The 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption - Then and Now

This May 18 marks the 35th anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, that blew the top 1,300 feet off the mountain and triggered the largest recorded landslide in the earth's history. The eruption disrupted the lives of thousands of people and wildlife and transformed hundreds of square miles of rich forest into a grey, lifeless landscape. But in the ensuing 35 years life has returned to the slopes of Mt. St. Helens, which has become a living laboratory for geologists and biologists alike. On this episode of Locus Focus, we're joined by Portland State University geology professor Scott Burns, to remember that momentous eruption and its aftermath.

Scott Burns joined the PSU Geology faculty in 1990. He has taught engineering geology, morphology and genesis of soils, and surficial processes. He also developed classes in urban geology, landslide analysis, environmental geology, and advanced engineering geology, among others. His research interests include environmental geology, soils, landslides, engineering geology, Quaternary geology, radon, hazard mapping, terroir of wines, and the Missoula Floods. His latest book is titled Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods published by Ooligan Press.