Mt St Helens, USA 1980

Question 1

What year did this eruption take place?

Answer 1

1980

Question 2

What plate margin does the volcano lie on?

Answer 2

• destructive
• small juan de Fula plate subduction under the North American plate

Question 3

What VEI was the eruption? And what did this mean?

Answer 3

5
Meaning it was highly explosive

Question 4

Where is mt St Helens located?

Answer 4

A remote part of southern Washington

Question 5

Who was mainly at risk?

Answer 5

Backpackers as the surrounding areas were sparsely populated and there were no surrounding towns or cities.

Question 6

How many people died?

Answer 6

61

Question 7

What caused this high and unexpected death toll?

Answer 7

Much of the blast directed laterally to the north, when part of the volcano collapsed

Question 8

Was this eruption predicted?

Answer 8

-the volcano half been thoroughly monitored for months
-scientists had extensive historical evidence of past eruptions
-warnings were issued and areas evacuated

Question 9

What part of the eruption was not predicted?

Answer 9

-the lateral blast towards the north