What is the status of research in Mount St. Helens?
The overall level of research at Mount St. Helens is declining as we move away from the period immediately following the May 18, 1980 eruption. As time goes on it appears there are fewer investigators actively engaged in research at the volcano. This is true both in the geologic and the biologic sciences although the U. S. Geological Survey continues to maintain a substantial presence at Mount St. Helens. The USGS is involved in a constant monitoring of the volcano as a means of assessing potential hazards related to volcanic activity and downstream flooding. Research in the Biological Sciences tends to be confined to the efforts of a few dedicated investigators who are continuing studies that were established during the first few years following the eruption. In many cases these investigators are continuing their research at St. Helens in a bootleg fashion, in some cases temporarily diverting their efforts from other studies to gather additional data from permanent research installati
