Mount St. Helens

Frequently Asked Questions

Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists were among the first to arrive on the scene after the May 18, 1980 eruption, ready to assess the effects of the disturbance and to develop a research strategy to study the landscape’s ecological responses.

Learn more about the 1980 eruption and its ecological responses by browsing the frequently asked questions below. You can control the level of detail you receive in response to each question by expanding or collapsing the content using the [+] and [-] buttons. If you have specific questions not addressed by this list, please contact us for more information.

1. What happened during the big eruption of 1980?

2. What was the landscape like after the eruption?

3. Did any life survive the 1980 eruption?

4. Hasn't Mount St. Helens erupted again since 1980?

5. How were birds initially affected by the eruption?

6. How were small and midsize mammals affected by the eruption?

7. How were large mammals affected by the eruption?

8. How were amphibians affected by the eruption?

9. How were reptiles affected by the eruption?

10. How were fish affected by the eruption?

US Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station - Mount St. Helens
Last Modified:  Wednesday, 19 May 2010 at 14:35:08 EDT