Earth  ID: 11911

Mount St. Helens at 35

Story by Adam P. Voiland | Visualizations by Joshua Stevens Released on July 7, 2015
Download Options
Take a 3-D tour of the volcano 35 years after its historic eruption.
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens experienced a cataclysmic flank collapse, avalanche, and explosion that killed 57 people and displaced many others. The event dramatically reshaped the volcano and surrounding land in southwest Washington. Now, 35 years later, satellites in orbit and scientists on the ground still monitor the mountain and track the recovery. The mountain’s north flank was the site of the collapse and lateral explosion that devastated 150 square miles of the landscape. Deposits from the landslide on the north flank buried the valley of the North Fork Toutle River with debris up to 600 feet deep in some places. Rivers have since reworked their way across the landscape, and new vegetation has greened up much of the land. Watch the video for a 360-degree view of Mount St. Helens as it appeared on April 30, 2015.
Download Options
This visualization of Mount St. Helens and its surrounding terrain was created from data acquired by NASA satellites.
Download Options
This photo of Mount St. Helens was taken on May 17, 1980, one day before the eruption.
Download Options
This photo of Mount St. Helens was taken on May 19, 1980, one day after the eruption.
Download Options
This model shows the volcano’s summit before the blast (top) and after (bottom). The summit's elevation dropped from 9,678 feet to 8,366 feet.

For More Information

NASA Earth Observatory

Story Credits

Lead Visualizer/Animator:
Joshua Stevens (SSAI)

Visualizer/Animator:
Jesse Allen (SSAI)

Lead Writer:
Adam P. Voiland (SSAI)

Writer:
Mike Carlowicz (SSAI)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Earth Observatory
Photos courtesy of USGS/Harry Glicken

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11911

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Earth