Historical video footage of Mount St. Helens volcano - 1981

This data release contains digital video files from the USGS of Mount St. Helens volcano in the months leading up to the cataclysmic eruption on May 18, 1980 as well as the first two years of the eruption. Original videos were collected on an assortment of cameras and film types, including 16 mm, 8 mm and Super 8 mm during USGS field campaigns on the ground as well as from the air and on time-lapse camera stations setup around the volcano. Videos capture USGS crews collecting data as well as an assortment of volcanic processes, including dome growth, ash emissions, rockslides, and pyroclastic flows. These film records represent a tremendous resource to the volcanology community as they represent visual recordings of a truly remarkable event in history. The analog film reels were digitized through funding from the USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) to reduce the risk of data loss and to make these visual recordings accessible and available in a modern digital format. Video clips are organized into 4 sections: March 28-May 17, 1980; May 18-Dec 31, 1980; 1981; 1982. Each video is labeled by YYYY_MM_DD_USGS and categorized by either FW = fieldwork, TL = timelapse, or MISC = miscellaneous.