Mt. St. Helens- Back From the Dead
1: When did Mt. St. Helens erupt last?
St. Helens last erupted in 2008.
2: Where is Mt. St. Helens located?
Mount St. Helens is located on the state of washington.
3: How much magma is released during the eruption?
Over a million tons of magma were released during the eruption.
4: What is a pyroclastic flow?
A pyroclastic flow is a moving cloud of gas and rock.
5: How far from the summit is Spirit Lake located?
Spirit lake is roughly 4 miles from the summit.
6: How many people were killed by the eruption?
During the eruption, 57 people were killed.
7: How far away was the furthest victim?
The farthest victim was about 13 miles away.
8: How many birds disappeared during this disaster? How many insects?
Over a million birds and insects were killed.
9: What happens to Spirit Lake? Explain.
Spirit lake was covered with a large layer of pollution from the explosions of the volcano.
10: Explain what the landscape in this region looks like after the eruption. (End of Part I)
The landscape looks like a big pile of gray soot and ashes.
11: What is the “Pacific Ring of Fire”?
The pacific rim of fire is a a ring of volcanoes surrounding the pacific ocean.
12: Explain what has caused the volcano at Mt. St. Helens.
An earthquake caused the eruption by disrupting the magma flow.
13: What did the ecologist find when he first came to the mountain after the eruption?
The ecologists found no remnant of moving life anywhere.
14: What were the first signs of life at the mountain? What did they see happening?
The first signs of life on the mountain were gophers that were digging their homes.
15: Why were ecologists so surprised to see a flowering plant a year after the eruption? (End of
Part II)
It was hard to believe that it was able to grow there so fast.
16: How has the plant managed to grow in such a barren area? Explain.
The roots of the plant were able to make their own fertilizer.
17: What is a pioneering species? How do they help out in a nutrient poor environment?
Explain.
Pioneering species are able to grow and live in an environment after the environment is destroyed. They release soil when they die.
18: What is causing earthquakes on Mt. St. Helens?
Lava is able to flow through the rocks and into the crater floor.
19: Explain how the pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape.
The pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape by releasing soil when they die, which is good for the other organisms.
20: What were scientists finding in Spirit Lake? Why was the dissolved oxygen levels so low?
What was this causing?
The scientists were finding bacteria at Spirit Lake, and the dissolved oxygen levels were so low because the bacteria were using it, causing it hard for there to be life 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? (End of Part III)
Phytoplankton in the lake were brought into the lake by migrating birds in the region. These then created oxygen for the organisms.
22: How are the salamanders able to survive in the harsh environment? 23: How was the rate of recovery on the mountain? Was it was scientists expected? (End of Part IV)
The tunnels of the salamanders were amazingly cool enough for the creatures.
24: Where does all of the explosive force in volcanoes come from? Where does the gas come
from? (End of Part V)
The thing pressurizing the magma were gasses. This caused an explosion. This gas came from the hot water.
St. Helens last erupted in 2008.
2: Where is Mt. St. Helens located?
Mount St. Helens is located on the state of washington.
3: How much magma is released during the eruption?
Over a million tons of magma were released during the eruption.
4: What is a pyroclastic flow?
A pyroclastic flow is a moving cloud of gas and rock.
5: How far from the summit is Spirit Lake located?
Spirit lake is roughly 4 miles from the summit.
6: How many people were killed by the eruption?
During the eruption, 57 people were killed.
7: How far away was the furthest victim?
The farthest victim was about 13 miles away.
8: How many birds disappeared during this disaster? How many insects?
Over a million birds and insects were killed.
9: What happens to Spirit Lake? Explain.
Spirit lake was covered with a large layer of pollution from the explosions of the volcano.
10: Explain what the landscape in this region looks like after the eruption. (End of Part I)
The landscape looks like a big pile of gray soot and ashes.
11: What is the “Pacific Ring of Fire”?
The pacific rim of fire is a a ring of volcanoes surrounding the pacific ocean.
12: Explain what has caused the volcano at Mt. St. Helens.
An earthquake caused the eruption by disrupting the magma flow.
13: What did the ecologist find when he first came to the mountain after the eruption?
The ecologists found no remnant of moving life anywhere.
14: What were the first signs of life at the mountain? What did they see happening?
The first signs of life on the mountain were gophers that were digging their homes.
15: Why were ecologists so surprised to see a flowering plant a year after the eruption? (End of
Part II)
It was hard to believe that it was able to grow there so fast.
16: How has the plant managed to grow in such a barren area? Explain.
The roots of the plant were able to make their own fertilizer.
17: What is a pioneering species? How do they help out in a nutrient poor environment?
Explain.
Pioneering species are able to grow and live in an environment after the environment is destroyed. They release soil when they die.
18: What is causing earthquakes on Mt. St. Helens?
Lava is able to flow through the rocks and into the crater floor.
19: Explain how the pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape.
The pioneering species are helping to revive the landscape by releasing soil when they die, which is good for the other organisms.
20: What were scientists finding in Spirit Lake? Why was the dissolved oxygen levels so low?
What was this causing?
The scientists were finding bacteria at Spirit Lake, and the dissolved oxygen levels were so low because the bacteria were using it, causing it hard for there to be life 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? (End of Part III)
Phytoplankton in the lake were brought into the lake by migrating birds in the region. These then created oxygen for the organisms.
22: How are the salamanders able to survive in the harsh environment? 23: How was the rate of recovery on the mountain? Was it was scientists expected? (End of Part IV)
The tunnels of the salamanders were amazingly cool enough for the creatures.
24: Where does all of the explosive force in volcanoes come from? Where does the gas come
from? (End of Part V)
The thing pressurizing the magma were gasses. This caused an explosion. This gas came from the hot water.