The Return of Mount Saint Helens!

One of the formative experiences of my youth was the explosion of Mt. St. Helens in the 1980s which spewed hot rock and magma all over Washington State and deposited a thick layer of ash on cars as far away as Connecticut and Maine. It got me interested in geology and made me fascinated with vulcanology in particular in a way which endures to this day. Does anyone my age not remember the stories of the old man who would not leave the mountain who was covered with lava the morning of the eruption? Well, it appears everyone's favorite volcano is getting ready to do it again. With nearly constant earthquakes, scientists are unsure if we are seeing a result of water seepage (destabilizing the structure) or of magma moving beneath the surface. After 20 years, the old mountain remains a mystery!