What size is Mount St Helens?

Mount St. Helens: Size Matters (and How It Changed!)

Mount St. Helens. Just the name conjures images of explosive power, doesn’t it? This active volcano in Washington State isn’t just any mountain; it’s a legend, forever etched in our minds because of that fateful day – May 18, 1980. The eruption, well, it wasn’t just a bang; it completely reshaped the mountain and the world around it. So, let’s dive into the story of its size, before and after the blast, and what it all means.

From “Fuji-san of America” to… Something Different

Before 1980, St. Helens was a real beauty. Picture this: a perfectly symmetrical cone, draped in snow, soaring to 9,677 feet. That made it the fifth-highest peak in Washington! People even called it the “Fuji-san of America” because it looked so much like the iconic Japanese volcano. It rose majestically, over 5,000 feet from its base, which stretched about 6 miles across. It was a sight to behold, a true landmark.

Then came the earthquake, a 5.1 magnitude jolt that triggered the unthinkable. The north face of the mountain gave way in a massive landslide, followed by a lateral eruption that was like nothing anyone had ever seen. In mere moments, St. Helens lost about 1,300 feet of its height. Gone. Poof. About 0.63 cubic miles of the mountain simply vanished in the blast. Today, if you stand there, you’ll see a summit that reaches about 8,363 feet. A big difference, right?

A Crater Where a Mountain Once Stood

And the top wasn’t the only thing that changed. The eruption carved out a massive, horseshoe-shaped crater, gaping open to the north. Imagine a hole between 1.2 and 1.8 miles wide, plunging down over 2,000 feet. The bottom of that crater? It sits at around 6,279 feet. I remember seeing pictures as a kid and just being awestruck by the sheer scale of the devastation.

The eruption didn’t just affect the mountain itself. It was like a shockwave rippling outwards. Over 0.67 cubic miles of ash and debris spewed into the atmosphere. An area of 230 square miles was completely flattened. Imagine entire forests just gone, wiped clean. Cities hundreds of miles away were blanketed in ash. The mudflows… they were like rivers of destruction, tearing apart bridges and lumber camps along the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers. It was a disaster of epic proportions.

The Mountain’s Still Got Some Fight Left

But here’s the thing about nature: it’s resilient. St. Helens didn’t just give up. After the eruption, it started rebuilding itself, slowly but surely. From 2004 to 2008, lava oozed out, forming a new dome inside the crater. That dome is now a pretty significant feature, with a volume of about 124 million cubic yards and reaching over 1,000 feet above the crater floor. It covers an area of about 127 acres.

A Constant Reminder

Mount St. Helens is still an active volcano, a living, breathing part of our planet. It’s constantly changing, evolving. Sure, erosion and collapses have nibbled away at the summit a bit since 1982, but that lava dome is a sign that the mountain’s not done yet. Scientists keep a close eye on it, monitoring for any signs of unrest.

The story of Mount St. Helens is more than just numbers and measurements. It’s a story of destruction, resilience, and the awesome power of nature. It reminds us that our planet is a dynamic place, constantly being reshaped by forces far greater than ourselves. And that, to me, is pretty humbling.