Mount St Helens Essay

Mount St. Helens is located in southwestern Washington in Skamania County. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. It is also known as Louwala-Clough, or Lawetlat 'la to the indigenous Cowlitz people, and Loowit to the Klickitat. Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano or composite volcano, a steepsided and often symmetrical cone constructe. Thess type of volcanoes tend to erupt explosively and pose considerable danger to nearby life and property of lava flows, ash, and other volcanic debris. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St. Helens in the late 18th century. The last eruption was on March 20, 1980. A 5.1- magnitude earthquake hit Mount St. Helen …show more content…
At the time scientis were trying to figure out what could cause such a change in the mountain side. By using laser technology to get precisied measurements and mirrors as a reflecter of light, scientis were able to see the rate of the mountains deformation. Finally coming to the plusable story that magma was moving it 's way up the volcano, causing the growth. Scientist can link the increase of volcanic activity to the increase of earthquakes, gas that is released at the surface of volcanos and random growths or change of land. A massive debris avalanche triggered by an earthquake reduced the elevation of the mountain 's …show more content…
This rock tells geologists that it has been altered, that it came in touch with hot water. Turning some of the minerals in the rock yellow. Geologiest found the same kind of rock in the crater 's wall. Suggesting that the discoloration must of happened on the mountain before the eruption. The hot water not only change the rocks color but also weakened the rock making it much easier to break and cumble with little force. This same type of crumbly rock is found over 17 miles across the valley. Suggesting that large amount of rock was rotten before the