Summer Reading 2025: Remembering Mount St. Helens: Other Resources

A gallery of 21 photos of the Mount St. Helens eruption, from KING5 TV staff and other sources. The photos accompany an article published in May, 2023, marking the 43rd anniversary of the eruption, summarizing the eruption and its consequences, and the state of volcanic activity monitoring today.

An album on Flickr of over 240 photos of Mount St. Helens, from before, during, and after the eruption on May 18, 1980. Posted by US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region.

Photos taken by Barry Johnston, shared with the Spokesman-Review in 2010. "On May 16, 1980, Johnston and his then-wife, Trixie Anders, a Washington State University doctoral student in geology, camped out on Spud Mountain with their friend Jim Fitzgerald, another geology student. The couple opted to stay at a motel in Toutle, Wash., the next night, while Fitzgerald again camped on the mountain. The next morning, after stopping for breakfast, the pair arrived at the Spud Mountain turnoff to see Mount St. Helens erupting. After taking a couple of photos, they hightailed it down mountain roads, chased by a cloud of volcanic debris and escaping with their lives. Fitzgerald's body was later recovered from his blue Datsun."

A searchable database of photos taken by Professor William Zoller, Professor of Chemistry, University of Washington, over a period of three years during research trips with his team to study the chemistry and impacts of the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens. This collection illustrates some of the methods used to study the chemistry of volcanoes and the impacts of such a powerful eruption. It also seeks to show the human side of research, for example, how it feels to be inside the crater taking samples when the volcano erupts again. Suggested sample searches: "Aerial Views", "Inside Crater", and "Analytical Equipment".

A gallery of photos on the website of the Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center - a joint project of the Mount St. Helens Institute and the US Forest Service. Photos are organized into albums: 1980 Eruption, Debris Avalanche, Lahars, Lateral Blast, Scorch Zone, Ashfall Zone, Pyroclastic Flows, Streams, Lakes, Thermal Springs, Erosion, and Animals.

Album of 34 photos taken of Mount St. Helens in early spring, 1980, and after the May 18 eruption. The article explains how the photos were taken, and then lost for 38 years, then found again by a family friend of the photographer, Peggy Short-Nottage. Includes a video clip of the interview with Short-Nottage. Article author: Capi Lynn, for the Statesman Journal of Salem, Oregon. Article and photo gallery hosted on KING5 website.

Photos from the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources, Washington State Department of Natural Resources of the eruption of Mount St. Helens and resulting devastation. Slide set 1 was created in 1980, slide set 2 was created in1981.

"The U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory strives to serve the national interest by helping people to live knowledgeably and safely with volcanoes in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho." The website includes a map of the mountains they monitor in the Pacific Northwest, links to volcano updates, articles on actions to take when a volcano erupts, multimedia (photos, video, and webcams) and news articles.

The information page on Mount St. Helens of the US Geological Survey, Includes a map of the area, a summary of the mountain's geological history, a 'quick facts' section, current updates and notifications, and links to data, maps, science articles, multimedia (images, video, audio, and webcams) related to Mount St. Helens.

The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was established following the 1980 eruption and is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The website has information on the geology of the national monument and a park map.

The information page for Mount St. Helens maintained by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program. Includes links to activity reports, general information, a photo gallery, and related external websites.

This page provides links to interactive views of the summit of Mount St. Helens, 2003 through 2025, facilitated by Studio 360. Also included are links to the Living Laboratory Currciulum lesson plans and albums of post-eruption photos of Mount St. Helens. Volcano World is a higher education, K-12, and public outreach project of the Oregon Space Grant Consortium administered through the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University.

Links to curriculum on Mount St. Helens developed by Oregon State University's Volcano World program: Human Responses (Human); Earth Windows (Geologic); Disturbance Ecology (Biologic). Two more links are supplemental: Instructional Strategies and Classroom Supplements. The curriculum is designed for grades 4-8 but some lessons have been adapted for grade levels 9 and higher.

A collection of resources for educators from the Cascades Volcano Observatory: videos, image galleries, webcams, web shorts and other multimedia. In the Multimedia section, find interviews with volcano scientists (Web Shorts), including Discovery Questions for the classroom; volcano monitoring animations; Mount St. Helens' videos and animations, which are useful for teaching about volcanic processes; image galleries for all the CVO volcanoes; and near real-time webcam images for volcanoes that have remote camera coverage.

A downloadable poster with thirty facts about the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, created in commemoration of the 30th anniversary. This page has a list of the facts included on the poster. A joint effort of USGS, the US Forest Service and the Mount St. Helens Institute.

A 12-question quiz, with answers, created by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in 2010 for the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

A 24-page booklet that explains: How to recognize different types of landslides: How a landslide kicked off the May 18th, 1980 Mount St. Helens
eruption; How to recognize landslides from aerial imagery; Why geologists use lidar; How to map landslides on your own; How to recognize landslides in the field. Created by the Washington Geological Survey and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

JOHNSTON RIDGE OBSERVATORY IS UNREACHABLE! A landslide that occurred in May 2023 has closed both lanes of traffic on State Route 504. It is estimated that Johnston Ridge may be open in 2027, depending on the progress of repair work.
Located at the end of State Highway 504 (52 miles east of Castle Rock), in the heart of the blast zone, (when it is open) the observatory hosts interpretive displays that tell the biological, geological, and human story of Mount St. Helens. Visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of the volcano and crater, or set out on a hike in the blast.

This center has exhibits that explain how Weyerhaeuser managed its forests after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Visitors to the center can: "Walk through a life-like forest, Experience the eruption chamber, Learn about forest recovery, See spectacular views, Hike a short trail and spot wildlife, and Have fun on the volcano slide!" The center is free to the public and open from mid-May through the last weekend in September. It's located at 17000 Spirit Lake Highway, Toutle, Washington.

The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center is part of the Washington State Parks system, and is re-opened in May, 2025, after an extensive renovation. The Visitor Center is located on Spirit Lake Highway in Castle Rock, and serves as the gateway to the US Forest Service National Volcanic Monument. The center has a movie theater with an updated feature film and a series of featurettes developed in partnership with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The center also has a number of scientific exhibits, including a "Make-a-Quake" exhibit that allows visitors to create shockwaves with a seismograph, a "walk-in" volcano, a three-dimensional relief map of Mount St. Helens, and volcanic rocks, a wetland exploration area and model plants and animals for tactile learning. And...there's even a "Volcano Blasters" pinball machine! Open daily. Entrance fees apply.

The Science and Learning Center at Coldwater (SLC) is a hands-on education center located seven miles from the crater of Mount St. Helens and operated by the Mount St. Helens Institute (MSHI). The SLC offers spectacular views and immersion into the volcanic landscape and world just outside in the heart of the blast zone. It's open to the public seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from May through October. Operated under a special-use permit from the US Forest Service. Located at milepost 43 on State Highway 504, approximately 10 miles west of Johnston Ridge Observatory.

This Information Circular consists of a compilation of events over the months before the major eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, an eyewitness report from above the volcano when it erupted, a description of the volcanic events on May 18, 1980, and a prediction of what might be expected from Mount St. Helens in the near future. Includes a glossary of volcanic terms. Published June 1980.

A report, with maps, on the bulk density of the ash that fell on the Pacific Northwest, the depth of uncompacted ash, the time of first ashfall, the kilograms of ash per square meter, the depth of rain-compacted ash, and the depth of compacted ash.

This report gives a geologic description of the area around Mount St. Helens, explains the types of earthquakes that could take place, other effects from earthquakes such as liquefaction and landslides, and the possible 'hazus' from such an earthquake. (Hazus is the "nationally applicable standardized methodology developed by FEMA to help planners estimate potential losses from earthquakes." A joint report by the Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division; the Washington Department of Natural Resources; the U.S. Geological Survey; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Published in 2012.

Abstract: "As a result of the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens, a total of about 0.33 cubic mile (195 million cubic yards) of volcanic ash fell on 49 percent of the land area of Washington State. The bulk of this ash, which in places was as much as 3 inches deep, fell mainly in Yakima, Grant, Adams, Whitman, and Spokane Counties of eastern Washington. As a result of cleanup operations in these counties, over 375,000 cubic yards of ash has been stockpiled, with the hope that it may have some use.
     The ash consists chiefly of glass and plagioclase feldspar accompanied by accessory minerals such as pyroxene, amphibole, magnetite, and quartz. The ash is typically light gray and resembles portland cement in color and fineness. The bulk of eastern Washington ash falls in the 0.044 to 0.061 mm size range (325 to 250 mesh).
     Several nonmetallic mineral-oriented companies have considered possible uses for the ash. These uses include: Abrasives, glass and ceramics, fillers, pozzolan, asphalt admixture, and fertilizer and insecticide carriers. Testing is in progress for a variety of these uses. To date, selling the ash as a souvenir of the eruption of Mount St. Helens has proven to be most profitable."

A description of Mount St. Helens from the works of Jean Verhoogen (Mount St.
Helens - A Recent Cascade Volcano: University of California Publications, Bulletin 24, no. 9, 1937) and Dwight R. Crandell and Donal R. Mullineaux (Potential Hazards from Future Eruptions of Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1383-C, 1978).

Fred Swanson had a long career as a research geologist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station, focusing in particular on the geology-ecology interface in ecosystem research groups at Mount St. Helens and the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. His roles included conducting research, administration, and communications, including engagements of artists and creative writers in those places. Interview conducted on July 25, 2015, at the Swanson residence, Corvallis, Oregon.

Jerry Franklin began his relationship with Mount St. Helens on family and Boy Scout camping trips, studied the vegetation as an early-career Forest Service scientist and later as a professor at the University of Washington, led Andrews Experimental Forest research program in the 1970s and early 1980s, and helped lead studies at Mount St. Helens. Interview conducted on July 27, 2015, at Mount St. Helens Science Pulse base camp.

Bob Parmenter was an ecology graduate at Utah State University when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. Soon thereafter, he began studies of animals in collaboration with Charlie Crisafulli and others that ran for decades over his career as an ecologist with the US Geological Survey. Interview conducted on July 29, 2015, at the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Virginia Dale began studying Mount St. Helens while a graduate student at the University of Washington and continued during her career as a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Focusing on vegetation in the debris avalanche, Dale was a contributing author and editor for two books providing overviews of ecological research at Mount St. Helens. Interview conducted on July 30, 2015, at the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Lynn Burditt has served in a variety of leadership positions in the National Forest System of the US Forest Service, including tenures as Ranger at the Blue River Ranger District on the Willamette National Forest and Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest where the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is located. Interview conducted on July 31, 2015, at the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Second interview with Virginia Dale. Interview conducted on August 12, 2015, at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland.

Charlie Crisafulli, an ecologist with the US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station and based at Mount St. Helens since the early 1980s, has conducted his own studies on a wide variety of topics, facilitated work of many others, spearheaded local and broader outreach programs, and advanced the field of volcano ecology globally. Interview conducted on September 15, 2015, in Chelatchie Prairie, Washington.