There was a lot of excitement in Mt. Saint Helens, Washington. Geologists were monitoring the Mount Saint Helens volcano. Seismicity began several days before March 20, 1980, when an earthquake of 4.2 centered under the volcano commanded wide attention. The first of a series of small phreatic explosions occurred on March 27, accompanying the opening of a crater northward at the summit of the cone. Strong seismicity continued, at times bursts of deep volcanic tremor was felt statewide in early April but died away without returning. By mid-April a bulge was obvious on the north flank of the volcano. Seismicity continued into May, with fewer but larger earthquakes, and phreatic activity was intermittent.5

An earthquake registering 5.1 on the Richter ... Showed first 120 words of 815 Size (words) ...

... Continuing with another 115 out of 815 Size (words) ...were destroyed downwind of the volcano. 7,000 big game animals, 12 million Chinook and Coho salmon, and millions of birds and small mammals died in the eruption. The total damage estimate was $1.1 billion dollars. This does not include money for personal property losses, the cost of ash clean up, or the loss of tourism in the area after the eruption. However, the eruption did bring some benefits though they cannot compare to offset t he damage. The volcano provided us with geothermal energy, valuable minerals, fertile soil and recreational oppertunites.13

Works Cited:

5 "Mount Saint Helens- the Hard Facts." Http://www.nestucca.k12.or.us/~nhs/history/sean/thepast.htm

Accessed 10/12/2003.

6Swanson, Cameron, Evarts, Pringle, and Vance, 1989, IGC Field Trip ...Essay still continues 100 more words...