1: When did Mt. St. Helens erupt last?
May 18, 1980
2: Where is Mt. St. Helens located?
Mt. St. Helens is located in Washington state.
3: How much magma is released during the eruption?
Millions of tons of magma was released during the eruption.
4: What is a pyroclastic flow?
Hot gases and rocks
5: How far from the summit is Spirit Lake located?
4 miles
6: How many people were killed by the eruption?
57 people
7: How far away was the furthest victim?
13 miles away
8: How many birds disappeared during this disaster? How many insects?
100s of bird species disappear and billions of insects to as well
9: What happens to Spirit Lake? Explain.
It became murky and killed all plant life, trees were scattered in the water
10: Explain what the landscape in this region looks like after the eruption.
Like a half moon
11: What is the “Pacific Ring of Fire”?
A vast arc of volcanoes
12: Explain what has caused the volcano at Mt. St. Helens.
Plates are being squeezed together causing friction
13: What did the ecologist find when he first came to the mountain after the eruption?
Nothing but dirt rock and ash (barren)
14: What were the first signs of life at the mountain? What did they see happening?
Northern pocket golfer
15: Why were ecologists so surprised to see a flowering plant a year after the eruption?
It’s the first sign of life after EVERYTHING was destroyed
16: How has the plant managed to grow in such a barren area? Explain.
Bacteria provides nitrogen and the plants provide simple sugars
17: What is a pioneering species? How do they help out in a nutrient poor environment? Explain.
The pioneering species is the species that first colonize after the ecosystem was disrupted. They help out a nutrient poor environment because, when they die, they release nutrients into the soil.
18: What is causing earthquakes on Mt. St. Helens?
Lava attempting to escape from the ground creating a new dome
19: Explain how the pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape.
When the pioneering species die, they release nutrients into the soil, which enriches them. The enriched soil helps other plants to grow and survive.
20: What were scientists finding in Spirit Lake? Why was the dissolved oxygen levels so low? What was this causing?
Scientists were able to find bacteria in Spirit Lake. The dissolved oxygen levels were so low because the bacteria was consuming it. This was causing life to be impossible underwater.
21: Explain how life in the lake is able to come back. What species is first (pioneering species)? How were they brought to the lake?
They found plankton that had been brought in by birds and air
22: How are the salamanders able to survive in the harsh environment?
Salamanders are able to survive in the harsh environment because they go into tunnels, which are cool and moist.
23: How was the rate of recovery on the mountain? Was it was scientists expected?
The rate of recovery was far faster than what anyone expected. It wasn't what the scientists expected.
24: Where does all of the explosive force in volcanoes come from? Where does the gas come from?
The explosive force in the volcanoes came from the gas, which pressurizes the magma. The gas comes from water, a component from magma.
May 18, 1980
2: Where is Mt. St. Helens located?
Mt. St. Helens is located in Washington state.
3: How much magma is released during the eruption?
Millions of tons of magma was released during the eruption.
4: What is a pyroclastic flow?
Hot gases and rocks
5: How far from the summit is Spirit Lake located?
4 miles
6: How many people were killed by the eruption?
57 people
7: How far away was the furthest victim?
13 miles away
8: How many birds disappeared during this disaster? How many insects?
100s of bird species disappear and billions of insects to as well
9: What happens to Spirit Lake? Explain.
It became murky and killed all plant life, trees were scattered in the water
10: Explain what the landscape in this region looks like after the eruption.
Like a half moon
11: What is the “Pacific Ring of Fire”?
A vast arc of volcanoes
12: Explain what has caused the volcano at Mt. St. Helens.
Plates are being squeezed together causing friction
13: What did the ecologist find when he first came to the mountain after the eruption?
Nothing but dirt rock and ash (barren)
14: What were the first signs of life at the mountain? What did they see happening?
Northern pocket golfer
15: Why were ecologists so surprised to see a flowering plant a year after the eruption?
It’s the first sign of life after EVERYTHING was destroyed
16: How has the plant managed to grow in such a barren area? Explain.
Bacteria provides nitrogen and the plants provide simple sugars
17: What is a pioneering species? How do they help out in a nutrient poor environment? Explain.
The pioneering species is the species that first colonize after the ecosystem was disrupted. They help out a nutrient poor environment because, when they die, they release nutrients into the soil.
18: What is causing earthquakes on Mt. St. Helens?
Lava attempting to escape from the ground creating a new dome
19: Explain how the pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape.
When the pioneering species die, they release nutrients into the soil, which enriches them. The enriched soil helps other plants to grow and survive.
20: What were scientists finding in Spirit Lake? Why was the dissolved oxygen levels so low? What was this causing?
Scientists were able to find bacteria in Spirit Lake. The dissolved oxygen levels were so low because the bacteria was consuming it. This was causing life to be impossible underwater.
21: Explain how life in the lake is able to come back. What species is first (pioneering species)? How were they brought to the lake?
They found plankton that had been brought in by birds and air
22: How are the salamanders able to survive in the harsh environment?
Salamanders are able to survive in the harsh environment because they go into tunnels, which are cool and moist.
23: How was the rate of recovery on the mountain? Was it was scientists expected?
The rate of recovery was far faster than what anyone expected. It wasn't what the scientists expected.
24: Where does all of the explosive force in volcanoes come from? Where does the gas come from?
The explosive force in the volcanoes came from the gas, which pressurizes the magma. The gas comes from water, a component from magma.