From Quiet Mountain to Cataclysm: The 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens
Hosts Linda and Sequoya explore the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens through the contrasting stories of two men: 83-year-old lodge owner Harry R. Truman, who stubbornly refused evacuation despite repeated warnings, and 30-year-old volcanologist David A. Johnston, whose final radio transmission—"Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!"—immortalized his ultimate sacrifice for public safety. Through vivid storytelling, the podcast chronicles the dramatic sequence of events from the first warning signs to the fateful morning of May 18, 1980, when a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered history's largest recorded landslide and an unexpected lateral blast. Truman, paradoxically both dismissive of the danger and accepting of his fate, chose to remain with the mountain that had shaped his identity. Johnston, though positioned at what was considered a safe observation distance, tragically found himself directly in the eruption's path. Beyond these personal stories, the episode captures remarkable survivor accounts, details the eruption's devastating economic consequences, and explores how this disaster fundamentally changed our scientific understanding of volcanic hazards and revolutionized monitoring approaches worldwide. ⏱️ Timestamps INTRODUCTION: 00:00 – Welcome 01:50 – Why we made this episode HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 02:50 – “Mount Fuji of the Pacific Northwest” 04:00 – Mount St. Helens Wakes Up THE TWO MEN 06:40 – Meet Harry R. Truman 08:30 –Truman Refuses to Evacuate 11:20 – Meet David A. Johnston 12:15 – Johnston’s Bravery 13:00 – Red Zone Established MAY 18, 1980 ERUPTION SEQUENCE 13:45 – Earthquake, Landslide, Lateral Blast 15:35 – Johnston’s Last Radio Transmission 16:00 – Truman’s Fate 16:35 – Gerry Martin’s Radio Transmission 17:20 – Photos of Landslide and Lateral Blast 19:00 – Plinian Eruption 19:50 – Lahars AFTERMATH & IMPACT 21:05 – Economic Impact 21:30 – Advances in Scientific Understanding 22:10 – Public Safety Lessons CLOSING 23:20 – Closing Thoughts 24:25 – What’s Next 📚 Learn More ▶️ Mount St. Helens – Full Playlist on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO683wv5Jx1EmLc_-N7vTUyw8mtNJNgJP ▶️ Gary Rosenquist Sequence – AI Animated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNlP9TGZOMI ▶️ Remembering David Johnston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg2rufseJ_w 🔗 From Quiet Mountain to Cataclysm https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/from-quiet-mountain-to-cataclysm 📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts Stay informed and safe – get the QuakeFeed app now: https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266 Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including the Erupting Volcanoes map layer. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers. 🌍 Connect with Us Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed 🙌 Support the Show If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared. 🎵 Music By Soularflair Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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26:05
Plate Tectonics (part 1)
We exhaust our repertoire of tectonic plate jokes while introducing the following topics: the earth’s layers, what are tectonic plates, three types of plate boundaries, plate boundaries vs faults, and how earthquakes happen. This is a brief overview to lay the groundwork. (… pun intended!) Future episodes will dive deeper. INTERACTIVE LESSON We explain how to use the QuakeFeed app to locate plate boundaries and faults on the Quake Map. Download QuakeFeed from the App Store ASK THE SCIENCE KID We answer an interesting question about earthquakes in Antarctica. Our goal is to inspire CURIOSITY! We hope you and your family enjoy our lighthearted humor while learning something new about this AWESOME planet we call home. LINKS TO LEARN MORE The Great ShakeOut: Join 14+ million people on October 21st by practicing how to be safer during earthquakes. https://www.shakeout.org IRIS Earthquake Science: Earthquake Faults, Plate Boundaries, & Stress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HxRVJPXNLM USGS: Do earthquakes occur in Antarctica? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/do-earthquakes-occur-antarctica USGS: Listening to the Earth at the South Pole (QSPA) https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/earthquake-hazards/science/listening-earth-south-pole
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12:53
UPDATE: QuakeFeed v5.1.0 (with Wildfires!)
*NOT A FULL EPISODE* Just a quick announcement about QuakeFeed v5.1.0, available now in the App Store. This update adds three new features: USA Wildfires, Map Legend, and Aftershock Forecasts. The USA Wildfires data layer requires a QuakeFeed Premium subscription. While viewing the map, tap on a wildfire symbol to view detailed information, such as: acres burned, percent contained, how many buildings were destroyed, how many firefighters are fighting it, etc. The Map Legend and Aftershock Forecasts features are included in the free / ad-supported version. You will find the Map Legend button in the top right corner of the map. The USGS Aftershock Forecasts are linked in Quake Details. NOTE: The USGS only publishes aftershock forecasts for larger earthquakes. These quakes will include the words “Aftershock Forecast” in the Quake List, to let you know that it is available. Next month, we will add more more wildfire features to QuakeFeed Premium, such as wildfire alerts and a wildfire list view. We hope to get back to full podcast episodes soon. We have been coping with a family medical emergency for the past several months. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope you enjoy QuakeFeed v5.1.0. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please tap the ? in the top right corner of QuakeFeed then tap Ask to send us a support email.
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2:37
Drop, Cover, Hold On!
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn how to protect yourself in an earthquake! When the shaking starts, what should you do? We use a bit of humor to help you remember that Drop, Cover and Hold On reduces your chance of injury in an earthquake. We also dispel some common myths about earthquake safety. We hope you enjoy. Stay safe! Links for more learning: Drop, Cover, Hold On | Shakeout.org https://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/ EARTHQUAKE SAFETY VIDEO SERIES If You're Near a Sturdy Desk or Table https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSDmqLQmMN0&t=9s If There's NO Sturdy Desk or Table https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxMCoE0CIcA If You're in Bed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I922_UR8hpM If You Have a Mobility Disability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtDYlOfwrQ LA Story earthquake scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yz2RC9C1tM
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18:10
A Trip Down Market Street
Linda and Sequoya travel through time to April 14, 1906 and visit San Francisco. They ride a cable car down Market Street and see a bustling, prosperous city. Next, they travel forward four days and witness the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The devastating M7.9 quake and the fire that followed took 3,000 lives and destroyed 80% of the city. It also marked the dawn of modern scientific earthquake research in the United States. If you’re curious to learn more, explore the links below. A trip down Market Street before the fire https://www.loc.gov/item/00694408/ A Trip Down Market Street, 1906 - 4k, Colorized, 60fps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ok_lwYyHWo Rediscovered film takes a trip through San Francisco in ruins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1XSX8Un5Q San Francisco earthquake and fire, April 18, 1906 https://www.loc.gov/item/00694425/ The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/1906calif/18april/ Devastation of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/devastation-1906-san-francisco-earthquake 1906 San Francisco earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_Francisco_earthquake Elastic rebound with Single Block Model https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYQLIpo4kwk Elastic Rebound Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB6jl37LbqA Earthquake Intensity—What controls the shaking you feel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7gKXLjqxk Mercalli Intensity Scale Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHSJcYDaKlc New Map Reveals Ships Buried Below San Francisco https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/map-ships-buried-san-francisco Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoyed our podcast! Be one of the first 20 people to send us feedback and we’ll send you an offer code for one year of QuakeFeed Premium! Here’s how: In QuakeFeed, tap the ? in the top right corner and then tap Ask to send us a message. Tell us your thoughts - what you did or didn’t like, or any other feedback you have.
Are you curious about what causes the earth to shake? Do you know how to stay safe? Join us to learn about earthquake science, safety, and history. Warning: includes many silly jokes and puns ...because learning should be FUN!
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