Northwest Volcanoes: Past, Present and Future Challenges

The historians Will and Ariel Durant have said that civilization exists by geologic consent. While many of us would argue that civilization also exists by meteorological consent, there's no question the northwest has been and is continuing to be shaped by geological forces, including both earthquakes and volcanoes. In preparation for the field trip to the Cascade Volcano Observatory on Tuesday, June 23rd, this paper will review the great eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano in 1980, look at recent activity, and examine the meteorological challenges of living near volcanoes. We'll examine the major airborne hazard-ash, and offer a brief overview of forecasting ash trajectory and fallout.