High Maintenance Mom

Today we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Mount St. Helens May 18, 1980 eruption. "30 years ago the largest terrestrial landslide in recorded history reduced the summit of Mount St. Helens by 1,300 feet and triggered a lateral blast that blew down and scorched 230 square miles of forest. Within 15 minutes, a vertical plume of volcanic ash rose over 80,000 feet." (learn more at the Mount St. Helens 30th Anniversary web site). There are also two YouTube videos made by the USGS, one on the eruption and the other on how volcano monitoring has changed since the eruption. Also see the poster, 30 Cool Facts about Mount St. Helens.