Mount Saint Helens circa 1990. 10 years after the explosion, still in 1st dome building phase...before the spire. An opportunity to get into the crater was not passed up.

Although the crater floor is quite wide, have to stay well away from talus slopes, as an occasional block travels farther than expected.

So many textbook volcanism features to see up close and personal.

#Geology #Volcano #PNW #Rocks #Eruption #GroundIsLava

From fissures far east you flowed
Following paths no longer exposed

Spreading surprisingly far and wide
Atop layers you now hide

Cooling only slightly along your path
How…I could never do the math

You finally reached your destiny
In the cool embrace of the sea

#ColumbiaRiverBasalt outcrops extraordinaire exposed in the Columbia River Gorge. When I try to imagine how magma could be erupted and flow hundreds of miles..stupefaction.

#Geology Bad#Poetry #PNW #GroundIsLava #Oregon #OregonCoast

#Geology #Volcano #Rocks #Tephra #GroundIsLava #Oregon #Cascades #BonsaiSoil

Panoramic view across central vent of Little Nash Crater near Santiam Summit in Oregon. Center of vent characterized by bright red scoria while the flanks show 1” and smaller dark gray to black scoria…this is one of the primary quarries of cinder used to “sand” highways in Central Oregon during the winter.

The black scoria is somewhat rare and prized for use in #bonsai #soil in Oregon…combined with pumice and clay.