Mt. St. Helens

Format:  Softcover

ISBN:  0-9697601-5-9

Dimensions:  20 x 23 cm (8 x 9 in.)

Page Count:  96 pages

Publication Date:  2005

$19.95

Mt. St. Helens

Surviving the Stone Wind

By Catherine Hickson

Geologist Catherine Hickson is one of hundreds of people who flocked to Mt. St. Helens in the days before the cataclysmic eruption of May 18, 1980.  From only 9 miles away she watched the mountain disintegrate, shooting out a devastating “stone wind” that instantly destroyed the surrounding countryside and took the lives of 57 people.  Since that day she has spent much of her professional career watching the rebirth and regrowth of the mountain.

Catherine Hickson tells the story of the volcano from her unique perspective as a survivor and a volcanologist.  A personal letter to a close friend written immediately after the eruption brings the terror and exhilaration of that day back to life.

Using many never-before-published photos and straightforward language and diagrams, she tells a compelling story of Mt. St. Helen’s birth, destruction and rebirth, and suggests what may happen in the future.

Catherine Hickson

Catherine Hickson had a “defining moment” on the morning of May 18, 1980.  She witnessed the most powerful volcanic eruption in North America since the 1912 Katmai eruption in Alaska, and the largest landslide ever observed.

A UBC geology student at the time, the event catapulted her into a trajectory that led to her becoming an internationally recognized volcanologist.  After completing her PhD at UBC in 1987, she joined the Geological Survey of Canada, where she worked on volcanoes in Canada and elsewhere in the world.  In 1995 she was named head of the GSC’s Vancouver office, a position she held for seven years.

At present, Catherine is head of a company that is exploring ways of making geothermal energy available to communities in BC.  Hickson has been the subject of many radio, newspaper and TV interviews and stories.  She is also a sought-after public speaker.  In addition to her many scientific papers, Hickson has written or co-authored several non-technical guides to volcanoes and natural hazards in British Columbia.