Where Is Mount Saint Helens?
Mount St. Helens in situated in Skamania County, Washington in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located in the Cascade Mountain Range and is a part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which includes over 160 active volcanoes. It is an active stratovolcano i.e. composed of alternating layers of lava and ash.
The humans established colonies in the area as early as 4500 BC. There are numerous local legends associated with the mountain. One describes them as the hacked off heads of the sons of a powerful god whose constant fighting over a beautiful girl made their father so angry that he struck down his own sons. The Europeans came to the region as fur traders and explorers in the 17th and 18th century. A Royal Navy commodore, George Vancouver, who surveyed the area in the late 18th century, later named the volcano after a British diplomat, Lord St. Helens.
The mountain was in news in May, 1980 when it exploded violently. The explosion didn’t exactly come out of blue to the locals; minor earthquakes had been frequently occurring two months prior to the eruption; yet, the economic loss was significant and fifty-seven people lost their lives. After the incident, the United States government established the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the area comprises of 110,000 acres and it is mainly used by the volcanologists and scientists for research purposes.
Category: Geography