Bill Nye came into popularity with the younger set after I was long past being in the younger set, so I’ve never known much about him. But, in my most recent AAA magazine (American Automobile Association, mostly a travel magazine), I came across a one-page article about Bill Nye. He’s fascinating! For those of you who don’t know about Bill Nye, the Science Guy, there will be info below.
But, before we get to general info about Bill, the article in that recent AAA magazine was about Bill Nye and his connection with Mount St. Helens here in Washington State, USA. You know Mount St. Helens … the volcano that blew its top in 1980. Read more about the blast HERE, and a Wikipedia article is HERE.
Below is a photo (not my photo, but one off the internet) of Mount St. Helens during the blast. Look at those tiny trees on the side of that mountain! Billions of tons of earth were simply blasted away. It remains the largest known debris avalanche in recorded history, anywhere on earth … let me repeat that … the largest, anywhere on earth.
Back in 1980 I was living in Portland, Oregon, south of Mount St. Helens. I could see Mount St. Helens from my front porch. It was quite a ways in the distance but I had a clear view of it, which I enjoyed. But on that day in 1980, I happened to be home and felt the earthquake and heard the roar. I ran out onto my front porch to see what was happening … oh my word. I watched that mountain blow. Even from that distance, many miles away, it was absolutely frightening. But … that‘s a story for another day! Let’s get back to the topic at hand.
Mount St. Helens, prior to the volcanic eruption was 9,677 feet in height. After the eruption, the mountain is now a mere 8,366 feet in height. Those heights are measured from sea level, not from the base of the mountain. Figures I’ve found online that measure the height from the base of the mountain (the “prominence” of the mountain) indicate the height of the mountain was reduced from 5,071 feet to 3,763 feet, or a reduction of about 26% of its height.
Considering that the eruption wasn’t very tidy … that it blew “sideways” … and that most of the material/dirt/ash/lava/rocks blown out of the mountain were blown sideways from the center of the mountain outward and not just blown off the top and upward, then that 26% reduction in height is stunning. A large percentage of the side of the mountain was blown away. That reduction in the volume of the mountain is not reflected in the loss of height.
In order to give you a bit of comparison, take a look at the two photos below. The first photo below is of Mount St. Helens some time before the eruption happened. So pretty and so peaceful. Isn’t it lovely?
But … take a look at the photo below, after the volcanic eruption, and just think about how much of the top and the inside of that mountain is gone.
Pretty amazing, eh? And yes, steam continues to come out of that volcano, not as much today as is coming out in the photo above, but, like Mount Rainier and several other mountains here in Washington State, Mount St. Helens is still an active volcano.
One of the camping outings that I had to cancel a month or two ago because of COVID19 was to the Silver Lake Resort, situated on the road up to Mount St. Helens. Once Washington State opens up again for camping, the owners of that resort said they would welcome me with open arms. So there will be a future blog post here specifically about Mount St. Helens and environs.
But, let’s get back to Bill Nye and his connection to this volcano, ok? Here’s a link to that one-page article in the AAA magazine. It’s an easy read, and gives you an insight into how fascinated Bill is with how our planet works.
Bill currently has a home on Mercer Island, on Lake Washington, in Seattle, WA. I didn’t realize that until I read it online. I guess famous people do have to live somewhere, right?
Here’s a link with more information about Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
In addition, all of his “science guy” episodes are available online. Here’s a link to the very first episode (#1, Flight). And here’s a link to Bill’s last episode (#99, Music … it’s excellent by the way). You can search on YouTube for the other episodes in between #1 and #99 by entering “Bill Nye the science guy s01e02” (for season 1 and episode 2) … etc. I’m slowly working my way through them. He’s a great teacher, for all of us of any age!
Bill put on a terrific show. He really is amazing. You know that saying “set the world on fire”? Well, evidently, Bill Nye did!!
We volunteer as program hosts at a state park in Idaho, and each Friday night in the amphitheater we show a Bill Nye video. What makes it fun is that both the kids and their parents have seen his shows over the years, and we start out by playing the intro and get everyone yelling “BILL! BILL! BILL!”. They’re all great, but our favorites are “meteors and comets” and “spiders”. They’re still entertaining and educational after all these years!
How cool that you are keeping “Bill Nye the Science Guy” alive and well. I like that! Ok, I’ll be especially looking forward to “meteors and comets” and “spiders” (ick). 🙂
You are NEVER too old to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy. We have watched with grandkids and greatgrandkids and we love the shows as much as the kids do , maybe more. Watch em all! They are really great.
Great post Ann, looking forward to more volcano stuff! You promised ok? We will hold you to it. (I’d do a smiley face here if I knew how … haha!)
Now that I’m watching those shows, I’m finding (like you said) that they aren’t just for kids. I’m learning a lot and having fun. 🙂
Yes indeed, I promise to do a future post about my camping trip to Mount St. Helens and to share a whole bunch of stuff about that mountain today, and a bit of history. I promise! 🙂
[You can make a smiley face by typing a colon : and then a dash/hyphen – and then the right half of a parenthesis ) …… : – ) … but with no spaces in between.]
I remember when the mountain blew. Even way over here in Michigan it was a story to follow. My folks visited there years later and were stunned by all the trees blown over. I have never been there, but I remember them talking about that trip for years after they went.
I didn’t know much about Bill Nye the Science Guy either…but my younger siblings loved him!
Oh my word, the millions of trees blown down was stunning. There are still thousands of them floating in Spirit Lake, but millions of them were blown down. I was there a year or so after “the blow”. Everything was completely, absolutely flattened for hundreds and hundreds of acres … and covered in ash, there was no color anywhere, no life of any kind. Ok, I need to dig out my film photos and digitize them and share them … might have to empty the entire garage! but I’ll find them. 🙂
I watched Bill Nye as a “younger person” and really enjoyed the shows and learned a lot. Didn’t know anything at all about Mt St Helens tho, looking forward to more! Wow!
Thanks Shawn. I think every generation has it’s “happenings”. And every generation has its wonderful TV or internet shows (ok, maybe books before that? or maybe word-of-mouth stories?). Bill Nye is a great one for sure.
More will be coming about Mount St. Helens!
We live outside of Vancouver BC and the towering image of Mt Baker is always there – so quiet, majestic, and yet powerful. Just amazing how many volcanoes are near us (Washington and Oregon too!) We have explored Mt Baker, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainer and Crater Lake. All stunning, and blessedly tame at the time!
I just asked Google how many volcanos there are in BC, Canada. The answers range from 4.6 (yes 4.6! what’s with the .6?) to 49 … along with some “sleeping” volcanos as well. Oregon too has several, as does California and, of course, Alaska and Russia and Japan and on around the Pacific. This Pacific Rim or “rim of fire” is appropriately named!
Every once in a while I get nervous about getting close to a volcano (like camping right on the side of one for several days), but what would life be without adventure? Yes, blessedly tame … let’s keep that thought. 🙂