Mount St Helens Volcano Case Study Flashcards
How many people were killed?
57
How many homes were destroyed?
250
What did it measure on the Richter scale?
5.1
What were three other short term effects?
Electricity and phone lines cut
Every tree with in 250km destroyed
Spirit lake filled
When did the small eruptions continue until?
1986
What did the cost of repairs reach?
$2.64 billion dollars
What are three other long term effects?
Loss of farming income as 12% of crops destroyed
Tourism badly effected
Access to area difficult
When did the eruption take place?
18th may 1980 in the state of Washington
When is mount st Helens located?
On a destructive plate boundary where the Juan de Fuca and North American plate meet
Why did the eruption happen?
Plate movement due to convection currents in the mantle = plates collide =sub-ducting of denser plate =magma rise and pressure builds
What were the short term responses?
Search and rescue of survivors by helicopter
Emergency medical treatment
Masks provided to filter dust
Roads cleared of ash
Shelters found for stranded tourists and the homeless
What were the long term responses?
Rebuild homes buildings and roads
Attract tourists back to area by building new tourist attractions to improve economy
Clear drainage channels to prevent flooding
Removal of fallen trees
Was the area prepared beforehand?
5km exclusion zone was in place as well as evacuation
No fly zone
How deep was the Ash in certain places?
1M deep
Which animals suffered from the loss of vegetation?
Dear elk bear
