New time-lapse video shows Mount St. Helens dome growth

06:15 PM PDT on Friday, September 23, 2005

By TIM ROBINSON / KING 5 News

A year after Mount St. Helens awakened, steam rose from the growing lava dome Friday morning, a reminder of its eruptive past.

The mountain's dome has grown 1,400 feet higher over the past year. During the past 12 months, we've seen seven explosions, as well as lots of ash and steam. A year ago, it all started with some tiny earthquakes.

Hundreds of small earthquakes were reported beginning last Sept. 23. Geologists issued a "notice of volcanic unrest" for the first time since 1986.

USGS

The curved dome inside Mount St. Helens' crater - one frame of time-lapse video showing its growth over the past year.

On Oct. 1, 2004, the mountain blew steam, ash and rock fragments into the sky.

St. Helens kept it up for five days, interspersed with intermittent explosions.

In video released from the U.S. Geologic Survey today, the dome can be seen growing.

Scientists are still studying what the mountain can do as it continues to offer up surprises. Here's what one seismologist predicted last year.

KGW

From Portland, steam can be seen coming from Mount St. Helens Friday morning.

"Our best guess is that, actually, nothing will happen," USGS scientist Steve Malone said. "But there is some chance that a steam explosion could occur. The chances of a significant magmatic eruption with a big ash cloud and pyroclastics in the near future, I think is very unlikely."