Mt St Helens with steam rising from crater and Spirit Lake, still covered in logs from the aftermath of the 1980 eruption
Thousands of dead trees, floating like matchsticks on Spirit Lake are a daily reminder of the force of the recent eruption which resulted in landslides raising the height of the lake by several hundred feet. Still active, steam can be seen rising from the volcano's lava dome. Mount Saint Helens, 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle in Washington State, gained notoriety on May 18, 1980. At 8:32am PDT the volcano erupted causing widespread destruction and the loss of 57 lives, making it the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Almost 230 square miles of forest were blown down or buried under volcanic dust and land, road, railroad, houses and bridges were destroyed. Within moments, the surrounding landscape was dramatically changed forever.
Size: 5286px × 3523px
Location: WA, USA, North America
Photo credit: © Justin Prenton / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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