Mount St Helens – Supervolcano?
Many 2012ers and EOTWers are aware of the potential of Yellowstone, the supervolcano that could in theory erupt again at any time, repeating the destruction it caused 640,000 years ago.
Although it is not yet proven, there is the possibility that Mt St Helens, which we all know is presently active, could be as dangerous as Yellowstone.
New Scientist reports:
The measurements revealed a column of conductive material that extends downward from the volcano. About 15 kilometres below the surface, the relatively narrow column appears to connect to a much bigger zone of conductive material.This larger zone was first identified in the 1980s by another magnetotelluric survey, and was found to extend all the way to beneath Mount Rainier 70 kilometres to the north-east, and Mount Adams 50 kilometres to the east. It was thought to be a zone of wet sediment, water being a good electrical conductor.
However, since the new measurements show an apparent conduit connecting this conductive zone to Mount St Helens – which was undergoing a minor eruption of semi-molten material at the time the measurements were made – Hill and his colleagues now think the conductive material is more likely to be a semi-molten mixture. Its conductivity is not high enough for it to be pure magma, Hill says, so it is more likely to be a mixture of solid and molten rock.
If the structure beneath the three volcanoes is indeed a vast bubble of partially molten rock, it would be comparable in size to the biggest magma chambers ever discovered, such as the one below Yellowstone National Park.
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Lovely..Sounds like the planet is about to erupt into WWIII in the Middle East and right under My Buns with Mt. St Helen just 90 miles from Me !I’M croakin over here!
I grew up on the Mt, ‘Even been cussed by “Harry” at “Spirit lake lodge” back in 62″ went to “WMCA camp in 65″ and climbed the Mt. as far as the “Dog’s” head, You can see MT. Adams, Mt. Rainier , Mt. Baker ,the Olympics,and more when it’s clear from up there..Sure miss the Old Mt. and the Spirit lake lodge and camp grounds , and Harmony Fall’s cabins were like Hobbit land, amid the huge old growth firs. brook , rainbow , golden, and bull trout, in the clearest water i can ever remember , You could see 70 – 80 ft down, scary looking shapes jutting up from the bottom always reminded us of the spooky “Spirit” of the lake. and there was a legend of a cave system that interlinked the cascade Mt’s ? Magma conduit? could Indians have found the connection? There is a lava tube cave on the flank of St. Helen,called Ape’s cave, Big foot supposedly lived there until the tourist scared Him out. (the “Cowlitz Indians say in old legends.) no I never saw him.. but have been mistaken for Him a few times..Got a lil` behind in My shavin a few …I recon..