Plume rises from Mt. St. Helens
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From Times Wire Reports
Cold weather combined with a continued release of water vapor generated a large steam plume at Mt. St. Helens, which has been having a low-key eruption since September 2004.
“The warm, moist air rising from the lava dome condenses in the cold air and creates a cloud,” said volcanologist Willie Scott at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, about 50 miles southwest of the mountain.
The white plume emitting from the snowy peak could be seen clearly against a blue winter sky from downtown Portland, Ore.
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