USGS raises eruption alert on Mount St. Helens

University of Washington, Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network ^ | sep 29 2004 | usgs

[paladinkc]

Increased seismicity overnight prompted raising the alert level to Volcano Advisory (Alert Level 2) at 10:40 A.M., PDT, this morning.

[rdl6989]

Another seismograph station has been openned on the mountain and is now online. Go to http://www.pnsn.org/WEBICORDER/GREEN/welcome.html
and scroll down to June Lake. It is less jumbled than Dome Station, but is still extremely active. The 1980 events went on for 2 months prior to the big one on May 18. Could this be the beginning of another series of eruptions of just another dome building event.

[radiohead]

I wanna turn Evergreen into...a gun range.

Seconded.

Meanwhile, I'm checking my emergency supplies in case falling ash has us home bound in Seattle for a few days.

Paranoid? Maybe. But we were checking our volcano supplies in the office today as well (yes, we get volcano and earthquake emergency kits at our UW offices and our emergency preparedness handout has what to do in case of volcano eruption - first thing, cover the computers; gotta protect that IT investment.)

I'm an east coast girl and this is freaking me out completely out, I must say.

[rdl6989]

No you're not paranoid, you'd be crazy not to get yourself and family ready for this! Just out of curiosity, has anything been said about closing Seatac airport or Portland when it hits.

[djf]

I doubt if they will need to close Sea-Tac. But the news tonight said the FAA has pre-approved route changes for Portland and Sea-Tac if need be.

[Salvation]

Oregon Ping

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[LasVegasMac]

She's gonna go this time.

Ummm...no.

She "went" the last time.

This time will be some steam / ash / rocks a couple thousand feet up - tops.

Minor stuff - as far as "stack blowing" goes.

LVM

[rdl6989]

The current hazard outlook is unchanged from that outlined in this morning’s Volcano Advisory. Updated wind forecasts from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration coupled with an eruption model indicate that the wind direction will shift from northwesterly to northeasterly tonight. Therefore any ash clouds produced tonight will drift southwestward. -USGS

Do you think it will happen in, say, 48 hours.

[Doctor Stochastic]

"Seismicity" may be a new game from Maxis.

[rdl6989]

Can anyone please clarify, I have heard that the volcano alert was raised from 1 to 2 out of 3 levels. Other media (who else) are saying it was raised from 2 to 3 out of 4 levels.

[djf]

Hard to say. Don't know if there is pressure building, but one has to assume there is. This mountain has gone with explosive eruptions before, as well as another mountain nearby, Crater Lake.

Much of the rock in the cascades is almost diamond hard slate, old ocean floor that has metamorphosed and been raised up by subduction.

It can sustain tremendously high pressure.. but when it gives, it gives with a bang.

I do not suspect this phase will simply end without some sort of release of the pressure and uprisings that are happening.

So expect something within 36-72 hours. If nothing happens, it MIGHT slow down, but I doubt it. Some of the volcanos here have had eruptive phases that go on for 50 to 100 years.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Four Levels

[djf]

We are now in the next-to-highest level, "Eruption advisory". The next level is "Get the hell out of Dodge".

[rdl6989]

Confusion at this morning’s press briefing at CVO regarding Alert Levels resulted in numerous calls to emergency management agencies from the public about which is the correct level. We are at Alert Level Two out of four-my note—Volcano Advisory. from USGS, see link: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/CurrentActivity/2004/current_updates_20040929_PM.html

[rdl6989]

Take a look at the webcam. Is that a light somebody turned on or what at the bottom left of the screen. It looks to be too low and left to be the volcano, but not sure. At 22:34 local on the webcam.

[Watery Tart]

Still doomed....but now even more so.

[Watery Tart]

You used to buy snow shovels when you got weather warnings. Now that you're in Seattle, what do you do? Plastic and duct tape?

[djf]

King 5 says we are at level two.

Level four is volcano dormant.
Level three is volcano unrest.
Level two is volcano advisory(where we are now).
Level one is eruption.

King 5 also reporting an increase in number and intensity of the quakes, including an unstated number over magnitude 3.

If it goes within 24-36 hours, Portland will get it.

Mt Rainier seismographs are recording quakes from St Helens.

[Grani]

George Noury had a guest on the first hour, who gave Mt. St. Helens a 56% chance of blowing in the next two days.

Can't think of a more deserving target than The Evergreen State College--what a pretentious name! We do need more ranges.

No doubt if it blows, the Dems will claim that Karl Rove caused it to draw attention away from the debate.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I didn't live here the last time St. Helens erupted, but I moved out the year after, and when I got up in the morning there was always a thin coat of ash on my car.

This time, they don't expect it to be nearly as bad - and it's quite a ways away, actually. Obviously it may matter a great deal to those that live in the immediate area, but I'm not expecting much, and I don't really feel a need to prepare.

If I'm wrong though, I'll ride it out and post an ashy picture of my Audi TT for you. : )

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Can't think of a more deserving target than The Evergreen State College...

Now that would be hip. : )