Mount St. Helens, Washington State Quiz

Answer: David Johnston

David Johnston was a US Geological Survey geologist who was stationed about 5 miles northwest of the mountain at a place called Coldwater II. He was a replacement at the USGS post and he became the first person to alert the outside world of the unfolding events. Those were the last words he said. Johnston's Ridge Observatory is named in his honour.

Answer: 57

The toll stands at 57. It would have been higher had it not been a Sunday. There were loggers who ordinarly would have been working in the area. A hazard warning had been issued and a zone of restricted access established. For two months St. Helens had rumbled and been jolted by a series of earthquakes.

Answer: Ash

Within minutes the ash from the eruption had risen some 80,000 feet obliterating sunlight. Day became night. The date of the eruption was later refered to as 'Black Sunday'. The ash covered some 22,000 sq miles, including parts of the states of Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Answer: Volcanoes don't erupt through the side of a mountain

A bulge started forming on the north side of St. Helens on April 19, growing as much as 5ft a day. It was clear that something was going to happen, but what happened was completely unexpected. Without an open vent the pressure inside St. Helens increased dramatically.

The earthquake that triggered the May 18 blast caused the north side of the mountain to collapse, sending down an avalanche. With its side weakened, St. Helens exploded.

Answer: 500

With such force, and throwing out ash, lava and rocks, all red-hot and at a speed of up to 650 miles an hour no one could possibly outrun that. Many people who believed themselves to be in safe areas, far enough away from the volcano, were caught. People were killed as far as 20 miles away.

Answer: Like nothing

Strangely, those very close to the volcano heard nothing at all. Jim Nieland said 'It was like watching a black-and-white silent picture'. Two campers Roald Reitan and Venus Dergan discovered that the mountain had actually erupted only after they survived the slurry of ash and mud. They heard nothing.

Answer: A snowstorm

Ninety minutes after the blast ash began to "snow" down. It made old roofs collapse, clogged motors and electrical equipment and shut down airports, highways, businesses and schools. From a distance it looked as if the area had been hit by a snowstorm.

However, unlike snow, the ash did not melt and any movement stirred up clouds of dust. People wore surgical masks to prevent breathing in ash.

Answer: "It makes the surface of the moon look like a golf course"

See http://www.kelso.gov/recreation/attractions/sthelens.html

Forests, rivers and wildlife had been devastated. The wave of ash and lava and the incredible heat destroyed 220 sq. miles of forest, including plants and animals. One photograph shows 6,000 trees blown over in one direction. In total enough trees to build 300,000 houses were blown away.

Answer: Tambora and Krakatau, Indonesia

In 1815 Tambora erupted. Situated on the island of Sumbawa its explosion killed 92,000 people. Bigger than any volcanic explosion in 10,000 years it was 150 times the size of St. Helens. In 1883 Krakatau erupted. It's explosion was heard as far away as 2,900 miles; the resulting tsunami reached out 2,800 nautical miles in 12 hours. By comparison, the volume of volcanic material ejected makes St.

Helens appear insignificant.

Answer: Harry R. Truman

Harry R. Truman was 84 years old and refused to leave his lodge on the shores of Spirit Lake when the first activity began in March. He is still buried under hundreds of feet of ash, debris and raised lake waters, along with his cats - and a reported 38 bottles of bourbon.