Survivors Create Spectacular Change

The 1980 lateral blast shot hot rock, ash, and debris northward at hundreds of miles per hour and for three minutes pummeled slopes facing the volcano, leaving few survivors and blasting the closest slopes down to bedrock. On slopes facing away from St. Helens, steep ridges and snowbanks protected small plants and animals, and in sheltered places life from the former forest re-emerged. Although many perished in the harsh, ash-covered environment, some survived, including mice, voles, and other small mammals in underground burrows and small trees pressed down beneath snowbanks, while large mammals such as elk, deer, and bear perished above ground. From these islands of life, survivors moved out to recolonize the landscape, with surviving rodents repopulating the blast area, transporting seeds, and providing food for returning predators.

Washington · United States