Geology Picture BONUS: The Spine of Mount Saint Helens!

USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory ^ | May 4, 2006 | USGS

[cogitator]

I saw a picture of this on VolcanoDiscovery, and went to the USGS site for pictures. To see more, go to the linked site, click "Current Eruption - Photo Archives". The pictures are "below the fold", and you can see the high-res BIG shots. They don't have the May 6 picture I saw on Volcano Discovery (go to Volcano News), but the May 4 pictures are still pretty impressive.

The "Spine of Mount St. Helens" title is a historical reference to the big spine that appeared in the crater of Mt. Pelee after the pyroclastic flow eruption that wiped out the city of St. Pierre on the island of Martinique.

Actually, forget what I said above. The picture below is dated April 28, but Volcano Discovery dated it May 6.

[cogitator]

Could be worth watching at Johnson Ridge!

[cogitator]

* ping *

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Wasn't Mount St. Helens renamed the "Magma Carter"?

[Global2010]

Local news says they are going to open the hiking trails back up.

They call it the "spine" our news has been calling it the "fin"

Oh well
Here is the live cam for the full view of a beautiful Mt.

mshvolcanocam.jpg
Address:http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/images/mshvolcanocam.jpg Changed:7:41 AM on Tuesday, May 9, 2006

[trashcanbred]

Cogitator, do you maintain a geology ping list? If so add me on please.

[ken5050]

For reference, is there any scale to give us a sense of the size of the spine?

[sauropod]

Cool pic!

Linky no workee...

[cogitator]

Done (it's my Geology Picture of the Week ping list).

[cogitator]

Linky no workee...

Which one?

[cogitator]

For reference, is there any scale to give us a sense of the size of the spine?

Somehow, that last one reminds me of King Kong...

[ken5050]

Great pics..thanks...BTW, in the last one, is that a line/cable hanging down from the copter?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Rounded on the side and a smooth arc: Kind of like a part from the side of Stone Mountain (near Atlanta GA) or Enchanted Rock (Austin, TX).

[cogitator]

BTW, in the last one, is that a line/cable hanging down from the copter?

Yes; it's got a little "rock trawl" at the end to grab some rock samples off the dome.

[cogitator]

Rounded on the side and a smooth arc: Kind of like a part from the side of Stone Mountain (near Atlanta GA) or Enchanted Rock (Austin, TX).

Which could all change real fast if the growing spine gets unstable and collapses (in a big cloud of ash).

[ken5050]

kewl..thanks

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Adds new meaning to the word, "Spineless"...

[HOTTIEBOY]

Hyperlink to time lapse movie located here.

[mathluv]

Ouch! That smarts!!! ; )

[mathluv]

Those pics are great!

[kayak]

From the link in the write-up above:

The lava dome inside Mt. St. Helens' crater continues to grow. It has been forming a giant, spectacular spine, about 300 ft high and growing at about 4-5 in (ca. 12-15cm) per day.