Catastrophic Morphology
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
2004
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
2004
BW66004508
For several months in 1980 leading up to the May 18th eruption, Mount St. Helens was shaken by more than 10,000 earthquakes, numerous
steam explosions, and growth of its northern flank by 80 meters. On the Sunday morning of May 18th, the volcano was shaken by a magnitude
5.1 quake, an earthquake that caused a massive rock-debris avalanche of the mountain's entire northern face! The sudden collapse triggered a
large eruption that decimated 230 square miles of forest and quickly melted the mountain's cap of snow and ice with searing volcanic gases.
Torrents of water and rock tore down through the Toutle River Valley, drastically altering the morphology (form) of the all that was inundated.
This photograph of the valley immediately north of the volcano's north flank has been composed to illustrate the morphological effects of the
catastrophic eruption. Notice the steep unstable slopes of the large channel meandering from the volcano's flank, a channel that seems much
larger than necessary for the current trickle of snowmelt and runoff. Also notice the other channels that have eroded in the valley bottom, from
both sides of the valley. The incredible form and texture of the valley has provided an intriguing composition, one that I took almost as an
afterthought while shooting more traditional landscapes of the mountain (CS66002910). Also, I shot this photograph in both black & white and
color (CS66002908). Which do you prefer?
My appreciation is expressed to the USGS for their summary of Mount St. Helen's history.
steam explosions, and growth of its northern flank by 80 meters. On the Sunday morning of May 18th, the volcano was shaken by a magnitude
5.1 quake, an earthquake that caused a massive rock-debris avalanche of the mountain's entire northern face! The sudden collapse triggered a
large eruption that decimated 230 square miles of forest and quickly melted the mountain's cap of snow and ice with searing volcanic gases.
Torrents of water and rock tore down through the Toutle River Valley, drastically altering the morphology (form) of the all that was inundated.
This photograph of the valley immediately north of the volcano's north flank has been composed to illustrate the morphological effects of the
catastrophic eruption. Notice the steep unstable slopes of the large channel meandering from the volcano's flank, a channel that seems much
larger than necessary for the current trickle of snowmelt and runoff. Also notice the other channels that have eroded in the valley bottom, from
both sides of the valley. The incredible form and texture of the valley has provided an intriguing composition, one that I took almost as an
afterthought while shooting more traditional landscapes of the mountain (CS66002910). Also, I shot this photograph in both black & white and
color (CS66002908). Which do you prefer?
My appreciation is expressed to the USGS for their summary of Mount St. Helen's history.
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