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Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens- Image by Brigitte Werner from

Mount St. Helens is an active composite volcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S.

The composite volcano or also known as stratovolcano is a conical volcano built up by many layers of lava and tephra. They are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and periodic intervals of explosive eruptions.

1. Mount St. Helens is best known for its eruption in 1980

Mount St. Helens eruption, 1980- Image by WikiImages from

Mount St. Helens is best known for its major eruption that occurred on May 18th 1980.

It became the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the U.S. 57 people were killed while 200 homes, 47 bridges, 24 km of railways and 298 km of highway were destroyed.

The eruption disrupted the terrestrial ecosystems near the volcano but on the other hand benefited the aquatic ecosystems in the area.

The aquatic ecosystems benefited from the amounts of ash thus allowing life to multiply rapidly. Six years after the eruption, most lakes in the area returned to their normal state.

2. It is predicted its future eruptions will be more destructive

Mount St. Helens- Source; Flickr-

After the 1980 eruption, the mountain had continuous volcano activity up until the year 2008.

Geologists have predicted that future eruptions will be even more destructive because the configuration of the lava requires more pressure to erupt.

3. Mount St. Helens is a popular hiking spot

People hiking Mount St. Helens- Author; brewbooks-

Mount St. Helens despite its tragic past, remains to be a very popular hiking spot and it is usually climbed all year round.

It is a 15 km out and back trail and it is generally considered a challenging route. It takes an average of 4hours and 33 minutes to complete.

Apart from hiking, it is also popular for mountain biking and trail running. The trail is open all year round.

4. It was the fifth-highest peak in Washington prior to the eruption

Mount St. Helens one day before the eruption- Author; Harry Glicken-

Before the 1980 eruption, Mount St. Helens was considered the fifth highest peak in Washington.

It stood out from the surrounding hills because of the extensive snow and ice cover of the pre- 1980 summit cone.

The peak rose more than 5000 feet above its base. At pre-eruption, the width of its tree lone cone was 6.4 km.

5. Was established as a monument in 1982.

In 1982, Mount St. Helens was established as a National Volcanic Monument by U.S President, and the U.S Congress.

It was established as a monument so as to designate the 110,000 acres around it for research, recreation and education.

It became the third national monument to be managed by the This is an agency of the U.S Department of Agriculture that basically administers the nation’s 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands.

6. Mount St. Helens was named by George Vancouver

George Vancouver- Source; National Portrait Gallery(London)- Wikimedia

Mount St. Helens was named by George Vancouver and not after a saint. He was a British naval explorer and charted the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s for his friend, .

Baron St. Helens served as a diplomat for the British government in Brussels, Â鶹APP, Russia, and Spain among other countries.

7. Its eruption changed its appearance forever

Mount St. Helens presently- Image by PublicDomainPictures from

Before the 1980 eruption, Mount St. Helens

The peak initially stood at 9,677 feet tall. The blast however changed its appearance considerably such that the top 1,300 feet of its summit was destroyed.

Now, Mount St. Helens has a horseshoe-shaped crater that contains a lava dome and a glacier.

8. Mount St. Helens is shrinking

Mount St. Helens- Image by Davgood Kirshot from

Given how Mount St. Helens was the fifth-highest peak in Washington before the eruption, a 2009 survey showed that its feet had significantly reduced.

A 1982 survey measured the summit of the volcano mountain at 9,677 feet tall but as of 2009, it measured roughly about 8,300 feet.

More than 1,300 feet was taken off the top of the volcano mountain. This shrinkage could most likely have been a result of erosion and constant collapses of the crater walls.

9. It is a world-famous natural laboratory for the study of earth’s processes

Researchers mapping the bottom of Castle Lake, near Mount St. Helens- Author; Mosbrucker, Adam-

Mount St. Helens remain to be a world-famous natural laboratory for the study of the earth’s processes and nature’s response to catastrophe.

It is one of the most closely studied patches of land in the world, especially due to the type of volcanic rock that dominates it. This rock formed during the 1980 eruption.

Ever since, geologists and ecologists have scrutinized it, surveyed the animals and plants found there and have generally catalogued and categorized the return of life to this very distinctive and fragile landscape.

10. Many years ago, Mount St. Helens was abandoned due to an eruption four times larger than the 1980 eruption

Volcano Lava- Photo by USGS on

3,600 years ago, Native Americans who inhabited the area were forced out of the grounds due to a large volcano eruption that was four times larger than the May 18th 1980 eruption. Their hunting grounds were deeply devasted by the eruption.

Image by Brigitte Werner from

Mount St. Helens though being a cause of a natural disaster and still threatening to, remains to be a natural feature that is unique thus the reason it still attracts visitors. It is popular for hiking and research thanks to its history.