The first priority of any eruption is to assess current status and what might happen next. To accomplish this, Mount St. Helens became one of most heavily monitored volcanoes. At the start of the 2004–08 eruption, 13 permanent seismic stations operated within about 12 miles of Mount St. Helens. By the end of the eruption, the seismic network consisted of 20 stations. Several temporary stations (spiders) were operated for short periods on the 198086 lava dome, the 20042008 lava dome and on Crater Glacier. Scientists at the USGSCascades Volcano Observatory and its partners used many techniques during the 20042008 eruption to monitor the volcano, including interpretation of seismicity, ground deformation, thermal imaging, time lapse photography and lava sampling. Lessons learned at Mount St. Helens have been shared with researchers around the world to better understand volcano behavior, assess hazards and potential impacts, and to provide timely warnings of future events.

1. Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Thermal Imaging of 20042006 Dome and Surrounding Area of Deformation, April 04, 2006
2. 20042006 Dome and Surrounding Area of Deformation, April 28, 2006
3. Helicopter Collecting Rock Samples from the Actively Growing “Spine” April 28, 2006
4. Helicopter Retrieval of GPS “Spider” from 19801986 Dome Using Grappling Hook, April 28, 2006
5. Maintenance of “Brutus” Camera Located on East Crater Rim, April 28, 2006
6. Aerial View of “Brutus” Camera Site Located on East Crater Rim, April 28, 2006
7. Timelapse Photography Showing Growth of Extruding Lava “Spine” at a Rate of ~ 1mm/minute, April 28, 2006
8. Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Thermal Imaging of the Actively Extruding Lava “Spine”, May 04, 2006
9. Timelapse Photography of Dome Growth Viewed from “Brutus” Camera Site Located on the East Crater Rim, November 10, 2004 to May 10, 2006
10. Timelapse Photography of 20042006 Dome Growth Viewed From “Sugarbowl” Camera Site, November 10, 2004 to May 10, 2006