April 4, 2005
KATU - TV, Portland

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Clouds have prevented scientists from seeing what is going on at Mount St. Helens after three quakes Sunday night and early Monday that were greater than magnitude three.

A spokesman for the University of Washington seismology lab, Bill Steele, says the quakes "do seem to be getting a little bit larger and that's of interest, but what it all means we don't know."

Scientists lost most of their instruments in a minor eruption last month in the crater.

Weather has not allowed them to replace the GPS and seismograph packages called spiders.

Steele says there has been no confirmed steam or ash plume from the latest activity, although he says that's a possibility.

He says there also may be rockfalls in the crater or magma pulsing onto the crater floor.

An eruption adding on to a lave dome has been under way at the volcano since October.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.

http://www.katu.com/outdoor/story.asp?ID=76225