The eruption produced a force equal to 10–50 megatons of TNT, the equivalent of 25,000 atomic bombs released over the city of Hiroshima during World War II, and superheated gas and rock exploded out of the volcano sideways at speeds of up to 400 mph.
How big was Mt St Helens eruption compared to atomic bombs?
In total, Mount St. Helens released 24 megatons of thermal energy, seven of which were a direct result of the blast. This is equivalent to 1,600 times the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
What volcanoes are similar to Mt St Helens?
Despite being in geologically similar settings, Chaitén Volcano and Mount St. Helens have very different shapes. Both volcanoes are fueled by the thick lavas that are common in subduction zones, where one piece of Earth’s crust (a tectonic plate,) overrides another.
Which earthquake would be similar to the volcanic eruption of Mt St Helens in terms of energy equivalent?
Other examples include the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, which released the energy equivalent of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake (or just over 500 megatons of TNT), and the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, which released the energy equivalent of a magnitude 8.5 earthquake (or about 5.6 gigatons of TNT).
What type of eruption was Mt St Helens?
Summary of Events
A wave of decreasing pressure down the volcanic conduit to the subsurface magma reservoir, which then began to rise, form bubbles (degas), and erupt explosively, driving a 9-hour long Plinian eruption. Steam-blast eruption from summit crater of Mount St. Helens.
How many nukes are equal to a volcanic eruption?
With an estimated explosive yield of 10 megatons of TNT equivalent, the volcano blast was equivalent to the force of roughly 667 “Little Boy” atomic bombs.
How much bigger would the Yellowstone than Mt St Helens?
The three caldera-forming eruptions at Yellowstone (2.1 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago, and 640,000 years ago), were respectively about 2,500, 700, and 1,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the state of Washington.
Was the Tonga eruption bigger than Mt. St. Helens?
The recent volcanic eruption in Tonga is the biggest on Earth in approximately 30 years and its energy output is comparable to that of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
Will Mt. St. Helens ever erupt again?
We know that Mount St. Helens is the volcano in the Cascades most likely to erupt again in our lifetimes. It is likely that the types, frequencies, and magnitudes of past activity will be repeated in the future.
Was Mt. St. Helens bigger than Mt Rainier?
Helens, the vastly more heavily populated areas surrounding Rainier, and the fact that Mount Rainier is almost twice the size of St. Helens.
Is a VEI 9 eruption possible?
It is possible that evidence for a VEI 9 eruption exists and is buried in the geologic record. Eruptions that large would be very rare events, but it is impossible to say that eruptions that large have never occurred.
What was the largest volcanic eruption in history?
The most violent eruption registered in history was that in the La Garita Caldera in the United States. It occurred 2.1 million years ago and formed a 35 x 75 km crater, drastically changing the climate on Earth.
Is a volcano more powerful than a nuclear bomb?
Tonga volcano eruption released more energy than the most powerful nuclear bomb. The eruption of the underwater volcano in Tonga that triggered a tsunami earlier this year (January 2022), released more energy than the Tsar Bomba – the most powerful nuclear bomb ever detonated – according to a new study.
What was unique about Mt St Helens eruption?
Before erupting, the volcano was 9,677 feet
More than 1,300 feet was taken off the top of the volcano by the historic blast due to the largest landslide in recorded history. The current summit elevation of Mount St.
Is Mt. St. Helens still active?
Mount St. Helens is the most active volcano in the contiguous United States, which makes it a fascinating place to study and learn about.
Did Mt. St. Helens cause a tsunami?
Helens’ 1980 eruption. May 18, 2015 marks the 35th anniversary of Earth’s largest terrestrial landslide in historical times—a result of a restless volcano and a uniquely violent eruption. The top of Mount St. Helens plowed into Spirit Lake, throwing water 860 feet above lake level, a great inland tsunami.
What would a 1 gigaton nuke do?
Potential gigaton yield devices are “doomsday bombs.” One detonated about 16 kilometers up would start fires over an area of more than 700,000 square kilometers. A few 1000 gigatons would be enough to kill all humans.
Would a nuke set off Yellowstone?
You see, unlike science fiction stories, in which nuclear weapons seem to be the cause of, and solution to, many geological catastrophes, science fact tells us that you aren’t likely to trigger a Yellowstone cataclysm with a nuclear weapon.
How big is a 10 megaton explosion?
For a 10 megaton blast, 1000 times as powerful, the severe damage would extend out about ten times as far, to 17.7 km. (Figures from Microsoft Encarta). A 10 kiloton blast would produce a fireball of about 300 m diameter and would cause moderate flash burns (second degree) at a range of about 2.4 km.
What are the 3 super volcanoes in the US?
Three of the seven supervolcanoes are located in the continental US: Yellowstone, the Long Valley Caldera, and the Valles Caldera. The most well known supervolcano is in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (shown above).
What is the biggest supervolcano on Earth?
Taupo erupted 22,600 years ago and is the most recent supereruption on Earth (with a volume of about 1,130 cubic kilometers). Additional volcanoes capable of producing supereruptions include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, and South America.