Woooooowhooooo!!! My very own topic. This is GREAT!! I have so much to say and not enough time to say it. A few days ago my brother Sean and I recieved the Mt. St. Helens climbing permit in the mail. The day assigned to us is May 29th. So its definate. We are climbing to the summit of Mt. St. Helens! We may possibly climb Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams if we have enough time. Right now though, while I'm taking breaks in between studying and homework I have to plan our trip out. I really have no clue yet where exactly we are going and what we have time for. If it were up to me I would stay in the Cascades for a month, but we only have 8 days. Some time later in the week, I will post some of the stuff I have written on the Cascade Range.

The Cascade Volcanic Range contains more volcanic features than most people realize. Some are less significant than others and that is probably why they are hardly mentioned. But I am going to share every one of them with you, I think. If I missed any, please let me know because this is a lot to remember without looking at a map. Starting in Northern California and going north towards British Colombia is�In California� Clear Lake Volcanic Field, Lassen Peak, Black Butte, Mt. Shasta and Shastina, Medicine Lake Volcanic Field (Glass Mountain and Little Glass Mountain), and Lava Beds Volcanic Field. In Oregon�Mt. Mc Loughlin, Crater Lake (Garfield Peak, Mt. Scott, Wizard Island), Mt. Thielsen, Mt. Bailey, Diamond Peak, Newberry Volcanic Field (Paulina Peak, Pilot Butte, Lava Butte), Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, South Sister, Middle Sister, North Sister, Belknap Shield Volcano, Mt. Washington, Three-Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Hood. In Washington� Mt. Adams, Indian Heaven Volcanic Field, Mt. St. Hel ns, Goat Rocks Volcanic Field, Mt. Rainer, Glacier Peak, and Mt. Baker. In British Colombia� Mt. Garibaldi, and Meager Mountain. Phew!!!! Too many volcanoes! *laughs*

Julie! Perfect!!! Now, a little graphic to help us understand why the Cascade Volcanoes are there and where they are:

marcia-log on to msn messenger....

Excellent! Thanks Marcia, that works nicely.

You are going there soon. How does one climb a volcano like Mount St Helens?

Very, very carefully! *laughs* Well, most of the volcnaoes in the Cascade Range can only be climbed with a permit, except for a few. These permits have to be paid for and I think there might be an annual pass too for climbing. The climbing pass is also good as your wilderness permit so you don't have to pay 2 fees. For Mt. St. Helens though, there is only 100 people a day allowed to make the trek to the summit. I think the trail that we will use is called Ptarmigan Trail. Its 3.9 miles to the summit which may not seem like much but it really is if you are climbing from 3600 feet to the summit. This trail is actually considered very difficult to strenous, so it looks to me like its going to be a looooong climb. We will be wearing our hiking boots and probably gators so we don't get ash in our boots. We may have to spend the night and camp out if we can't make the desent before dark. The summit climb will take about 5-7 hours regardless, but weather conditions can slow us down.

You are going there soon. How does one climb a volcano like Mount St Helens?

(please note that the double post is not our fault. Yapp software does that occasionally when it is very busy. I'll leave it there.)

Very Careful hiking, indeed! And haul out what you took in! The oddest thing I discoverd is that hiking down was every bit as hard as hiking up. I hae had sore hips, knees and ankles from that. Please, Julie! No heroics until they mend your ankle properly. Do they pick you by lottery or first come first served when they pick the 100 lucky people to climb? I forgot about ash in your boots! That stuff is so terribly abrasive that it will take your skin off down to the bone. It is Not like fireplace ashes!!!

We sent the climbing application in about a week ago. Forest Service said that summer days, especailly weekends fill up fast. I was kind of worried that we wouldn't get a date because I would have thought that they would be mobed around Memorial Day which is almost when we are going. But I guess no one wants to climb so early in the summer so we got our first choice on days. When we get there, we have to sign in and when we are through climbing we have to sign out.

Don't worry about my ankle. I'm going to tape it up and I might even get a cordizone shot before I go. I have two more appointments with the doctor before I leave to Washington. I should be fine as long as I don't have to walk on too many aa lava flows like I did in Arizona. Ouch!! That was painful! Climbing has not been a problem for me, yet.

Stay off the a'a flows! Straight forward hiking should not be a problem the way they manufacture hiking boots now. Mine have saved my ankles many times! I 'd worry anyway just because you are family now and I seem to be the mother goddess of Geo... Gadzooks, I never thought of it that way!

Yikes!! I was a little off when I told you how long the hike was to the summit of Mt. St. Helens. I was looking at an old book. I just checked in the climbing packet that I received with our permit. The trail is called Monitor Ridge. We will be gaining 4,500 feet in elevation and hiking 5 miles. Roundtrip is 7 to 12 hours. Yikes!! Looks to me like we will have to camp out on Mt. St. Helens. This will be awesome though. I never thought I would get to sleep next to my favorite volcano while watching the starry night sky. Oh boy!!! I can't wait!!

Julie, I sent you the stuff you will be able to see up there astronomy-wise. I'd also suggest you check into http://www.heavensabove.com and add your coordinates so you can watch whatever going over - ISS, Hubble or other magnificent things!

What a difference a hyphen makes http://www.heavens-above.com/ is the url you want.

Hi all About time I got here. Thanks for setting this up Julie. HUGS. Julie is a volcano fanatic of the first order from Santa Ana (how did I miss her in 1992??). Rob

Hi all Don't worry about Julie's ankle Marcia. She has it operated on in June which is why she is going in May to MSH. Besides she knows I will keep watch *don't you Julie. You know I am watching*. Rob

*laughs* Yes Rob, I know you are, which is why I have to be extra careful. I have more things to worry about anyways other than my ankle. Oh Marcia, I don't think I'll be wearing shorts this time. The temperature in that area is still going to be pretty cool, so I don't need to worry about getting my shins all scraped up. Knowing me though, I will find something to hurt, I always do. I have never been on a trip where I didn't sprain, cut, scrap, or bruise part of my body. Don't worry though. I will do my best to stay in one piece.

Go to the link below. I sent my first "Cascade Adventure" story into Volcano World and they published it. The writing kinds of stinks, but the pictures are pretty good. It does give a good account though of what you can find at each of the visitor center's at Mt. St. Helens. http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/adventures/cascades/casadv.html

Rob, I think we all need to watch over Julie! Not the special way you do, but watch and worry, we will. Perhaps a special libation and plea for Mme Pele's prtection might also be appropraite. After all, you will be messing about on an active volcano of a rather nasty method of erupting. Wow, I'll cut and paste your story here, if you wish? I'll give appropriate credits and all that. *Hugs* Julie. Be safe.

The Cascades Adventure - 1999 Text and photography by Julie Gilbert This past summer, I had the most exciting, magnificent, and extraordinary time of my life! My family and I went to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Although to my parents, this trip was to see the cities' attractions. But for me, this trip wa s to see as many of the Cascade volcanoes as I could. As we left LAX on United Airlines, my brother told me if there wasn't many clouds in the sky, we would be able to see all the features of California and Oregon. We were in luck! The sky was unusually clear. First, I got to see the San Andres Fault. Se eing it from the air is so different than on the ground. Then, a little bit later on, I saw Lassen Peak, but I couldn't get a really good view because there was cloud cover over it. Next, we flew over Mt. Shasta. It was such a great view! I could see dire ctly into the crater. As we flew into Oregon, we could see Crater Lake and Wizard Island. Sometime after that we passed over the Three Sisters and Mt. Jefferson. Although we landed in Portland, in the distance we could see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier. Our first destination would be Mt. Hood. We took Highway 55 connecting to Highway 26 around Mt. Hood. We got so close to it! It was so majestic looking. It's funny how beautiful and amazing these volcanoes look. It's hard to imagine how dangerous and destructive they can be. When we got to Mt. St. Helens though, my thoughts changed. In some areas, it looked like the May 1980 eruption just took place only yesterday. As we drove to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, I saw that the entire area on the north side looked like a moonscape. There was nothing but broken logs and stumps from trees for miles. Later, I saw the area of the mudflows that had wiped out everything in its path. As we were walking around the visitor center, there were signs everywhere say ing to stay on the marked trails. Anyone who stepped off the trails would be fined. This was because new life is starting to grow. Someday, the area will once again be filled with forests of trees, plants, flowers, and animals. If people step on a tiny bud or a sprouting seed, it's like taking away life. Life near Mt. St. Helens grows every day. If we just left it alone, and let Mother Nature do her thing, Mt. St. Helens can turn into a magnificent place. Next, we turned the car around and headed towards Coldwater Ridge Visitor's Center. The views there were incredible! Then, we went to the Forest Learning Center. We saw a fantastic movie about Mt. St. Helens showing the eruption and what happened after. The exhibits were great. They almost looked real! N ext, we drove to Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center where we saw where the debris avalanche rushed down the North Fork Toutle River area. We also saw a herd of elk down in that area. Finally, we came to the last visitor center. In the Mt. St. Helens' Visitor s Center, we saw all the history behind Mt. St. Helens. I must not forgot that some of the visitor centers had seimographs that measured any earthquakes in the area. That was very interesting because when we were at the Johnston Ridge Observatory, there w as a little bit of activity on the seismograph. The next day we toured Lava Canyon. Lava Canyon is made up of old lava flows from Mt. St. Helens. It was a fascinating and beautiful place. On the sides of the trails, there were still piles of ash left from the May eruption. The Muddy River, although it got its name from the mudflow in the 1980 eruption, was now very clear and blue. In the distance, we could see Mt. Adams through the trees. Next, we drove to Ape Cave. We only had time to see the lower level because it takes like 1-3 hours for each of them. Even though it was close to 90 outside it was quite cold inside the cave. We were not fortunate enough to see any of the animals that live in the cave, but we did get a little wet from the stalactites that dripped water over our hands. My brother had to leave that day so we dropped him off at Portland Airport. Then we headed on our way towards Everett. On our way, I pleaded with my parents to stop at Mt. Rainer. I definitely wanted to see the tallest volcano in the Cascades. And the re it stood, 14,411 feet. We took some excellent shots, but as we got closer, my camera could no longer fit the entire image in. When we arrived at the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, there were chairs where people were just sitting and watching Mt. Rainer either to watch and enjoy the beauty or waiting for it to erupt! Then we went to the Paradise Visitor's Center. This place was really cool because it was shaped like a circle. You had to walk in a circle to see all the exhibits. The views of M t. Rainer were absolutely incredible! It was so huge! It's like looking at a sleeping giant, which is exactly what it, is. A couple of days letter when we were at the Seattle Space Needle, I took a couple of last shots of Mt. Rainer and Mt. St. Helens in the distance. Finally my volcano trip came to an end. But not before I saw some great views from the plane again. As the plane took off, I looked out of the window and saw Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams behind us. We then passed over Mt. Hood, Mt. Jeffer son, and the Three Sisters. I decided to take some very odd pictures from the plane. Maybe they would come out. I snapped a couple of shots of Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters. After that, unfortunately, there was cloud cover until we got back into Cal ifornia where I took my last shots of the San Andreas Fault. It was sad to see my volcano trip come to an end. I had such an incredible time. I sort of wished my parents would leave me there because I really wanted to stay. Someday, when I'm older, I'll g o there again myself. And maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to see other volcanoes around the world too! http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/adventures/cascades/casadv.html

Julie, I also saved your images. Would you like me to insert them and redo this volcano watch story? It is really good and your images add so much to it.

Sure, go right ahead. I would have pasted the story in myself, but I gave the link instead because I am lazy. *laughs*

I get all the dirty work. OK.... will do it with the programmed photos in it. I successfully added them to spring's hard drive. Do you want to try? It is rather a complicated bunch of pointy brackets and all that for a first time programming run. I'll do it for you!

Its a good thing I am starting to plan our Washington trip out now because I have already begun to run into some problems. The 4 times I was in the Cascades it was early to middle of August. This time we are going the end of May begining of June and the snows will barely have had time to melt. I was looking at the road and trail conditions today and it doesn't look all that great. Sure, I have about a month, but the Pacific Northwest, mainly the western part of the Cascades in Washington have had above average snowfall this year. As of right now almost all the passes to Mt. Rainer, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Baker are closed. I am hoping that the roads and trails will be cleared by the time we go. I am also worried about avalanche danger, because with all that extra snow melting its very easy for a slope to just give way under the weight. Also, I found out the most of the campgrounds in the area don't open until May 25th. We are leaving May 27th or 28th. Thats kind of risking it if you ask me. If there i still too much snow the campgrounds will not open when they are expected to. And because of my dumb ankle surgery, this is the only time I can go. Ah well, I will have to just keep my fingers crossed and make the best of it. At least Mt. St. Helens is still acessiable.

I can remember being in the first convoy of cars over the Tuolumne Pass and that was a trip for my Birthday - the end of May. The snow was pretty deep, still. And this is south of the southern Terminus of The Cascades. I had not considered the possibility of snow. Let your brother drive and the rest of us back home will worry about you and be watching out for you. Despite Rob's worthy vigilence, I think you might just need a few more pairs of eyes to watch out for you! Take a ground cloth with you just in case!

Perfect topic Julie, Your sprightliness and interesting are excellent. You are special anyway. But you need to be extra careful too. Enthusiasm can make us less attentive. I live a bad experience during the last three months. I have broken my leg even if I was walking carefully on the absolutely flat but icy and a little snowy ground. I assure that a serious hurt of the ankle is not a simple case. I have the idea to create a complete page for your excellent story in our Geo Portal; anyway, if you would not say not. We can also include photos, any newer description or any scientific explanation or exploration that you can give to us about volcanoes and the Cascades Adventure. The same go for you Rob. Any issue that you think is interesting. I have also two questions: Can we predict a volcano eruption? Where are today's limits on it? My knowledge is inexistent about this. John

John, yes we can predict volcanic eruptions according to the research done on the Hawaiian volcanoes. Do you want this put on Julie's topic or on one we were going to create. I think we need to discuss it elsewhere. Please add Julie to the portal page and sky charts. Even if I have to borrow them from some other site, I think we should have them!

I just thought of something. I think I would like to post some of my science fair project that I did last year. It might fill up a bit of space though. Is that okay Marcia? Its all about the Cascade Volcanoes, actually volcanic ash of the Cascades. I never really thought it was that great, but I did win 9 awards for it at the city, county, and state science fairs. The poster board looks very good, but I guess I cannot show you that. I can only post the written papers I have in the notebook. I won't be able to post the data either but I can give you all a summary of what I found. You will all love it though.

Use all the space you need. Some of these topics have almost 2000 posts of far less worthy things than your scinence fair project! Please... I'd love for you to do this!

Okay, I guess the best way to start this is to tell you my question and hypothesis that I tested. Wait, I should mention the title of my project. "Blast of Ash from the Past!" My question was..... Are there any differences between each ash sample in relation to different types of volcanoes?

The 7 ash samples that I used were the following...Lassen Peak (Peak), Lassen Peak (near park), Medicine Lake Volcanic Area(Little Glass Mountain), Mt. Shasta, Mt. St. Helens (Lava Canyon), Mt. St. Helens (Johnston Ridge Observatory), and **Mt. St. Helens. **The Mt. St. Helens ash sample was # 7, but was taken out of my data because there was no precise location of where the ash came from.

Here's my hypothesis.....I think that the 2 ash samples from Mt. St. Helens will be similar because they were taken physically near each other. I think the 2 ash samples from Lassen Peak will be similar because they were also taken physically near each other. Mt. Shasta will be similar to Mt. St. Helens because they are both �strato� (composite) volcanoes. I think that the ash from Medicine Lake Volcanic Area will be different than the other 3 volcanoes because Medicine Lake Volcanic Area is made up of different types of volcanoes (shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and a caldera), which would probably change the chemical composition of the ash.

*kicks herself* Ugh!! I should have posted the introduction first. I bet some of you have no clue what I was talking about. *kicks herself again* Let's back up. I will post the intro frist so you can get an idea of what I was doing. Sorry about that!!

I have always been interested in volcanoes, but it wasn�t until about 2 � years ago when my interest became an obsession. In the summer of my sophomore year, I toured several of the Cascade volcanoes in Oregon, Washington, and British Colombia. This included Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood. When I was at Mt. St. Helens though, I became very interested in the volcanic ash that blew half way across the country during the May 1980 eruption. I collected several samples of the volcanic ash throughout the Mt. St. Helens area. About 1 year later, I decided that I wanted to do a science fair project on volcanic ash, but unfortunately, I didn�t have enough ash. Well, as it turns out I got a second chance to tour the southern part of the Cascade Range in California, such as Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, and Medicine Lake Volcanic Area. I collected several ash samples from each of the volcanoes. This is how I began to come up with my explosive idea! There are several types of volcanoes in the Cascade Range. Composite volcanoes are typically steep-sided, symmetrical cones of large dimension built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs. Most composite volcanoes have a crater at the summit, which contains a central vent or a clustered group of vents. Subduction-zone volcanoes, like Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Shasta are composite cones and typically erupt with explosive force, because the magma is too stiff to allow easy escape of volcanic gases. Lava domes are a steep-sided mass of viscous lava extruded from a volcanic vent, often circular in plain view and spiny, rounded, or flat on top. Lava domes commonly occur within the craters of on the flanks of large composite volcanoes, such as Mt. St. Helens and Lassen Peak. Medicine Lake Volcanic Area is made up of several shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and a caldera. These different types of volcanoes produce different types of eruptions. Shield volcanoes are built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. Flow after flow pours out in all directions from a central summit vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of flat shape, with a profile much like that a warrior's shield. They are built up slowly by the accretion of thousands of flows of highly fluid basaltic lava that spreads widely over great distances, and then cools as thin, gently dipping sheets. Cinder cones are built from particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent. As the gas-charged lava is blown violently into the air, it breaks into small fragments that solidify and fall as cinders around the vent to form a circular or oval cone. A caldera is a huge depression caused when a large volume of magma is removed from beneath a volcano, and the ground subsides or collapses i to the empty space. Volcanic ash is defined as pyroclasts 2mm or less in diameter. There are 3 basic mechanisms of volcanic ash formation; The release of gases from solution because of decomposition within the magma as it reaches the surface of the planet, the chilling and explosive fragmentation of magma during contact with ground and surface water or ice and snow, and the comminution and ejection of particles from vent walls or crater debris during eruptions of steam and hot water. The composition and shape of volcanic ashes may be used to interpret physical properties of erupting magma and its volatile content. Neutron activation analysis is one way elements can be analyzed in a sample of a substance. In this method, a neuron source is used to bombard a sample with neutrons. The nucleus of an atom in the sample will absorb neutrons. This will make the atom into an isotope. An isotope is an atom with the same number of protons as another atom, but a different number of neutrons. Some isotopes are radioactive and gamma radiation is one type of radiation that can be released. This can be measured using a gamma ray spectrometer.

Here's a list of the materails I used for this experiment...TRIGA Nuclear Reactor (Located at UCI)- neutron source, Gamma Ray Spectrometer (Located at UCI), 7 sample vials, 7 ash samples(the ones I posted before), Digital scale, 8 labels, Soldering iron, and Tongs.

Okay, now to the confusing part. If I lose anyone let me know. Here's is what I did...7 separate ash samples were weighed using a digital scale. The samples were placed in the empty vials, and each was correctly labeled. Next, a soldering iron was used to seal the covers shut on the vials. The sample vials were placed into a pneumatic tube system, which led them into the nuclear reactor. The samples were then irradiated for about 10 seconds. The samples then returned through the tube system. All the samples were irradiated individually. Then, the samples were individually placed in the gamma ray spectrometer, and the energy released due to the gamma rays was measured. This information was then analyzed with an index of gamma ray energies vs. radionuclides and the elements in the samples were determined. The samples were then saved and 1 week later the samples were again placed into the gamma ray spectrometer and analyzed. Average measurements of the 2 cycles were used to obtain the final results.

I need to post the bar graphs, but I don't want anyone to do it for me. I want to do this on my own, if I can. I used Excel. So Marcia, John, someone talk me through this. How do I post them?

Julie, This is spectacular material you are presenting. It is precise, riveting in detail and thoroughly fascinating. As soon as John gets online he will assist you or make suggestions for other methods of posting your graphics. I can't wait till the next installment!

Hi all I am going to have a look for the negatives of the 1992 US volcano tour (essentially what my 1992 sojourn became). We spent a day at MSH on May 23 1992, and went to Windy Ridge, and the Castle Rock visitor centre. Now I want to return sometime in the next few years to see what progress has been made and compare it with 1992. I have four things to do in WA next time I am there: 1)See Mt Rainier, and Orting. 2)See Mount St Helens, and compare what I see with 1992. 3)See Mount Baker if possible. 4)See friends in Seattle. I want to see in CA: 1)The SAF (San Andreas Fault) 2)Mammoth and the LV caldera 3)Hayward Fault 4)Julie (location permitting) I want to see in Hawaii: 1)Kilauea (in particular Pu'u O'o and Kupaianaha(??)) 2)The hostess of Geo, the gracious Marcia Hemming 3)The inundation zone from the tsunamis Rob

Sounds like a great plan Rob. But one thing....What about Lassen and Shasta? *sniff, sniff* *cries* You don't like those volcanoes!! *laughs* I'm just playing with you Rob. They are a little bit far up the state. Kind of a pain to get up to, but quite worth it if you have time. Okay all, I e-mailed John 4 graphs, so he will help me post them when he can. For now, I am going to post a few other things that went along with my science fair project; a little bit more info and a few stories.

Here is a a BRIEF few sentences on each of the volcanoes that I took the ash samples from. I will post a complete write up about their history and the rest of the Cascades when I have time. Mt. St. Helens is a strato (composite) volcano that last erupted in May 1980. Since the last eruption, Mt. St. Helens has been growing a lava dome in the middle of the crater floor. Mt. Shasta is a strato (composite) volcano that last erupted in 1786. Medicine Lake Volcanic Area is made up from a caldera, many shield volcanoes, and cinder cones. Little Glass Mountain is a lava dome made of a tephra, rhyolite and obsidian flow that erupted in 885. Glass Mountain is a lava dome made of dacite, rhyolite, and obsidian flow that last erupted in 1910. Lassen Volcanic Field and Lassen Peak is made up from a lava dome that last erupted in 1914.

I will tell you a little bit about each type of volcano that I was working with. Strato (or Composite) Volcanoes: Typically steep-sided, symmetrical cones of large dimension built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs. Most composite volcanoes have a crater at the summit, which contains a central vent or a clustered group of vents. Subduction-zone volcanoes, like Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Shasta are composite cones and typically erupt with explosive force, because the magma is too stiff to allow easy escape of volcanic gases.Lava Domes: A steep-sided mass of viscous lava extruded from a volcanic vent, often circular in plain view and spiny, rounded, or flat on top. Lava domes commonly occur within the craters of or on the flanks of large composite volcanoes, such as Mt. St. Helens. Cinder Cones: Built from particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent. As the gas-charged lava is blown violently into the air, it breaks into small fragments that solidify and fall as cinders around the vent to form a circular or oval cone. Caldera: A huge depression caused when a large volume of magma is removed from beneath a volcano, and the ground subsides or collapses into the empty space. Shield volcanoes: Built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. Flow after flow pours out in all directions from a central summit vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of flat shape, with a profile much like that a warrior's shield. They are built up slowly by the accretion of thousands of flows of highly fluid basaltic lava that spreads widely over great distances, and then cools as thin, gently dipping sheets.

This next story called, "Cascades Adventure 2000" was written a bit after I figured out what I was doing for the science fair. During the scorching month of August, I received my second chance to see the rest of the Cascade Volcanic Range, which included Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, Medicine Lake Volcanic Area, and Lava Beds National Monument. Ever since I had visited Mt. St. Helens last year, I wanted to do a science fair project on volcanic ash. I only had a few samples from Mt. St. Helens, but this trip was my chance to collect enough volcanic ash from several of the other volcanoes to do an explosive science fair project! When my parents and I arrived at Lassen Volcanic National Park, we went straight to the Visitor�s center to pick up a map of the area. There were so many things to see and do that I realized we wouldn�t have enough time to do everything. First we visited the Devastated Area. The Devastated Area visibly illustrates the slow return of Earth�s green mantle of plants. An air cushion avalanche hit the Devastated Area when Lassen Peak erupted in 1914. The view of Lassen Peak from the Devastated Area was spectacular. This was the area that I took ash sample # 2. Next, we went to Bumpus Hell, which I found extremely fascinating. Bumpus Hell contains some active volcanic features, such as mud pots, geysers, and hot springs. It took about an hour or two to hike the 3-mile uphill climb to Bumpus Hell, but it was defiantly worth it. Bumpus Hell is like a miniature version of Yellowstone National Park. I had my choice to climb either Lassen Peak or Cinder Cone. I wanted to climb both, but there wasn�t enough time. The climb to Cinder Cone was a very easy beginning hike. The climb to Lassen Peak was a very strenuous climb with a larger altitude increase. I finally decided to climb Lassen Peak. The next day, we woke up very early. My parents and I drove to the base of Lassen Peak. There were quite a lot of people climbing up to the peak. If my brother had gone on this trip, he would have climbed to the top with me, but this time I would have to make the journey by myself. It took about 3 � hours until I summitted, only because I was stopping every second to take a picture, study a rock, or drink some water. When I got to the top, I was a little dizzy. I was amazed by the elevation I climbed. The view from the top of Lassen Peak was breathtaking. You could see for miles in every direction. It was like being in a plane and looking out of the window and seeing everything look as small as an ant In the distance, Mt. Shasta could be seen through the haze. There was also hundreds of orange butterflies flying all around the summit. It was almost magical. It seemed a shame that I would have to hike back down soon. Before I left, I took ash sample #1. The hike down took less than an hour. The next day we toured Mt. Shasta. When we arrived at the base of Mt. Shasta, I threw some film bottles and a magnifying glass in my bag and hiked past the parking lot and into the avalanche gully area. I dug down in the ash about a foot and took ash sample #3. I then searched around for some interesting volcanic rocks. As I was walking past the parking lot, a car pulled up and a lady poked her head out the window. �Are you a geologist?� She asked. �Um, not yet, but I hope to be one soon.� I replied. �Are you in high school?� She asked. �Yeah, I�ve got one more year left to go.� I answered. She then began to ask me questions about the rock formations and the geology of Mt. Shasta. It felt good to be able to answer her. Thanks to Geology 100 and Geology 100L. I guess all that studying, reading, and collecting paid off! I guess I must have looked pretty professional. We didn�t have time to see the entire area of Medicine Lake, but I did get a chance to see Little Glass Mountain. Little Glass Mountain doesn�t look anything like a volcano. It looks more like a huge pile of obsidian that is broken up into all sorts of shapes. I took ash sample #4 close to this area. I wanted to take home a piece of obsidian, but most of the pieces were too big. My parents told me to be careful because they were afraid I was going to get bit by a rattlesnake. Finally after climbing over some big slabs of obsidian, I found the perfect piece that was a little bigger than my hand. I laid on my stomach and reached down to grab it. As I lifted the obsidian up, I felt a sharp pain in my hand. I looked down at my hand to see blood dripping down my fingers. I looked at the piece of obsidian and realized what had just happened. On the backside of the obsidian a sharp piece of glass was sticking out. I guess I must have cut myself on it. Then I thought back and remembered that some India tribes used obsidian to make spears and knives. Until I cut my hand, I never realized how sharp obsidian was! The car ride to Lava Beds National Monument seemed to take forever. When we got there though, I was shocked by what I saw. The whole area was like a barren dessert with lots and lots of black and brown basalt. I got to see Mammoth Crater, which actually is one of the volcanoes that produced some of the lava in Lava Beds National Monument. The coolest part about Lava Beds National Monument was the lava tubes. Lava tubes are made when lava flows underground. When all the lava drains out a lava tube is formed. On the way back home we passed Mt. Shasta for a few hours, but then it disappeared behind the trees. It would have been nice if we had more time. I really wanted to see Crater Lake in Oregon. It would have been fun to learn about the past of the ancient, but violent volcano. Mt. Mazama, (which is now Crater Lake) used to be a tall volcano just like the other volcanoes in the Cascade Range. When it blew up, it formed a caldera, which now contains the deepest lake in America. All the Cascade Volcanoes have the potential to blow up violently like Crater Lake. Let�s just hope that no one is around to see that kind of catastrophe.

Hi all I suggest you see in Geo Portal http://www.spring.net/geo/ the Earth's structure and the Mechanism of changes. I think that it is interesting. Regards John.

Okay, I am now going to try to post my graphs up, I think. If I screw it up, sorry. Here's the key to my graphs so you can sort of understand them. After I have posted my graphs I will then explain everything. Red=Lassen Peak Orange=Lassen Peak (near Park) Yellow=Medicine Lake Volcnaic Area Green=Mt. Shasta Blue=Mt. St. Helens (Lava Canyon) Violet=Mt. St. Helens (Johnston Ridge Observatory)

�

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!I messed it up!!! Somebody help!!!*runs around frantic*

The encryption is making posting Julie's graphics just abour impossible. I will continue to try on Geo 71 - our new test site.

One more try... then I go screaming to Terry. I can make it work on the test page but not here!

http://www.spring.net/marci/Public/Volcanology/volcano2.gif

Finally!! I didn't think this was ever going to work. Okay, I will post the key that explains the graphs. Then I will explain everything. Red=Lassen Peak Orange=Lassen Peak (near Park) Yellow=Medicine Lake Volcnaic Area Green=Mt. Shasta Blue=Mt. St. Helens (Lava Canyon) Violet=Mt. St. Helens (Johnston Ridge Observatory)

The results of the graphs......According to the data, the most abundant elements in all the ash samples were aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and titanium. The ash sample from Medicine Lake Volcanic Area contained 102 ug/g of chromium. This was more chromium than any other ash sample. There was also a tremendous difference in the amount of chromium in the 2 samples from Mt. St. Helens. Lava Canyon contained 68 ug/g and Johnston Ridge Observatory contained 20 ug/g. Mt. Shasta contained more magnesium, sodium, samarium, and europium compared to the other ash samples. The 2 samples from Mt. St. Helens and the sample from Mt. Shasta contained similar amounts of calcium, aluminum, titanium, manganese, scandium, cobalt, and thorium. Medicine Lake Volcanic Area contained less calcium, potassium, barium, cerium, lanthanum, and thorium than all the other ash samples. Medicine Lake Volcanic Area seems quite unique, and somewhat separate from the other ash samples because of how different the mounts of aluminum, titanium, manganese, chromium, and cobalt are, when compared to the other ash samples.

Last but not least is my conlusions, in other words what my results tell me.....First though here is my hyposthesis one last time....I think that the 2 ash samples from Mt. St. Helens will be similar because they were taken physically near each other. I think the 2 ash samples from Lassen Peak will be similar because they were also taken physically near each other. Mt. Shasta will be similar to Mt. St. Helens because they are both �strato� (composite) volcanoes. I think that the ash from Medicine Lake Volcanic Area will be different than the other 3 volcanoes because Medicine Lake Volcanic Area is made up of different types of volcanoes (shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and a caldera), which would probably change the chemical composition of the ash. Okay, here's my conclusions........My hypothesis about Mt. St. Helens, that the ash would be the same, was wrong. The 2 ash samples from Mt. St. Helens were both slightly different in their chemical composition. There are several possibilities for why the 2 sh samples are slightly different. One reason could be because there was an error in the data or an error when the ash samples were put into the spectrometer. However, a more probable reason why the 2 ash samples are different could be because they came from 2 different eruptions. Mt. St. Helens has a long history of eruptions, so it might have been possible that I took ash from another eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and not just from the May 1980 eruption. I would have to use Carbon 14 dating to figure that out. Another reason the ash samples may be different in composition is because when Mt. St. Helens erupted in May 1980, the ash cloud moved over Lava Canyon. The ash from Johnston Ridge Observatory was probably deposited from the mudflow or the debris avalanche that moved north towards Johnston Ridge Observatory during the eruption. One of the reasons why the 2 samples from Mt. St. Helens appear to look different in color and texture could be because of the way Mt. St. Helens erupted. When Mt. St. H lens erupted in May 1980, the ash cloud moved east and southeast, directly towards Lava Canyon. The debris avalanche, pyroclastic cloud, and mudflow moved north in the direction of the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The particles there were larger than the ones found at Lava Canyon. This accounts for the particle size and texture. The color, difference might be because the debris avalanche contained a lot of mud, which might have mixed in with the ash and made it slightly darker than the ash found at Lava Canyon. On the other hand, the darker color might be due to the higher percentage of iron. By observing the data for Lassen Peak, we can see that there are slight differences in the composition of the ash. My hypothesis about the Lassen Peak ash, that they would be the same, was wrong. This result was unexpected, since one sample was taken at the base and the other at the top of the peak. One of the reasons why the 2 samples are so different again could be because there was an error in the data or when t ey were put into the spectrometer. Another possibility could be that they came from 2 different eruptions. Once again, the only way to tell if the 2 samples came from separate eruptions would be to use Carbon 14 dating. My hypothesis, that Medicine Lake Volcanic Area would be quite different from all the other volcanoes, was correct. The significantly greater percentage of Iron, Chromium and several other elements sets it apart from the other samples. The ash sample from Medicine Lake Volcanic Area was very different from all the other ash samples probably because of the type of volcanoes that are in the area. Even though, by the map, it looks like my ash sample came from Little Glass Mountain, it could have easily come from Glass Mountain if the wind was blowing in that direction. Also, it may have come from some other kind of volcanic feature in that area. All the volcanoes in Medicine Lake Volcanic Area are shield volcanoes and cinder cones. These types of volcanoes have milder eruptions and proba ly produce a different kind of ash. The reason the color is so dark maybe because cinder cones and shield volcanoes are made from cinder, basalt, and other dark volcanic rocks, or again, due to the high concentration of iron. My hypothesis about Mt. Shasta, that it would be similar to Mt St. Helens, was correct. The fact that Mt. Shasta is the same type of volcano as Mt. St. Helens probably accounts for the similarity between its ash sample and the Johnston Ridge Observatory and Lava Canyon samples from Mt. St. Helens. The physical distance between them and the time difference between eruptions of each volcano could explain the differences. Because of the half-life of the elements, this experiment could potentially go on forever. The data I have obtained could change or stay very similar over time.

Argh! Tha spacing got messed up again, but I think you can still read it. Understanding it is another thing though. If there is something you don't understand on any part of my project, let me know.

Julie, the spacing has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Yapp programming which is what Spring uses. This is amazing stuff. Little wonder you received so many awards. I wish colleges had such high standards. You'd ne appalled at some of the miserable research papers I have been given to edit. I refused to rewrite so they were on their own. This is wonderful. I am SO delighted you came here and feel at home. *HUGS*

julie, i look forward to hearing all about mt st helens (as well as the video). due to time constraints for me, i've not been able to read all of your posts but i will be back and take my time!

Thanks! I look foward to sharing it. Before I found you guys and Rob, I had no one to talk to about volcanoes and geology. My friends were always so uninterested in this kind of stuff. Its nice to be able to find people that are, because there isn't too many of us. And about the video, I was thinking, I might want to narrate a little, you know, make it sort of like a documentary. But with the stuff we are doing, I think the video will be more like a cross between one of those exploration documentary's they show on National Geographic and a dramatic natural disaster flick like Dante's Peak. Except ours will be real!! I doubt we will get any eruption footage though, but hey, you never know...*laugh* Yeah I know, dream on Julie! We aren't just volcano touring either. We are also going to go spelunking in some lava tubes and ice caves and hike up to some beautiful cascading waterfalls. So you will get to see a little bit of everything. I just hope the rain doesn't ruin it for me. I will let you al know exactly where I am going in a few weeks once everything is settled.

Oh, Julie, I also told son about you. He looked at the portal page things John added this morning (plus his own weather page link) and was delighted. He is most impressed. You'll be hearing from him as time permits.

Hi all Julie. With your permission, can I please put the post in which you explained your research into World Volcanism with the intention of giving it a better hearing by others? Rob

Hi Julie, I am sorry but volcanology is something new for me. I read carefully the story of your samples and I studied on your graphic charts. I wonder if exists any connection of the ash content with the type of each eruption. I wonder also if we can understand anything about the Earths interior or for the power of the eruption. I am sorry if I am doing stupid thoughts. In any case your work is amazing! Congratulations! I have also one stupid question: Is there any possibility to be some of your samples radioactive? Perhaps this is something serious for your protection. John

I really DO need to get posting the mecanisms of volcanoes and how the composition of the lava change with the passing of time. Yes, John. The magmatic composition changes and so does the chemical makeup of the lava and ash it produces as volcanoes proceed through stages from seafloor flood basalts through Plinean and Super Pleinean eruptions. Off I go to create the topic to discuss this.

Ummm...I'm brain dead Rob. What post are you talking about? I'm guessing your talking about my paper about volcanoes and how they work. I think I would like to post it because I added some additional stuff to it after I posted it in World Volcanism. Great suggestion though. My paper might help clear a few things up on how volcanoes work and some of the hazards associated with them. I will post it on the new topic that Marcia made. And John, the answer to your question is yes, the samples that I was working with were radioactive. But Dr. Miller, who is the nuclear physics and chemistry professor made sure I had proper protection. When I went into the area where the nuclear reactor was, I had to wear this beeper that would sound an alarm if things became unstable. And he was the one that handeled the ash samples once they were put in the nuclear reactor and spectrometer. But unfortunatly becuase they were radioactive I never did get them back and unfortunatly I am running out of Lassen Peak ash now because of that! Argh!!! Oh well, I think you can guess where my next Cascade Volcano trip will be. *laughs*

Julie, that is not comforting. Packing your pockets with radioactive ash is not comforting to those of us who love you! I need to rewrite my intro post to geo 73. It is a mess and boring. That is what I get when I write under pressure and post after changing a carefully considered introduction of a much different sort. *Sigh*

I declare today Mt. Shasta Day! Hmmm...can you tell I'm bored? *laughs* Did you know Mt. Shasta is considered a magic mountain to the small village of Mt. Shasta at the wetern base of this volcano? These people believe that Mt. Shasta is home of the Lemurians who are a tribe that came from the ancient kingdom of Mu, which is now submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean. Another group in the area believe that Mt. Shasta has many secret passageways that were built by the Yaktayvians. These passageways were homes to several other lost tribes of the area. But the biggest legend of all is the one about UFO's. Some believe that Mt. Shasta is the landing site for interplanetary travel. UFO's appear to make Mt. Shasta their first stop. The only way this can be explained is by the lenticular clouds which resemble the shape of flying saucers. These eerie clouds are often seen right over the summit. Intersting legends though. Okay, here a little bit about Mt. Shasta's geologic history. Mt. Shasta, standing at 14, 61 feet, is a complex volcanic system containing numerous vents. On the western flank of Mt. Shasta is the 12,300 foot cone of Shastina. Shasta has not had as much erosion as some of the other Cascade Volcanoes mostly because it gets less percipitation than most of them do. The Klammoth Mountains interecept the moist air coming over the Pacific resulting in a drier enviornment. Shasta supports 5 named glaciers, the largest in California. Shasta has also erupted significantly more lava flows than almost any of it northern neighboors. Mt. Shasta is actually 4 big stratovolcanoes of different ages piled on top of each other . On average Shasta erupts about once every 600-800 years. The last eruption was 200 years ago. Shastina's last eruption, where it produced its summit domes, was about 9400 years ago. Black Butte a 2500 foot at Shastina's western base, is a dacite plug dome that dates back to about the same period of Shastina's growth. The youngest part of Shasta began to form about 8000 years ago. This part is called the Hotlum cone. Shasta's last outburst may have possible been in 1786, when some eye-witnesses sailing offshore in the Pacific noticed a flame rising above the cone. Most activity has been concentrated at the Hotlum cone for the last 9000 years but new vents can be expected top pop up anywhere. A collapse of the dome on the western slopes could send pyroclastic flows over the towns of Mt. Shasta and Weed, which are built on top of pyroclastic deposits. The town of McCloud stands on top of old mudflow deposits and almost every eruption of Mt.Shasta has accompained mudflows. Happy Mt. Shasta Day!!

In honor of Mount Shasta Day I post their webcam

Woooohoooooo!!! Thank god. State Highway 503 is finally opened again. Gez, I was begining to really worry. State Highway 503 is one of the main roads to Mt. St. Helens. Last week, a canal broke washing a huge section of the road out. I was literally starting to panic. I shouldn't though, this is a state road, a main road. No matter what happens to it, it will be fixed immediatly. I am just worried thats all. Things are looking very good for the Grifford Pinchot National Forest. Almost all the roads and trails near Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams are opened and acsessable. And the ones that aren't, I'm pretty sure will be opened by the time that I go. The problem now is Mt. Baker and possible Mt. Rainer. Road coniditions and trail conditions are actually looking worse, so its hard to say what will happen. But I will keep my fingers crossed.

Why isn't it updating? I need to go find one that does! Julie, we NEED you to go but we also NEED you to be safe. MSH will wait as will the rest of the Cascades, no matter how impatient we are! Keep us posted!

indeed, be careful julie!!

MT SHASTA WEBCAM

Yikes!! What happned to Mt. Shasta? Is the camera being covered up by an eruption cloud? *laughs* Yeah, right!!! I bet its snowing there. The whole west coast has been having a lot of percipitation this past week or so. That is good for us down here in the dry desert of southern California, but not so good for the already super saturated Pacific Northwest. *sigh*

Mount St Helens

At the time of this writing, it is not a very good day to be messing around in the Cascades. The above view of Shasta is the only one I have ever had. From the large parking lot in Weed, it looked exactly like this.... complete wipeout.

Woooooohoooooo!!!!!!Finally!!!! I can't believe it! Sean and I have finally planned everything out for our trip. The only thing that can go wrong now is the weather or an eruption. *laughs* We decided to take the bus. It will be a terrible ride, but hey, its the cheapest and we don't have to worry about security now. We will be leaving at around 8pm Sunday, May 26th. We will be sleeping on the bus (Sean will, I will keep watch) *laughs* and arriving in Portland sometime around 9:00pm on the 27th. We will then rent a car and spend the first night at a hotel. The 28th, we will go to Mt. Hood and spend the day there probably climbing half way to the summit if we are on the south side and then camp out some where around Mt. Hood area. The 29th is go climb Mt. St. Helens Day!! Wooohooo!! I look foward to that. We will camp around Mt. St. Helens area and then spend part of the 30th hiking around Mt. St. Helens as well. The other half of the day we will explore the ice caves around Mt. Adams and camp out near the base of Mt. Adams. The 31st we will try to climb to the summit of Mt. Adams. I think we will have to camp out that night around the area as well. On the 1st, we will go to Mt. Rainer and spend the whole day hiking and exploring the waterfalls in the area. We will camp out that night near Mt. Rainer. On the 2nd, after finishing with Mt. Rainer we will head over to the unfortunate town of Orting and take some pictures and maybe get a few samples. Then its off to Glacier Peak where we will spend the night. On the 3rd, we will drive across the border of Canada and see the most northern part of the Cascades, Mt. Garabaldi. Then we will go down to Mt. Baker and spend the rest of the day skiing (I don't know if I will). On the 4th, we will hike some of the trails around Mt. Baker and explore the ice caves and waterfalls in the area. Then we will head over to Bellingham where I will get to take a tour of Western Washington University which is the #2 school on my list of schools to transfer to. We will then drive down to Seattle and spend the night there. On the 5th, I will get to take a tour of University of Washington, my #1 school and hopefully get to see their fantastic geology department. Then we will drive back down to Portland and board the bus around 7pm and arrive in Santa Ana, CA some time around 7pm on the 6th. Well, thats our trip I think and I hope. But I doubt things will work out so perfectly. Road conditions, trail conditions, and the weather are our 3 biggest enemies on this trip. We will just have to change our plans and work around them if something does go wrong.

Oh, and about the video tape, I will try to tape as much as I can and a little bit of everything. I will not have enough tape to show both summit climbs, and if I took a vote I know almost all of you would rather me tape of Mt. St. Helens, than of Mt. Adams. If anyone has any preferences to what they want to see on the tape let me know as soon as possible because this tape is for all of YOU, no so much for me. I am taking my own 30 rolls of film as well. *laughs* Yes, I take a lot of pictures.

YES yesyesyesyesyesyes. Mount St Helens it is. Be safe and return to us intact. We need you more than we need your photos! As for travelling and not sleeping, I'm with you.

just be careful, julie!!!

Hi all MSH please. Pretty please. Pretty pretty please. *Kneels down with a small box*. Lol Rob

Julie, you can't turn that down! MSH it is!

What is MSH?

MSH is an abriviation for Mt. St. Helens.

Ah..... thank you. :-)

thank you EsBee, i was gonna ask the same thing!

Hi all On Thursday March 20, 1980 the United States Geological Survey (USGS)seismograph in a Seattle basement suddenly made a decisive twitch at or about 3.46PM Pacific Daylight time). It was recording an earthquake generated by magma breaking rock directly below Mount St Helens. Within hours it was followed by more earthquakes. The USGS was curious, and sent a geophysicist called Dr Craig Weaver with a portable seismograph to the volcano on March 21. The swarm continued unabated over the weekend and on March 24, Dr Weaver called the USGS headquarters in Denver and said that an ongoing swarm which would have to be classified as volcanic, was going on at Mount St Helens. On March 27, Mount St Helens upped the ante. A small phreatic eruption of steam and old ash punched a crater 65 metres across on the summit. It began to widen and five days later on April Fools Day, was joined by second crater "the volcano seemed more like a living, growing organism than a big dead heap of rock and ice" (Documentary, "Anatomy of a volcano" 1980). http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/3.jpg Throughout April and early May, St Helens continued to puff steam and ash sporadically with the occasional small lahar (volcanic mudflow)thrown in for good measure. During this time the north face of the volcano, was being grossly deformed by magma pushing into the volcano and giving the mountain a bloated appearance. A danger zone around the volcano was set up. It barred anyone within 10 miles of the volcano from entering the closed zone. There were protests especially from home owners who had property at the foot of a volcano now being deformed by magma rising within. The north face continued deforming at a rate of 5 feet a day and by mid April anyone with eyes to see could spot the bulge. A local man named Harry R. Truman who had lived there for 53 years however was not going anywhere in a rush and defied the local authorities who wanted to move him. Media interest, initially was minimal. President Carter had just announced the US boycott of the Moscow Olympics in retaliation for their invasion of Afghanistan and all eyes were on Washington DC. But it changed rapidly and soon visitors were flocking to Washington state to see the volcano, some even flying over it, not caring a hang for the safety risk. The eruptions were all small though some were punctual with explosions sending bombs and blocks flying. They rattled the piano at Harry Trumans lodge and scared of the birds he fed. The earthquakes rocked and rattled the volcano with incredible frequency, sometime often as many as 30 magnitude 3.0+ events daily!!! Magnitude 4.0s were also popular and on May 8 or 10 a magnitude 5.0 earthquake rocked the volcano sending a small avalanche cascading downslope. In early May the explosions stopped, and many thought this was the end of the eruptive phase. People began wanting to go home, but the Washington State government and law enforcement agencies refused to let them back in, for the USGS had decided that the grossly deformed north slope posed a direct avalanche hazard. David A. Johnston knew just how dangerous the bulging north flank was - his observation post was essentially in the sights of a gun now being loaded. See the link below for more. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/4.jpg On May 11, the explosions resumed, and then stopped again on May 14. For three days the earthquake activity remained steady, the bulge continued to grow and the north face continued to deform. On May 17, the State government allowed a convoy of vehicles into the red zone around the volcano to go back and collect belongings. A second convoy was due to go on Sunday May 18, at 10.AM. On May 17 Johnston relieved another volcano watcher who was going to see a post-graduate student off at the airport. Mindy Brugman and Carolyn Dreidger came up to the Coldwater observation post to see Johnston and watch the volcano. Both wanted to overnight at the ridge, but Johnston said no. He was scared for his own safety. At his request they left the ridge a mere 5 miles from a volcano now grossly deformed to the extent it scared anyone who knew what they were looking at. Part two following soon

*Getting popcorn and something to drink* This is great stuff, Rob. I think I mght include the little dome collapse gif I made for you last year after your continuation.

ARGH!!! I can't believe this! I was trying to get a tour at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington last summer when I was in Oregon and Washington. I called them up on the phone and they said they don't give tours and there is nothing to see anyway. Ummm, okay, then what is this?! Go to the web site below and see what I am talking about. UGH!!! I'm going to Washington on the 26th not the 18th!!! ARGH!! Not fair!!! I think I will call them again anyway just to make sure. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/News/Announcements/cvo_open_house_2002.html

If you would like to keep track of the earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest go to this site below my post. You may notice a few interesting things. First of all, if you go to http://spike.geophys.washington.edu/SEIS/PNSN/WEBICORDER/welcome.html you will find the seismograms of seimsographs that are stationed to most of the major Cascade Volcanoes and places with significantly high earthquake risk in Oregon and Washington. Be careful what you think is an earthquake and what is just static interference. I have been fooled many times, but I know how to tell the difference now. I have studied the recordings every day and found a few things that you might want to take notice of. Mt. Baker and Glacier Peak seem to have a simalar pattern to them with their seismic activity. Also just recently in the past few weeks, there has been some micro quakes near Mt. Rainer and Mt. St. Helens. Most of the seismograms for the other Cascade Volcanoes don't usually have much activity on them. So watch carefully, because with the Pacific Northwest's infrequent but sometimes violent earthquake and volcanic history you never know what might happen. http://www.ess.washington.edu/SEIS/PNSN/

PART 2 OF THE MOUNT ST. HELENS STORY CONTINUED FROM LAST POST Johnston was now alone with a volcano so deformed by the bulge that it scared even him. The dimensions of the bulge were huge, and still growing, but the bulge not be there for much longer. From top to bottom the bulge was a mile long, growing outwards by more than 100 metres and nearly 300 metres wide. It was facing due north staring David Johnston straight in the face. SUNDAY MAY 18, 1980 The Sun rose at 5.37AM from the east, highlighting the bulge. As it rose, Johnston got out in the chilly but clear morning air, possibly awoken by a USAAF reconnaisance jet flying high over the volcano getting the last infra red images of the pre-May 18 1980 cone. The images would show, when they were analysed two days later, a heat source just below the surface driving fumaroles. Johnston radioed his superiors with an update on the situation. http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen1.jpg At 8.30AM geologists Dorothy and Keith Stoffel were flying over the volcano, which to those on the ground was still drowsy in appearance. They noted two fumaroles high on the north lip of the crater..... it was 8.31AM. There is an earthquake.... magnitude 5.1. http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen2.jpg In an instant the whole north flank begins sliding downhill in one of the biggest landslides known to man. Two black clouds explode out of the gaping hole and merge with impossible speed. Johnston radioes Vancouver, WA, where the nearest USGS station is located. Accelerating to nearly the speed of sound, a HUGE lateral blast spreads north, northeast and northwest. http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen3.jpg http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen4.jpg Harry Truman was the first to go - either buried by a huge tongue of the landslide that poured into Spirit Lake at 300kmh or roasted alive by a huge pyroclastic flow (the huge black cloud rushing across the landscape). His lodge (or what remains of it)is now 66 metres below the level of Spirit Lake in a mass of mangled trees, volcanic debris and the wreckage of the other houses. David Johnston lasted a few seconds longer, and managed to get this final message out to the USGS headquarters in Vancouver. Gerald Martin, a retired USAF pilot to the north and also watching MSH for the USGS reported calmly that the trailer on the ridge over from him was covered in ash. "And it is going to get me too". It did. From his observation post there was no way out. "VANCOUVER!! VANCOUVER!! THIS IS IT!!". The radio went dead as the Coldwater observation vanished into oblivion. No trace of Johnston or the Cold Water observation station have been found. http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen5.jpg http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/msh/rosen6.jpg Expanding at speed the blast spread outwards to form a vast fan of devastated land with a zone on the edege where the blast was hot enough to singe the trees but leave them standing as markers to the extent of the maelstrom. After ruining 550 square kilometres of the American northwest, the blast began contracting and soon a Plinian column was jetting to an altitude of 19km. For the next 9 hours the volcano blasted a huge plume of volcanic ash high into the stratosphere. Ash fall was recorded in Yakima where 600,000 tons or 12 tons per person fell on a town of 51,000. It was recorded in Ritzville where some of the heavier concentrations fell. Denver in Colorado was dusted on May 20. Two weeks later the cloud crossed the West Coast again having circled the world in just 17 days. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/6.jpg On the ground lahar sped down both fork of the Toutle River, demolishing 200 houses, covering farmland, wrecking bridges, and cars. The North Fork mudflow rose 30 feet above the normal level of the river and for a time threatened Interstate 5. As the sun set on a Sunday that would be remembered as Ash Sunday, the pace of the eruption decreased, but continued far into the night. As the sun rose on Monday May 19, a moonscape of steaming volcanic debris, punctuated by explosions from ice and hot material making contact, was revealed. Spirit Lake was covered in logs, all washed down by a wave that rushed up and down the lake when the smaller of the two tongues of the avalanche slammed into the water. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/10.jpg The much larger tongue poured 14 miles down the Toutle River valley to an average depth of 200 metres. Gone was the Fujiyama of the continental 48 states, and in it's place was a smouldering truncated cone of 8364ft - a far cry from the glorious 9677ft high cone that graced southwestern Washington for so many years. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/2.jpg for the view in April 1980 http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/MSH/SlideSet/8.jpg for the post May 18 view. 8 people were killed initially. When the deathtoll was finally counted, 57 were dead, of which about 40 bodies were recovered. The rest including David Johnston and Harry Truman have never been found. 200 people were injured (ash inhalation, burns, broken bones, to name a few causes). The economic damage of the May 18 event was US$1 billion. But it could have been a LOT LOT WORSE. To the credit of the American authorities, strict enforcement of the red zone kept most out. If the volcano had erupted on a Monday, it would have killed hundreds. Throughout the rest of 1980, Mount St Helens erupted in much smaller but no less spectacular events, notably on July 22, and August 7 1980. Ash fell at least 3 more times in Yakima and air traffic was diverted on more than one occasion (ash can clog aircraft engines and potentially cause the aircraft to crash - more than one instance of engine failure from volcanic ash causing a scare). On October 16 the dome which currently occupies the crater made its first appearance and today is nearly 300 metres high by about 800 across. If at this rate MSH continues to rebuild, she will restore her crown to it's former glory in about 200 years. But one should not hold their breath. Mount St Helens is notoriously unpredictable, and it is conceivable the volcano will blow the dome to bits. Rob

Hi all WHAT AN EPIC!!!! Rob