8,364-foot mountain volcano St. Helens in Washington state settles down after releasing ash plume

Mount St. Helens volcano settles down after releasing ash plume

8,364-foot mountain volcano St. Helens in Washington state, 100 miles south of Seattle, appears settling down after it made its recent most significant emission since fall 2004, when it reawakened, erupting a gritty cloud of steam and ash, drifting slowly to the northeast. The plume that was released Tuesday streamed into the air, according to different estimations, for 10 to 60 minutes. A 2.0 magnitude quake rumbled on the east side of the mountain an hour ago.The volcano's dome is still relatively intact.Experts are not considering the risk of a significant eruption to be high and reporting that recent flights over the volcano's crater did not reveal high levels of gases. Another explosion is not likely. St. Helens’s last major eruption in May 1980 lasted about nine hours, when the volcano destroyed its top, killing 57 people and covering the area with ash.The volcano reawakened on September 23, 2004 with magnitude 3.0 seismic activity and magma breaking through rocks on its way. St. Helens’ magma reached the surface Oct. 11. Earlier today scientists said a more explosive eruption, possibly dropping ash within a 10-mile radius of the crater, was possible at any time.