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Article: A remarkable regeneration, led by beetles.(USA)(Mount St. Helens)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- May 18, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Looking southward from the wide windows of the Johnston Ridge Observatory, Mount St. Helens presents an almost apocalyptic vision.
The barren sweep of broad plains is cut with stark ravines, carved by ash-stained streams. Above, the caldera opens heavenward like the gaping maw of a terrestrial monster.
It's a dramatic reminder of the dazzling Sunday morning 20 years ago today, when Mount St. Helens ripped open in a burst of molten rock, wiping away 230 square miles of forest and killing 57 people.
Yet today, those who take a closer look see a story of remarkable recovery. From purple lupines blooming amid the ash to tourist traps sprouting along ...