Mount St. Helens calm on anniversary of eruption

VOLCANOES — No rumblings from Mount St. Helens today, the 31st anniversary of the volcano’s explosive eruption that killed 57 people — and created a fascinating new landscape to explore.

The jagged snow-covered crater has been mostly quiet since the most-recent dome building eruption ended in 2008, leaving a mound in the crater.

Scientists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver say Mount St. Helens probably will have another dome-building eruption within the next several decades.

U. S. Geological Survey scientist Cynthia Gardner says the volcano has a history of destroying and rebuilding itself.

The Columbian reports scientists believe the magma under the mountain is more likely to cause dome-building eruptions rather than another explosive blast.