The Mount St. Helens website has been updated with a new design and the most recent scientific research about its rich volcanic history. The change was made as a part of the ongoing update to all Volcano Hazards Program webpages. We hope you enjoy this new learning experience about the most active volcano in the contiguous U.S. Photo from October 5, 2004.

A new video shows changes inside Mount St. Helen's crater from 2004 to 2012. The images were created from aerial photographs that were processed with photogrammetry software to collect a 3-D point cloud, which was then used to create shaded relief digital elevation models (DEMs). Information regarding volume and rates of growth of the lava dome and Crater Glacier are extracted from DEMs and used to monitor surface changes in the crater. View the time-series online, Time-series of dome and glacier growth at Mount St. Helens, Washington, 2004-2012. You can also view camera-captured time-lapse for this same period but from a different perspective. Images taken by a remote camera on the northwest flank of the volcano show dome growth and the movement of Crater Glacier across the crater floor. Watch Mount St. Helens' Runaway Glacier.

Field work continues at the volcano. The focus of winter work is primarily on maintaining remote monitoring equipment, making direct observations of the impacts of storm events, and measuring the transportation of sediments in swift moving streams. The work is necessary to keep the early warning systems functional, assess hazards, and engage in mitigation measures, if needed. View the Winter 2013 Fieldwork images online.

We are currently upgrading our website to provide a new look and improved functionality. When completed, the website will offer streamlined access to information about volcano hazards and preparedness, maps, images, monitoring data, and volcano histories. We apologize for any inconvenience while this process is underway.