See, I was thinking more like …
Overheard at GlaxoSmithKline (makers of Beano):
Receptionist to CEO: Sir? I’ve got FEMA on the line … it appears that our country needs us!
Judging from your elusive answers regarding your employment, I must ask:
Why is the CIA interested in a volcano?
Well, the government finally admitted that there’s nothing strange about Area 51 … now.
And where might tests into devices that could cause strange explosions if they’re improperly handled be safely moved…
(This post sponsored by the Alcoa Derby Co., manufacturers of fine foil headwear since 1954
I was looking at the archived photos, and I noticed in a reference photo from September that the mountain was snow covered, whereas it isn’t now.
Would that be normal for this time of year, from the recent steam eruption or from the ground heating up?
No new hurricanes.
I was wondering… after the recent two “steam valve releases”… is it just me, or is there a slightly bigger chunk missing from the rim of the crater than before last Friday? (From the side the faces the Volcano Cam, which just has to be the coolest thing ever, since Jim Cantore’s testosterone-fueled Hurricane Cam. What? You didn’t see it?)
So how are things now? Calmed down a bit?
I’ll be in the area next weekend and plan on checking out the view. Where’s the best vantage point that is still open to the public? I’ve only ever been around the back and I believe it’s safe to assume that’s still closed. 
Um, guys? The volcano now has a glow-in-the-dark, 30-story dildo.
Sheesh - you turn your attention away for one measly election and look what happens.
VolcanoCam – You can see the extrusion glowing at night. Cool!
This is a bump just to bring you all up to date since the media only talks about Mount St. Helens when there’s steam, ash and other visuals to enhance their ratings.
Mount St. Helens has been in a continuous eruption since October 11, 2004. While seismic activity appears to be rather quiet (as opposed to the leadup before the first eruption on October 1), there still are earthquakes occurring every day. The absence of prominent earthquakes should not be seen as a quiet volcano. On the contrary, it means the volcano has a clear path for magma to extrude onto the surface of the crater and not create a new path by breaking up “old” rock (earthquakes).
Speaking of magma extruding onto the crater floor, Mount St. Helens is running hot and heavy. During the 1980-86 dome building period, Mount St. Helens created a dome around 900 feet high inside the crater. The current rate of dome building with the new dome is more than ten times faster!
According to the USGS the current rate of extrusion is around 7-10 cubic meters of magma per second, 24/7. In other words, using the area of an American football field (not Canadian or Australian, but American!), Mount St. Helens is filling up that football field to the depth of about 240 feet every 24 hours. Or if you want another analogy, if magma continues to extrude at the current rate, the crater of Mount St. Helens will fill completely and the volcano will attain its former height prior to the 1980 eruption in about 11 years.
The Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam continues to function flawlessly, although views right now only show ground fog. It is the only camera viewing the volcano 24/7, and looking directing into the north flank of the volcano. There are VolcanoCam movies available of all the eruptions in several file formats as well as Flash movies. Later today we should have some night glow movies available where you can see the volcano under a full moon (and lunar eclipse) where magma can be seen extruding into the crater and building the new dome.
The area restriction is preventing news media camera from that view; they are some 10 miles away and to the west (when they actually visit the volcano) so they cannot see inside the crater (unless you’ve seen some aerial shots). The niftyest views are from airborne FLIR cameras taken by the USGS and/or news media. Not only can you see a very hot and glowing new dome, but the old dome is speckled with glowing hot spots as well. Some of the still images from FLIR (and short movie or two) are available from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory web site.
Thanks for the update. So when’s the big day? And, more importantly, have you told Tommy Lee Jones and/or Pierce Brosnan to be ready?
Duckster, at the 7 to 10 cmps rate I’m getting a depth of about 480 to 680 fpd, or 385 to 540 fpd if you include both endzones in the equation.
rate x 60 x 60 x 24 / (91.4 x 45.7) = n x 3.28
Am I wrong in my calculations or if unchecked might the summit reach it’s previous height in an even shorter period of time?
Nope. Can’t afford the fee they charge.
The figures are what I was told. I did not check them so if they don’t jive, my apologies.
The purpose of this bump is that I was up at Mount St. Helens today. All morning it was crystal clear, light winds, beautiful blue skies and about 25*F. There was about a foot of snow on the ground (with elk tracks all over the place). The temperature difference between the steam venting and the surrounding air created some gorgeous steam clouds. The light winds from the north allowed the steam to form compact clouds that crawled over the south rim.
I was up there to clean the outer casing of the VolcanoCam, especially the glass front where raindrops from the autumn rains had created dust rings visible by the VolcanoCam. (The camera is 20 feet off of the ground requiring standing on scaffold.) We also adjusted the zoom for a wee bit closer view, but before we finished with adjusting the focus, the fog rolled in. Making a long story short, the fog lifted long enough about 20 minutes before sunset to try focussing the camera again. If I blew it on the focus I might get a chance next week, weather permitting. Otherwise, I’ll have rotten egg on my face all winter long. (At least I can blame the smell on the volcano.)
We found out later that the USGS was apparently operating monitoring flights over the volcano. They were experiencing 50 knot winds making the flights a bit jumpy. The volcano continues to extrude magma into the crater at the same rate as my last post. The new dome is now taller than the old dome and visible from the VolcanoCam (but you have to know where to look). So what took Mount St. Helens to build a 900 foot tall dome some six years in the 1980s, she managed to build a taller dome in less than three months this time around. However, the new dome started on the south flank of the old dome between the old dome and the south crater rim so the growth height can be a bit deceiving. Even so, in less than three months the overall size of the new dome is pretty impressive since its area is greater than the deck of the largest aircraft carrier.
All it’s showing now is static. Unless the old girl has let go and engulfed the camera in a pile of pumice. 
Yup, cuz it’s dark.
However, the camera has limited IR capabilities and you can see the glow from the magma in the static.
And according to this story, Mount St. Helens is the top source of pollution in the state this year.
Still dead.
Is it too late for it to end up like Mount Mazama?