— Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument —

This landscape is a monument to the Earth's power.

The incredible story began on March 20, 1980, when magma began rising into Mount St. Helens. The volcano's summit diverted the magma sideways, shoving the northern slope outward at a rate of five feet per day.

On the morning of May 18th, the north face of Mount St. Helens collapsed in a gigantic landslide. Super-heated groundwater flashed to steam and gases dissolved in the magma burst outward in a hurricane-force blast of hot gas, ash and rock. The ground-hugging lateral blast killed trees as far as 17 miles away.

The standing dead trees around you were killed by that blast. A portion of the landscape transformed by this exceptional event was set aside as Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The Monument serves as a reminder of the awesome power of volcanoes.

(photo captions)
Tree Removal Zone: 0 to 7.5 miles from the mountain. The lateral blast uprooted, shattered and swept away the forest.

Blowdown Zone: 7.5 to 15.5 miles from the mountain. The blast blew down try., Topography channeled the blast cloud, leaving some trees standing.

Ion stand in the Scorch Zone: 2 to 17 miles front the mountain. The heat of the blast scorched and killed trees, creating a ghostly, standing dead forest.

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