30 Years Ago Today

If you are following me you probably have already read multiple stories about this and already know what I am going to say. 30 years ago today was the eruption of Mount St. Helens. While I was not alive at the time of the eruption I am a geologist by training so this eruption is studies in depth because of all the data we got from it. We have learned not just about the eruption itself but, as National Geographic points out, we also learned how wildlife responds. Life returned to the area much faster than was expected and although some of the ecosystems were changed, see Spirit Lake.

My one personal antedote to add is that at the time of the eruption my parents were living in Laramie, Wyoming and they remember the ash coming down. While the ash was not as intense there as it was closer to the volcano they still had darker days and travel was severely restricted.

I'll leave you with an image from the eruption: