It's jutting up from one of seven lobes of fresh volcanic rock that
have been pushing their way through the surface of the crater since
October 2004.
The fin-shaped mass is about 300 feet tall and growing 4 feet to 5
feet a day, said Dan Dzurisin, a geologist at the U.S. Geological
Survey.
The rock in the crater began growing last November, steadily moving
west and pushing rock and other debris out of its way as it
goes.
Mount St. Helens, located in the Cascades of Washington, has been
quietly erupting since a flurry of tiny earthquakes began in late
September 2004. Scientists initially mistook the quakes as
rainwater seeping into the hot interior of the older lava
dome.
But it soon became clear that magma was on the move, confirmed by
the emergence of fire-red lava between the old lava dome and the
south crater rim a few weeks after the seismic activity
began.
The volcano has continued pumping out lava ever since. Eventually,
scientists expect the volcano will rebuild its conical peak that
was obliterated in the May 18, 1980 eruption that left 57 people
dead.
The current growth of the new lava dome has been accompanied by low
seismicity rates, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases and
minor production of ash, the USGS said.
"Given the way things are going now, there's no hint of any sort of
catastrophic eruptions," USGS geologist Tom Pierson said. "At any
time, however, things can change."
Scientists flew a helicopter into the crater late last week to
adjust equipment and take photographs that will likely be used to
determine just how much the new lava dome has grown the last
several months.
The Johnston Ridge Observatory, which closes down every winter, is
the closest observatory to the 8,364-foot peak. It is named after
David A. Johnston, a volcanologist killed in the 1980 eruption. It
sits about five miles north of the mountain and offers the closest
views of the volcano's horseshoe-shaped crater.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/05/05/mountsthelens.ap/index.html
