In centigrade, how hot would the ash be?

rocky Katy Klingopulos

Dear Katy,

Here are some temperatures from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens:
debris avalanche 70 - 100 C
directed blast 100-300 C
pyroclastic flows 300-730 C
near vent deposits 750-850 C

Thanks for a good question.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota

Source of Information:

Banks, N.G., and Hoblitt, R.P., 1981, Summary of temperature studies of 1980 deposits, in The 1980 Eruptions of Mount St. Helens, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1250, p. 295-313. 

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