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USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington

Cascade Range Current Update

U.S. Geological Survey, Vancouver, Washington
University of Washington, Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network, Seattle, Washington

Mount St. Helens Update, October 2, 2004, 7:00 P.M.

Current status is Volcano Alert (Alert Level 3); aviation color code RED

At 2 pm today, we increased the alert level to Volcano Alert due to a change in the character of seismic signals (50-minute-long tremor) that occurred immediately after the small steam emission at 12:15. Since the tremor stopped, seismic character has changed back to the type of earthquakes we have detected since the beginning of the volcanic unrest. Earthquakes are occurring at a rate of 1-2 per minute with maximum earthquake magnitues of about M3. All earthquake locations remain shallow.

Today field crews took additional thermal images of the dome and crater. Deformation crews were in the field retrieving data from GPS instruments. Results are not yet available from today's late gas flight .

Currently wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), combined with eruption models, show winds this evening will be from the east and southeast and any ash clouds will drift to the west and northwest.

We continue to monitor the situation very closely and will issue additional updates as warranted.

Press conferences will be held tomorrow at the Supervisor's Office of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The morning press conference is at 9:30 am.



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10/02/04, Lyn Topinka