Kip A. Magee

Megan Collins

Great Basin College

Mount St. Helens Eruptions

Abstract

I will examine the volcano eruption that struck in May 1980 of the Washington State, Mt St Helen. I will try to show the disruption that was caused by the volcano eruption on the economy and civilization. What trigger the massive eruption of Mount St. Helens violent rage. For my final report I will present the livelihood of the neighboring people and what aid was brought to the community.

Mount St Helen eruption was trigger from a 5.0 + earthquake beneath the surface releasing a massive volcano eruption. The eruption sending a large plume of ashes miles into the atmosphere causing traces of debris from Washington State all along the West Costal area. I recall the day when Mt. St Helen erupted, the ashes covered the sky of Los Angeles and it call for schools to be cancel, because of bad health hazards. The eruption of Mount St. Helen disrupted air visibility causing flights to be cancel and rerouted.

“Ash clouds from Mount St. Helens move over Ephrata airport in Washington on Monday, May 19, 1980. Communities across central and eastern Washington were covered in 3-5 inches of gritty, fine, ash particles. (Taylor 2015).

Ecological damage that was caused with rivers over-flooding and ranches begin destroyed. The 1980 eruption melt snow caps bring timber down into the civilizes area. Mt. St. Helen erupted twice in the 1980 each time sending miles of smoking ashes into the sky. “On March 27, after hundreds of additional earthquakes, the volcano produced its first eruption in over 100 years.” (USGS Mount St. Helens 1980). Mount St. Helen caused avalanches and mudslides along the mountainous area. This slow down the western ranges changing the face of supplies and delivery of agriculture. “Ash from Mount St. Helens has fallen over a diverse agricultural area, with deposits of up to 30 kilograms per square meter. Crop losses in eastern Washington are estimated at about $100 million in 1980-about 7 percent of the normal crop value in the affected area and less than was expected initially.” (Cook, Barron, Papendick, Williams 1981). The development of timber was the salvage plants is the most devastated by the eruption and agriculture wasn’t that badly damaged. The nontoxic of the ash wasn’t affected toward the animal livestock. The “long-term losses to the Columbia River fishery as a result of the eruptions are not know, but is believed that such losses will be small.”  (Burket, Burlow, Golding, Grant, Lipovsky, Lope, 1980).

Resources

Stephen Burket. Edward Furlow. Paul Golding. Lowell Grant. William Lipovsky. Thomas Lopp.
“The Economic Effects of the Eruptions of Nt. St. Helens.” USITC Publication 1096. September 1980. Washington, D.C. 20436.

Cook RJ. Barron JC. Papendick RI. Williams GJ III. “Impact on agriculture of the mount St. Helens eruptions.” Science 1981. Jan 2. Http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed/17731222, March 5, 2018.

Volcano Hazards Program. “Mount St. Helens.” USGS: Volcano Hazards program CVO Mount St. Helens. 1980. Internet March 5, 2018.