Here, we review volcanic risk management at Mount St. Helens from the perspective of the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) experience over the four decades since its 18 May 1980 climactic eruption. Prior to 1980, volcano monitoring, multidisciplinary eruption forecasting, and interagency coordination for eruption response were new to the Cascade Range. A Mount St. Helens volcano hazards assessment had recently been published and volcanic crisis response capabilities tested during 1975 thermal unrest at nearby Mount Baker. Volcanic unrest began in March 1980, accelerating the rate of advance of volcano monitoring, prompting coordinated eruption forecasting and hazards communication, and motivating emergency response planning. The destruction caused by the 18 May 1980 eruption led to an enormous emergency response effort and prompted extensive coordination and planning for continuing eruptive activity. Eruptions continued with pulsatory dome growth and explosive eruptions over the following 6 years and with transport of sediment downstream over many more. In response, USGS scientists and their partners expanded their staffing, deployed new instruments, developed new tools (including the first use of a volcanic event tree) for eruption forecasting, and created new pathways for agency internal and external communication. Involvement in the Mount St. Helens response motivated the establishment of response measures at other Cascade Range volcanoes. Since assembly during the early and mid-1990s, volcano hazard working groups continue to unite scientists, emergency and land managers, tribal nations, and community leaders in common cause for the promotion of risk reduction. By the onset of renewed volcanic activity in 2004, these new systems enabled a more efficient response that was greatly facilitated by the participation of organizations within volcano hazard working groups. Although the magnitude of the 2004 eruptive sequence was much smaller than that of 1980, a new challenge emerged focused on hazard communication demands. Since 2008, our understanding of Mount St. Helens volcanic system has improved, helping us refine hazard assessments and eruption forecasts. Some professions have worked independently to apply the Mount St. Helens story to their products and services. Planning meetings and working group activities fortify partnerships among information disseminators, policy and decision-makers, scientists, and communities. We call the sum of these pieces the Volcanic Risk Management System (VRMS). In its most robust form, the VRMS encompasses effective production and coordinated exchange of volcano hazards and risk information among all interested parties.

在此，我们从美国地质调查局 (USGS) 自 1980 年 5 月 18 日火山喷发以来四十年经验的角度回顾圣海伦斯火山的火山风险管理。1980 年之前，火山监测、多学科喷发预报和喷发响应的机构间协调对于喀斯喀特山脉来说都是新鲜事。最近发布了圣海伦斯火山危害评估，并在 1975 年贝克山附近的热动荡期间测试了火山危机应对能力。1980年3月火山爆发，加快了火山监测的推进速度，促进了火山喷发预报和灾害通报的协调一致，并推动了应急响应计划的制定。1980 年 5 月 18 日喷发造成的破坏导致了巨大的应急响应工作，并促使对持续喷发活动进行广泛的协调和规划。在接下来的六年里，火山喷发持续不断，伴随着脉动的穹顶生长和爆炸性喷发，并且沉积物向下游输送了更多年。作为回应，美国地质勘探局的科学家及其合作伙伴扩大了人员配置，部署了新仪器，开发了用于喷发预测的新工具（包括首次使用火山事件树），并为机构内部和外部沟通创建了新途径。参与圣海伦斯火山的应对工作促使喀斯喀特山脉其他火山制定了应对措施。自 20 世纪 90 年代初和中期成立以来，火山灾害工作组继续团结科学家、紧急情况和土地管理者、部落民族和社区领袖为了促进减少风险而共同努力。2004 年火山活动重新开始时，这些新系统实现了更有效的反应，火山灾害工作组内各组织的参与极大地促进了这一反应。尽管 2004 年喷发序列的强度比 1980 年小得多，但出现了一个新的挑战，重点是危险通报需求。自 2008 年以来，我们对圣海伦斯火山系统的了解有所提高，帮助我们完善灾害评估和喷发预测。一些专业人士独立工作，将圣海伦斯火山的故事应用到他们的产品和服务中。规划会议和工作组活动加强了信息传播者之间的伙伴关系，政策和决策者、科学家和社区。我们将这些部分的总和称为火山风险管理系统 (VRMS)。在其最强大的形式中，VRMS 包括所有利益相关方之间火山灾害和风险信息的有效生成和协调交换。