Mount St. Helens

1980-2010: Thirty Years of Science and Learning at Mount St. Helens

On May 18, 1980, after weeks of tremors, Mount St. Helens erupted spectacularly and profoundly changed a vast area surrounding the volcano. In the three decades since the catastrophic eruption, scientists from the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, along with their colleagues from around the country, have used the volcano as a living laboratory for ecological research.

This year, 2010, marks the 30th anniversary of the 1980 eruption and represents a key moment in the volcano’s history. It is a time for scientists—several of whom have dedicated their entire careers to studying the ecological responses at Mount St. Helens—to synthesize and showcase three decades of productive research and to plot the course for the future.

Browse this site to learn more about the ecological responses to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and how you can take part in the 30th-anniversary commemoration.

Making Science Connections, Worldwide

Mount St. Helens is the most studied volcano in the world. Research into the ecological responses to its 1980 eruption has fundamentally transformed not only understanding of volcanoes, but our ability to live alongside them. Station scientists’ key research findings and expertise are now in demand in other volcanically active regions of the world, including Chile and Alaska, proving that lessons learned from Mount St. Helens are applicable outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Featured Publications
Science Findings 135 Mount St. Helens: Still erupting lessons 31 years later				Science Update Issue 19 Mount St. Helens 30 Years Later: A Landscape Reconfigured
Mount St. Helens Poster (PDF - 1.09 MB) Order a copy		Ecological Responses to the 1980 Eruptions of Mount St. Helens		Mount St. Helens Brochure (PDF - 2.02 MB)		Birds of Mount St. Helens (PDF - 199 KB)