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<br /> <br />50 <br /> <br /> <br />In one of the most violent <br />volcanic eruptiOtls of the <br />Celltl/ry, MOl/fit St. Helens in <br />Washington toppled trees up to <br />30 kilometers (19 miles) away <br />with its explosive force. When <br />the mountain's unstable north <br />flank collapsed suddenly on <br />May 18, 1980, in a tremendous <br />landslide, it "//Ilcorked" the <br /> <br />volcano's superheated, high- <br />pressl/re steam and dissolved <br />gases, like a thumb suddmly <br />remol'ed from a shaken bottle <br />of soda. The resulting blast <br />spewed rock, ash, and hot <br />gases laterally at up to 1,080 <br />kph (670 mph), devastating <br />nearly 600 sql/are kilometers <br />(230 square miles) of once- <br />productive forest. Here, hikers <br />pick through the remains, the <br />much-altered visage of Mount <br />St. Helens behind. <br /> <br />o <br />o <br />I <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />o <br />" <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br />" <br />