Legislation passed by Congress in 1974 made the
Geological Survey the lead Federal agency responsible
for providing reliable and timely warnings of
volcanic hazards to State and local authorities.
Under this mandate, and recognizing the need to
maintain systematic surveillance of Mount St. Helens'
continuing activity, the USGS established a
permanent regional office at Vancouver, Washington,
after the May 18, 1980, eruption.
On May 18, 1982, the office at Vancouver was formally designated the David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), in memory of the Survey volcanologist killed 2 years earlier. Staffed by about 90 permanent and part-time employees-geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, geochemists, technicians, and supporting personnel-the CVO not only maintains a close watch on Mount St. Helens, but also serves as the headquarters for monitoring other volcanoes of the Cascade Range in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. In recent years, the CVO staff has also participated in studies of eruptions or unrest at other volcanoes in the western United States and elsewhere in the world.
Excerpt from: Tilling, Topinka, and Swanson, 1990, Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future: USGS Special Interest Publication |
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