For months, scientists cautiously awaited the certain eruption of
Mount St. Helens. Instruments measured the volcano’s activities, and
geologists gathered to study the volcano and its impact on the
surrounding area. May 18, 1980 began as a bright morning giving no hint
of what was about to occur. Just after 8:30 A.M. (PDT), an earthquake a
mile beneath the volcano unleashed energy that had been confined for
decades. The explosion loosened the already unstable northern side of
the volcano, and not only changed the visage of that portion of the
Cascades, but deeply shook the foundation of the geological timescale
once believed to be “set in stone.”
The Eruption
In the months before its eruption, Mount St. Helens signaled to many
observing geologists that a catastrophic event was about to take place.
As magma produced and filled caverns just below the surface, the
mountain’s northern slope began to bulge under the pressure. It bulged
from 5–50 feet (1.5–15 m) outward each day, creating a very unstable
surface. Concerned geologists watched while they closed roads, prevented
residents from returning to their homes and recorded and analyzed the
volcano’s activities. Continue at AnswersInGenesis
