this time I'll be around for it, having not been born yet for the last one. I'll be sure to collect ash and sell it on ebay.

[Special K 0]

You can run up to Helens now and pick up a shitload of ash if you so wish. they're not really running out. Although fresh, fluffy ash might fetch a higher price.

 

I remember going on a field trip or two there and hearing the cute speech about how nobility of all the little trees and flowers finally growing through the ash. All those little noble plants are now pretty much nobly fucked.

[Guest Brian]

I think Ranier will blow it's top if it goes, some really serious stuff. Right now, I'm thinking it's just hot air, and it'll blow steam. Hopefully.

[Special K 0]

Are you talking about St. Helens or Ranier, Brian? Because I think Rainier gurgles and sputters fairly regularly, which is actually a good sign that it may not completely detonate, a la St. Helens, Krakatoa.