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Mount St Helens triggers aviation warnings
Winds whip up old volcanic ash from Mount St Helens, sparking aviation alerts.
In brief
Winds whip up old volcanic ash from Mount St Helens, sparking aviation alerts. Mount St Helens' volcanic ash, stirred by strong winds, poses aviation hazards after no recent eruption. Originally reported by Dailymail.
Aviation warnings issued
Urgent aviation warnings were issued after a dangerous cloud of volcanic ash was detected billowing from Mount St Helens.
SIGMET alert
A SIGMET, a serious aviation weather alert, was issued late Thursday, lasting until early Friday, as satellite imagery and webcams captured a plume of ash drifting northwest of Washington State's notorious volcano, located south of…
Ash cloud height
The volcanic ash cloud rose as high as 12,000 feet above sea level, posing a potential hazard to aircraft flying through the area.
No recent eruption
Officials stressed that powerful winds had swept up old volcanic ash from the ground, creating a potential hazard for aircraft flying through the area.
1980 eruption impact
Mount St Helens experienced a major eruption on May 18, 1980, sending a plume of ash 2.5 miles into the sky, killing 57 people and destroying over 200 homes.
USGS webcam footage
Images from the US Geological Survey's (USGS) web cameras captured plumes of ash engulfing the formation, creating the impression that it had suddenly reawakened.
Weather system
A high-pressure weather system over the Pacific Northwest brought powerful winds sweeping across the Cascade Mountains, stirring up decades-old volcanic ash from Mount St Helens.
USGS explanation
The agency explained that this phenomenon is not the result of recent volcanic activity and occurs during times of high winds and dry snow-free conditions in the Mount St Helens region.
Volcano status
Mount St Helens remains at Aviation Color Code Green and Volcano Alert Level Normal, with no eruption in progress.
Ash hazard
The USGS warned that suspended volcanic ash could be damaging to aircraft and human health due to its abrasive particles.
2024 seismic activity
In June 2024, Mount St Helens began rumbling with 350 earthquakes over five months, mostly less than magnitude 1.0.
2024 largest quake
The largest quake felt at the volcano was a magnitude 2.0 on May 31, 2024, located about 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon.
2025 seismic peak
In 2025, the number of earthquakes recorded per week reached a peak of 38 events, mostly happening around 4.6 miles below the crater floor.
Magma recharge
Specialized equipment detected magma flowing through chambers deep underground, causing the volcano to recharge and triggering quakes.
Seismic history
Similar sequences of increased quakes occurred in 1988-1992, 1995-1996, and 1997-1999, but none directly triggered an eruption.
No immediate threat
The Cascades Volcano Observatory concluded there have been no significant changes in monitoring parameters, with no change in hazards at Mount St Helens.
The main idea
Mount St Helens' volcanic ash, stirred by strong winds, poses aviation hazards after no recent eruption.
