A substantial uptick in seismic activity has been observed beneath Mount St. Helens in Washington, with over 400 earthquakes detected in recent months, though the U.S. Geological Survey has assured that there are no immediate indications of an impending eruption.
Although most of the earthquakes, occurring over a three-month period starting in mid-July, registered at a magnitude of less than 1.0, rendering them imperceptible at the surface, scientists have emphasized that such small tremors, detected through sensitive instrumentation, signify that the volcano is in a state of “recharging,” as magma flows through subterranean chambers and crevices. Wes Thelen, a volcano seismologist at the agency’s Cascade Volcano Observatory, conveyed this information to The Columbian newspaper.
The seismic activity peaked from late August to early September, with an average of 40 to 50 earthquakes per week, although the frequency has since subsided to about 30 per week. For perspective, the volcano had been averaging approximately 11 earthquakes per month since 2008. It is worth noting, however, that previous clusters of earthquakes in the late 1980s and early 1990s did not culminate in volcanic eruptions.
Mt. St. Helens’ devastating 1980 eruption resulted in 57 fatalities and permanently transformed the local ecosystems. Prior to this catastrophic event, the volcano was equipped with only one seismometer, in contrast to the present state with at least 20 monitoring stations. The most recent eruption from 2004 to 2008 provided valuable insights into the volcano’s behavior and facilitated the development of enhanced monitoring technologies.
