By Martha Landry
Volcanism is my
favorite natural hazard. The type of hazards that are uninfluenced by humans
(well if you don’t count stopping a magma flow in Iceland) are the most
fascinating and impressive in my opinion.
“Mount St. Helens – The Eruption and
Recovery of a Volcano” was nothing like I expected it to be. When you think of
Mount St. Helens, you think of the excitement, the devastation and the
disaster. This book, by Rob Carson takes you through the steps of history,
event and recovery. It gives you a more personal and in depth look at the
science and the people involved in the event.
This book had a very smooth
progression, starting with the history of the mountain. What I found the most interesting
is that it discussed old myths and Native American stories about what they
thought happened during a volcanic eruption. I think it was a great tie to make
because they discuss frequently that Mount St. Helens was one of the first
volcanoes that really helped them get a grasp on what was actually occurring
during an eruption. The balance between story and science was fantastic.
Don Swanson, Mr. Crater, was the man
of the hour, so to say, after the eruption, the book credits Swanson to many
facts discovered because of Mount St. Helens, again this science was balanced
with a sad story of David Johnson’s death. The quick version goes, Swanson
convinced Johnson to work a observation shift close to the mountain. The
mountain blew and Johnson was never to be seen again.
“This is not a story Swanson tells
often or easily. It’s not that he feels responsible for Johnston’s death or
guilty for not having been in his place. He is too much of a scientist for
that, too much aware of the general randomness of events in the universe. But
the two men were close. ‘What I felt was a responsibility to do my job as well
as it could be done,’ Swanson says. ‘Maybe partly for him.’”
I love that quote because it really
shows an interesting thought process. These men were friends, according to the
book, some even quite close. At the end of the day, though, they are
scientists. The book allows me to appreciate his thought process and feelings
but I just cannot imagine having the strength in my mind to not let such a
event to effect me deeply.
Something else about this eruption,
that I found interesting, was the public support and interest. The waiting game
for the volcanic eruption was like a sporting event! People were so excited and
when he finally did erupt people were over the moon.
“President Jimmy Carter had
announced the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics the same day, and that story
monopolized the news.”
The boycott of the Moscow Olympics.
That is huge news! I think that is the perfect way to describe to someone who
couldn’t be part of the action, just how impressive it was. The book heavily
mentioned the journalism aspect of the event so that was especially interesting
for me.
During the section pre-eruption, the
book discussed how anxious people were for the mountain to go. They were bored
with the buildup and the regulations that kept them away from the surrounding
area. They saved many lives by not allowing people back to the mountainside.
The book states that even if this event was taking place today, they still
wouldn’t be able to predict it accurately.
I can completely understand the
frustrations of a journalist. The big joke in the journalism world is, if it
bleeds, it ledes. Mount St. Helens was going to be the biggest event in many
scientists and journalist’s lives. I can’t even begin to think of ways to keep
the public interested in a volcanic eruption for months at a time. It would be
one of the hardest assignment in my career.
After such a extended buildup, the
book said “the news that Mount St. Helens was stirring and could be about to
burst into a major eruption brought about a curious mass reaction: People were
overjoyed.” I doubt this enjoyment could have last long. After people realized the
destruction and how vast the devastation would be, I don’t know how anyone
(other than for the science of it all) could be happy the event occurred.
There were souvenir stands all over
the area — selling ash, rock, t-shirts, hats and anything else you can imagine.
It was the new statement of the Pacific Northwest.
With the major natural disasters
that have happened during my life time — Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm
Sandy — it is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine people being overjoyed
with this time of event. It is fascinating and trying to place myself in the
situation of a spectator just seems too amazing.
The other part of this book that I
absolutely loved was the imagery. There are amazing maps showing the volume of
devastation, the distance the ash reached, the blowdown zone and the scorch
zone. In addition, there is the nature itself. “The Washington State Department
of Game estimated that 1,500 elk, 5,000 black-tailed deer, 200 black bears,
11,000 hares, 15 mountain lions, 300 bobcats, 27,000 grouse, and 1,400 coyotes
were killed that Sunday morning. Miles from the crater, heavy ashfall caused the
deaths of many more. The heat and the ash wiped out incalculable numbers of
birds and insects, damaged 26 lakes, and killed some 11 million fish.”
The book states that 57 lives were
lost but I think that it is important to consider all of the other lives that
were taken. All the foliage and animals had no chance. There was no government
forcing them out of the area.
This book did a great job of
balancing out the science and emotion of such an event. Mount St. Helens is an
amazingly impressive event from every way that you look at it. When Mount
Rainier erupts during my lifetime, I hope there is a book written as indepth as
“Mount St. Helens – The Eruption and Recovery of a Volcano.”
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