Mount St. Helens Before, During, and After (WMS)

Abstract:

Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, devastating more than 150 square miles of forest in southwestern Washington state. This animation shows Landsat images of the Mount St. Helens area in 1973, 1983, and 2000, illustrating the destruction and regrowth of the forest. The 1983 image clearly shows the new crater on the northern slope where the eruption occurred, the rivers and lakes covered with ash, and the regions of deforestation. The 2000 image, taken twenty years after the eruption, still shows the changed crater, but much of the devastated area is covered by new vegetation growth.

Subject:

Science and Technology

Grade Level:

Secondary, Post-secondary

SubTopics:

Plants and Forests

Collection:

NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio