January 3, 2018
Mount St. Helens Is Rumbling Again With 40 Earthquakes Since New Years Day
Trevor Nace , Contributor
Forbes.com
A plume of condensation rises off Mount St. Helens, as viewed from the roof of the Cascades Volcano Observatory December 19, 2006, in Vancouver, Washington. (Credit: U.S. Geological Survey via Getty Images)
Since New Years Day Mount St. Helens has experienced 40 earthquakes within its vicinity as tremors continue every few hours. The most powerful earthquake was a magnitude 3.9 that occurred around midnight west coast time about 5 miles from Mount St. Helens and 23 miles from the town of Morton.
The 3.9 magnitude earthquake was felt in Portland but there were no reported injuries or damage. Since that earthquake there have been 16 more earthquakes, averaging about every half hour with magnitudes from 0.6 to 2.6.
It is common to experience swarms of earthquakes at Mount St. Helens. While it is certainly not a sign of an impending eruption, the earthquakes are a result of an active volcanic system.
Mount St. Helens is most commonly known for its major eruption in 1980, the deadliest and most economically damaging volcanic event in the history of the United States. The stratovolcano is situated just 96 miles from Seattle and 50 miles from Portland, making an eruption especially dangerous.
Location and relative magnitudes of recent earthquakes nearby Mount St. Helens.
A plume of condensation rises off Mount St. Helens, as viewed from the roof of the Cascades Volcano Observatory December 19, 2006, in Vancouver, Washington. (Credit: U.S. Geological Survey via Getty Images)
A schematic of the geologic boundary conditions around Mount St. Helens.
While the recent earthquakes may make residents nearby Mount St. Helens uneasy, there is no immediate danger of an eruption. However, this is another sign of why we need constant volcano and earthquake monitoring.
With modern monitoring systems and subsurface modeling, geologists and geophysicists are able to build a 3-dimensional picture of volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens. The constant input of data, from seismic activity to precise topographical changes allows better prediction of a future event. While we can't be certain, chances are the next time Mount St. Helen erupts, we will be significantly better prepared.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2018/01/03/mount-st-helens-is-rumbling-again-with-40-earthquakes-since-new-years-day/#7d4c73ad370b
| 
