Mount St. Helens: a 30-year legacy of volcanism
EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, vol. 91, doi:10.1029/2010EO190001:
This study analysed the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1980, and revolutionized the way scientists approach the field of volcanology. It states that lives lost and the impact of the eruption on people and infrastructure downstream and downwind, made it imperative for scientists to investigate events and work with communities to reduce any loss of lives from future eruptions.
Photo-documentation of the colossal landslide, directed blast, and ensuing eruption column—which reached as high as 25 kilometres in altitude and lasted for nearly 9 hours—made news worldwide. Not only was the eruption spectacular, but also it occurred in daytime, at an accessible volcano, in a country with the resources to transform disaster into scientific opportunity, amid a transformation in digital technology.