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Mount St. Helens, Washington
Daily Updates
August 2007

 
 
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Compiled from Mount St. Helens Activity Information Archives    
Entries have been edited from the original.    






August 1, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind. Small lahars could suddenly descend the Toutle River if triggered by heavy rain or by interaction of hot rocks with snow and ice. These lahars pose a negligible hazard below the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) but could pose a hazard along the river channel upstream.
  • Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast.
  • Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind. ***
  • Recent observations: The new high definition camera at JRO reveals another clear and sunny day at Mount St. Helens. Low levels of seismicity persist indicating slow dome growth continues and is punctuated by occasional rocks falls. Technicians and geologists are working in and around the volcano today, servicing instruments, making observations, etc.
  • *** This line included in daily update but excluded for rest of month on this page.


August 2, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift primarily to the northeast.
  • Recent observations: The clear weather continues to offer a good view into the crater today. Seismic activity continues at a low level. Many of the events recorded by crater seismic monitors are due to rockfalls and glacier activity associated with continued slow dome growth. Yesterday was a successful field day for working on monitoring sites, making field investigations, and placing two GPS spiders.


August 3, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift primarily to the northeast.
  • Recent observations: Clouds block the view from JRO into the crater this morning. Seismic activity remains at a low level.


August 4, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the east.
  • Recent observations: Glimpses of the crater over the top of a low cloud layer this morning show continued steaming from the growing dome. Seismic activity remains at a low level.


August 5, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east and southeast.
  • Recent observations: Morning views into Mount St. Helens from remote cameras are obscured by clouds, which may clear later in the day. The subtle and mixed signals of ongoing lava-dome growth and glacier movement continue to be recorded by seismic stations inside the crater.


August 6, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift south.
  • Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is in the clouds again this morning. A faint seismic signature from within the crater is indicative of continued growth of the lava dome.


August 7, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southwards to southeastwards.
  • Recent observations: Low clouds partially obscure the mountain from Johnston Ridge this morning. Seismiciy is normal.


August 8, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward.
  • Recent observations: Unseasonably cool and cloudy conditions once again plague the Pacific Northwest today, precluding observation this morning of Mount St. Helens from remote camera stations. Seismicity remains low. If the weather breaks, crews will be in the field tomorrow repairing, retrieving, and maintaining remote monitoring equipment on the volcano.


August 9, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward to northeastward.
  • Recent observations: Some clouds still obscure the crater from the north, but weather is improving. Seismicity at Mount St. Helens have not changed significantly in the past few days, although a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, which originated near Jakarta Indonsia at 10:04 AM PDT yesterday, showed up nicely on some of the stations around the mountain.


August 10, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward to southeastward.
  • Recent observations: Low clouds and fog preclude visual observations of Mount St. Helens this morning. Inclement weather yesterday forced the cancellation of fieldwork, which has been rescheduled for next week. Seismicity remains low.


August 11, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift toward the northeast.
  • Recent observations: The mountain is visible in all its glory this morning. Seismicity remains low and there have been no significant hydrologic events in recent days.


August 12, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.
  • Recent observations: Low clouds partially fill the crater of Mount St. Helens this morning, obscuring views of the new lava dome. Seismicity remains low and no significant changes in eruptive activity have been noted in the past 24 hours.


August 13, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift toward the northeast.
  • Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is visible from the north under beautiful blue skies this morning. Seismicity remains low and no singificant other volcanic activity has been noted during the past day.


August 14, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift NE.
  • Recent observations: It's another cloudless day at Mount St. Helens today, with excellent visibility. Seismicity continues to be low with no unusual activity. USGS crews will be in the crater today performing routine maintenance on equipment.


August 15, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the northeast.
  • Recent observations: The day dawns with yet another cloudless, scintillating day at Mount St. Helens. Seismicity continues to be low with no unusual activity. USGS field crews had a productive day in the field yesterday. Projects included working on telemetry for one tiltmeter and removing a second that had filled with water, mapping geology on the north flank, surveying river channels, and performing various maintenance and upgrade tasks on several remote camera sites.


August 16, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim this morning would drift N, shifting later in the day to NNE.
  • Recent observations: The crater is obscured by low clouds this morning. Volcano earthquake activity continues to be low and rockfalls within the crater are continuing to occur intermittently.


August 17, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the northeast.
  • Recent observations: Clouds are intermittently obscuring views of the crater this morning, a condition likely to continue as the forecast calls for a chance of showers this afternoon. Seismicity continues to be low and is dominated by rockfalls from the growing new dome as well as glacier-related activity.


August 18, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim this morning would drift NNE, shifting later in the day to ENE.
  • Recent observations: Scattered low clouds are occasionally obscuring views of the crater on an otherwise sunny morning. Seismicity remains low, and periodic minor rockfalls in the crater continue to be recorded.


August 19, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the northeast this morning, changing to east-southeast by mid-afternoon.
  • Recent observations: Clouds from a passing storm system obscure views of the crater this morning. Seismicity remains low, and periodic minor rockfalls in the crater continue to be recorded.


August 20, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the east.
  • Recent observations: Clouds are obscuring views of the crater this morning, a condition that may improve towards the end of the day as a weather front passes through. Seismicity continues to be low and is dominated by rockfalls from the growing new dome as well as glacier-related activity.


August 21, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast.
  • Recent observations: Clouds partly obscure the crater this morning and provide an umbrageous view of the pumice plain. These conditions may improve later in the day. Low level seismicity continues as do rockfalls from the growing dome and glacier-related activity.


August 22, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast.
  • Recent observations: Low clouds obscure views of the crater this morning. Low level seismicity continues as do rockfalls from the crater walls, the growing dome and movement of the glacier.


August 23, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast.
  • Recent observations: The clear conditions observed at the mountain this morning are expected throughout the day. Low seismicity, rockfalls and deformation accompany slow dome growth. There have been no significant changes in eruptive conditions in the last 24 hours.


August 24, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast early, shifting to due east late in the day.
  • Recent observations: It is clear at the mountain this morning and should remain so through the daylight hours. The conditions of the on-going eruption are low seismicity, frequent rockfalls, and slow distributed deformation associated with dome growth. There have been no changes in these conditions over the last 24 hours.


August 25, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east.
  • Recent observations: Cloudy conditions prevail at mount St. Helens today. No significant changes in the on-going eruptive condition are indicated by faint seismic activity and occasional rock falls associated with continued growth of the lava dome.


August 26, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east.
  • Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is still in the clouds late this morning and probably will be throughout the day. Eruptive conditions are essentially unchanged as registered by subtle but regular seismicity associated with continued lava-dome growth and sporadic ground-shaking due to occasional rock falls.


August 27, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-southeast.
  • Recent observations: It is clear at the mountain this morning and should remain so for a number of days. The eruption is on-going with minor seismicity and slow distributed deformation. Additional and associated activity at the mountain includes frequent rockfalls from the crater walls and growing dome, and motion of the crater glacier. There have been no changes in conditions over the last 24 hours.


August 28, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift XXX.
  • Recent observations: The mountain is clear this morning and should remain so for a number of days. The eruption is on-going, with minor seismicity and slow distributed deformation. Frequent rockfalls from the crater walls and growing dome, and motion of the crater glacier, are associated with this activity. There have been no changes in conditions over the last 24 hours.


August 29, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward.
  • Recent observations: It is both clear and warm at the mountain this morning and should remain so for a number of days. The eruption is on-going with minor seismicity and slow distributed deformation. Crews are servicing gps and camera sites today on the mountain. There have been no changes in conditions over the last 24 hours.


August 30, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.
  • Recent observations: The mountain is warm and clear again today, inexorably pushing solid rock up and onto the south crater floor. Seismicity and deformation remain unchanged, and there have been no significant changes in events over the last 24 hours.


August 31, 2007:
  • Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
  • Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
  • Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeast.
  • Recent observations: Under partly sunny skies, a steam plume can be seen rising from the new dome and drifting northeastward above the crater rim this morning. There are no significant changes in the on-going eruptive condition. Very low-level seismicity punctuated by sporadic rock falls are indicative of continued lava dome growth.



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11/19/07, Lyn Topinka