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Mount. St. Helens
May 1980 Eruption 20 Years of Change Photograph Exhibit

Part I | Part II

By David J. Bertuca
Last Modified: 17 Jan 2007

Before: May 17, 1980 (1 day before eruption)

After: September 10, 1980 (four months after eruption) (shot from same viewpoint).

Before: Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake.

After: Same viewpoint.

Before: Lake Obscurity (10 mi. N of volcano).

After: Same viewpoint.

Snow covers the sleeping giant (Early 1980)

March 1980: First steam and gas vents to the surface.

The Main Eruption

Post Eruption Images

July 1982: The Surface of Spirit Lake is choked with trees (note two men in rowboat for scale)

October 1980: Remains of Spirit Lake (Mt. Rainier in background).

1982: Several years later, lava dome is rebuilding. View from a clear portion of Spirit Lake.

A more common view of Spirit Lake with logs covering surface of the water.

September 1980: Trees blown down by blast. (Note two workers in foreground).