#well i cant say lifetime since i wasnt born or even century or millennium . . . you get my point though

[why-rock-look-tasty-if-no-eat]

This is why Mt. Saint Helens is so notable in volcanology, it's explosion was many firsts! Satellites were able to capture it's plume cloud, one of the first, and we could finally understand just how big these explosions really are. Here's a(n indie) documentary that goes more in depth about the satellite photos

Not only that, but it also allowed scientists to study up close and personal on how volcanoes aren't as terrible as we thought. Are they horrible? Yes, but they give land new life, and we as humans are only just starting to understand how the scythe of death gives us nutrients to grow. There has to always be a new cycle, always a change or else the ecosystem will stagnate

Take post eruption Mt. Saint Helens for example, the ash and dead fauna and flora provided fresh nutrients for the next plant generations, and now the animals too are benefitting from it. There was also a reforestation project to replace the trees that were felled, the community got together and celebrated when plant life retook the dead kingdom. Animals being seen made people jump with joy and smile, we are just a part of the world as the world is a part of us and we both celebrate and mourn natural disasters and victories

I grew up watching the NatGeo VHS (my family likes older technology, many happy memories) that covered Mt. Saint Helens and I only saw it immediately post or a couple decades afterwards. Some years ago I flew in to Seattle and I saw how the land looks now and I'm pretty sure I concerned my row partners because of how I jolted in my seat once I realized just what I was looking at. I didn't think I'd be close enough to see, but we were and I adore how well everyone and thing has bounced back. Here's some photos I took, and the one where it's lined up was actually my wallpaper for over a year lmao

Just look!!! It so long ago that lake was filled with logs, those hills decorated with monolithic toothpicks, the land inhospitable, but look at it now! The spot where the pyroclastic flow is still visible, thats just how much power nature has! Oh, I wish I could go and properly take photos of Mt. Saint Helens and the surrounding area, that explosion defined my love for geology

The End, by Alister Lockhart.