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January 1, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind. Small lahars could suddenly descend the Toutle River if triggered by heavy rain or by interaction of hot rocks with snow and ice. These lahars pose a negligible hazard below the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) but could pose a hazard along the river channel upstream.
- Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeastward early in the day and eastward later.
- Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.
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- Recent observations: As we celebrate the third New Years Day of the current dome-building eruption, the volcano maintains its typical pattern of seismicity and slow extrusion of lava. In the coming year CVO will be completing a new telemetry system for transmitting data from field instruments back to the observatory and continuing to monitor and study the eruption. In addition, later in the year, we will publish a volume of more than 35 research papers from USGS and university authors on various aspects of the ongoing eruption.
- *** This line included in daily update but excluded for rest of month on this page.
January 2, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east northeast.
- Recent observations: It is cloudy and raining this morning at the volcano and these conditions are expected throughout the day. The eruption continues slowly accompanied by small earthquakes. The level of the seismicity remains unchanged over the past 24 hours.
January 3, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-northeast.
- Recent observations: It is cloudy and snowing at the volcano today. Monitoring instruments indicate that the eruption continues slowly accompanied by small earthquakes. The level of the seismicity remains unchanged over the past 24 hours.
January 4, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH: Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the east with a shift to southeast late in the day.
- Recent observations: Snow and unsettled weather preclude visual observation of the crater today. Seismic data indicate the eruption continues as slow extrusion accompanied by small earthquakes. Seismicity over the past 24 hours is unchanged from recent levels.
January 5, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE:
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the southeast early in the day, shifting to nearly due east late.
- Recent observations: Precipitation and clouds preclude visual observation of the crater this morning and conditions are expected worsen later in the day as another winter storm moves in. Seismicity remains low and unchanged from recent levels.
January 6, 2007:
- Current Volcanic-Alert Level: WATCH, Aviation Color Code: ORANGE:
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast to east-southeast.
- Recent Observations: Poor weather has once again obscured the view of the Mount St. Helens crater from the north. Seismicity continues at its normal low level.
January 7, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward to e! ast-southeastward.
- Recent observations: Once again the volcano is obscured from view this morning from the north. Seismicity remains at normal levels and there have been no unusual events during the past 24 hours.
January 8, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward to e! ast-southeastward.
- Recent observations: Cloudy weather continues to shroud the upper part of the volcano from view this morning. Seismicity continues on at its normal low rate.
January 9, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.
- Recent observations: Snow-clad Mount St. Helens is actually visible from remote cameras this morning for the first time in several days. A faint steam plume can be seen rising from the active portion of the new lava dome. These clear conditions may be short-lived as another winter weather system approaches the Northwest later today. No significant changes in low levels of background seismicity or other eruptive activity have been noted in the past 24 hours.
January 10, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeastward.
- Recent observations: The volcano is mostly shrouded in clouds this morning and fresh snow can be seen on the lower flanks of the mountain. Last night at 8:53 PM (04:53 UTC) a magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred at Mount St. Helens. Intermittent, larger earthquakes such as this have been fairly common throughout much of the current eruption. Low levels of background seismicity continue and no significant changes in eruptive activity have been noted in the last 24 hours.
January 11, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southward early, but switch to a more southwesterly trajectory later in the day.
- Recent observations: The volcano is mostly clear this morning, with some clouds at rim level and a moderate steam plume drifting downwind. Low levels of seismicity continue and there have been no significant changes in eruptive activity within the past 24 hours. If icy road conditions relent, field crews may try to get out to repair our voice communications system as well as some instrumentation sites (GPS, cameras) that have suffered from recent harsh storms.
January 12, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift south-southwestward.
- Recent observations: Seismicity continues at a relatively low level punctuated by the occasional M2+ earthquake. Yesterday, field crews made repairs to a voice communication system, and also made visual observations of the lava dome. Heavy steaming precluded clear views of the dome, but it appears that lava continues to slowly extrude. Crews plan to go out again next week to maintain and repair instrumentation sites, install new instrumentation, and collect rock samples if conditions permit.
January 13, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southward.
- Recent observations: The low level of background seismicity continues, punctuated by the occasional larger quake (M1.5+). There have been no changes in eruptive behavior in the past 24 hours. Field observations on Thursday suggest that lava forming the new dome continues to slowly extrude.
January 14, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southwesterly.
- Recent observations: The weather is clear at Mount St. Helens this morning and the mountain is covered with snow. A steam plume can be seen rising from the growing lava dome in remote camera views. A magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred at the volcano at 11:21 PM (07:21 UTC) last night. Intermittent, larger events such as this have been fairly common throughout much of the current eruption. Background seismicity continues at low levels punctuated by the occasional larger quake. There have been no significant changes in eruptive activity in the past 24 hours.
January 15, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northwestward to southward early in the day, changing to a north-northeastward trajectory as the day progresses.
- Recent observations: Cold, clear weather affords excellent views of the volcano this morning. There have been no changes in eruptive behavior in the past 24 hours. If clear weather holds, field crews plan to do further maintenance and repairs to instrumentation communications, place new instrumentation, and collect rock samples later in the week.
January 16, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift NE.
- Recent observations: The mountain is quietly being buried in snow today, as are we, and our instruments indicate that it is seismically quiet, but that growth of the lava dome continues unabated. We will not have visibility until this winter storm passes, and hope that it does not knock out too many installations around the mountain.
January 17, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the south-southeast.
- Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is obscured by clouds this morning. The volcano continues slow extrusion of a lava spine, and seismometers are registering very small earthquakes periodically, as well as occasional magnitude 1-3 earthquakes associated with rock falls and avalanches. Field parties are scheduled to make observations and repair instruments this week if weather permits.
January 18, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeastward.
- Recent observations: Mount St. Helens remains obscured by clouds this morning. Instruments are showing little to no change, so we presume that the volcano continues slow extrusion of a lava spine. Seismicity is low, though there is the occasional magnitude 1-3 earthquakes associated with rock falls and avalanches. Field parties are scheduled to make observations and repair instruments this week if weather permits.
January 19, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the east.
- Recent observations: Clouds obscure the volcano this morning, but, last night, glowing rock was visible near the top of the active spine. The volcano continues slow extrusion of a lava spine, and seismometers are registering very small earthquakes periodically, as well as occasional magnitude 1-3 earthquakes associated with rock falls and avalanches. Scientists were unable to service and repair instruments this week because of poor weather conditions.
January 20, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward.
- Recent observations: Instruments and observations are barely able to detect slow extrusion of the lava spine. Currently seismicity is nearly at background levels, with an occasional M1-M2 earthquake every few hours. There is some visibility into the crater today, but scientists will not have access to service instruments until next week.
January 21, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the east or southeast.
- Recent observations: Visibility at the volcano is poor today, and details within the crater cannot be discerned. The volcano continues slow extrusion of a lava spine, and seismometers are registering very small earthquakes periodically, as well as occasional magnitude 1-3 earthquakes associated with rock falls and avalanches.
January 22, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeastward.
- Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is quiet today, though clouds may disperse and allow a view into the crater. Seismicity remains low, consistent with the geodetic signals we receive from the mountain, though slow extrusion of lava continues.
January 23, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift mostly eastward.
- Recent observations: Skies that are mostly clear this morning afford good views of Mount St. Helens from Johnston Ridge Observatory. A significant rockfall occurred around 9 PM last night, producing a strong seismic signal and leaving a visible trail of dust in the crater. Otherwise, earthquake activity remains very low. Field crews plan to take advantage of today's good weather to perform equipment maintenance, obtain thermal imagery, and make visual observations.
January 24, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift mostly to the north and northeast.
- Recent observations: Mostly clear skies again prevail in the Mount St. Helens region this morning. As in past weeks, small earthquakes and rockfalls continue to occur, but levels of seismicity remain very low. Yesterday\'s good weather enabled field crews to perform maintenance on some instruments and to collect thermal imagery of the extruding lava dome. Although high winds aloft may hamper helicopter flights today, field crews will attempt to perform more maintenance on instrumentation and communications equipment.
January 25, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift mostly to the north and northeast.
- Recent observations: Mount St. Helens is bathed in brilliant sunshine this morning, although many lowland valleys in the region are shrouded in dense fog. Small earthquakes continue to occur, but overall seismicity levels remain very low. Field crews had a partly successful campaign servicing instruments and communications equipment yesterday, although helicopter access to some sites was precluded by high winds.
January 26, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the west.
- Recent observations: Today brings another picture-perfect morning to Mount St. Helens, with views from remote cameras showing a relatively calm scene. Continued lava dome motion can clearly be seen in time-lapse image sequences, however, indicating that the eruption continues despite low levels of seismicity. Occasional rockfalls continue to occur, and with the clear viewing conditions it is possible that dust plumes from larger rockfalls could be visible today from the Portland area and other locales around the mountain.
January 27, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the west-s! outhwest.
- Recent observations: Weather conditions are calm and clear yet again this morning, affording good views of the mountain. Despite low levels of seismicity, time-lapse image sequences continue to show movement of the new dome, indicating that the eruption continues. Occasional rockfalls can be seen in seismicity plots, with some lasting for several minutes. Today\'s clear viewing conditions, coupled with westerly-blowing winds, make it more likely that dust plumes generated by large rockfalls could be seen from the Portland area and other locales west and south of the mountain.
January 28, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift mostly to the west, southwest, and south.
- Recent observations: This morning clear weather again prevails in the Mount St. Helens region. Seismic data show that small earthquakes and rockfalls continue to occur sporadically as the new lava dome continues its quiescent growth. Any plumes of dust or condensed steam that rise above the crater rim today will be carried mostly to the west and southwest by strong easterly winds aloft.
January 29, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the south ! today.
- Recent observations: Clear weather is again affording clear views of the mountain this morning. Low levels of seismicity, consisting of earthquakes and rockfalls, continue to accompany the ongoing eruption. With winds blowing to the south today, dust plumes from by larger rockfalls may be visible from the Portland area and other locales west and south of the mountain.
January 30, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim would drift south-southwest in the morning to southwest in the later part of the day.
- Recent observations: Visibility into the crater is excellent. Nighttime views reveal glowing rock near the top of the spine and from the occasional rockfall. The volcano continues slow extrusion of a lava spine, and seismometers are registering very small earthquakes periodically, as well as occasional magnitude 1-3 earthquakes associated with rock falls and avalanches. Scientists are unable to work in the crater today due to gusty winds.
January 31, 2007:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift S-SW.
- Recent observations: MSH is clear and windy today. Cameras show a light steamy plume rising to just above the rim.
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