Painting is just another way of keeping a diary ~Pablo Picasso

Monday, June 23, 2014

Lateral Blast

Mount Saint Helens #2

If you guessed Mount St Helens, you are correct. From Vancouver we have a terrific view of Mt Hood in Oregon, a partial view of Mt St Helens (the view is actually much better from Portland), and a glimpse of Mt Adams further to the east.  

Today's photo was taken from Johnston Ridge Observatory looking north (Mount St Helens was behind me.)  So she remains hidden for another day, because I wanted to show one of the many visible reminders of the blast. Throughout the park the charred remains of forests are everywhere. The eruption of Mount Saint Helens on May 18, 1980 involved a quick series of catastrophic events, beginning with the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a lateral blast from the north side of the mountain. The blast, moving at 330 mph with a temperature of 550 degrees, snapped trees in a five mile radius and seared trees for an additional 17 miles. The matchstick-looking charred timber on this ridge is just one example. 

2 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

i cannot imagine that kind of power, heat, destruction.

Folkways Note Book said...

Mother earth rules. Good photo. I don't call it destruction -- just a little bit of rearranging. -- barbara