[Geysers] Mt. St. Helens Report 3.8.05

[Pat Snyder]

Mt. St. Helens had a significant eruption tonight at 17:28. It sent up 
an initial steam and ash plume estimated at 30,000 feet above the 
crater rim, with smaller plumes to follow for the next hour or so. 
After the first plume died down some, around 18:15, local news 
helicopters flew near the crater and photographed significantly large 
dome fractures with visible red lava. It is not known yet whether the 
"whale back" crust on the dome was destroyed in this eruption, but it 
had large cracks in it over the weekend.

The plume was visible throughout the area and, because it was sunset, 
it was beautifully lit (golden yellow and orange with blue undertones) 
as it drifted eastward. There is an ashfall advisory for east Skamania 
County, Washington, until 19:00 this evening.

I was at Mt. St. Helens on Saturday, 3.5.05, and "gazed" all day, 
catching a small plume around 14:45. Here are some photographs from 
that day.
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Around 13:50.

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Late afternoon plume, above.

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In the bottom photo, you can see part of the "whale back" near the 
center of the photo. This was at 10:30 or so.

It's pretty exciting here--at least it's something nifty to gaze at 
while I wait for my next Yellowstone trip in May.
Pat Snyder