Why does the Kalama River turn white? Scientists can't explain this one weird thing that happens before Mt. St. Helens erupts - but here's a possible answer (PHOTOS)

Here's how locals can help solve the mystery.

Geologists are curious to see if a peculiar precursor to a Mt. St. Helens eruption occurs again. According to local observations, the Kalama River turns milky just before the volcano erupts. This phenomenon was observed in 1980, 2004, and in 2015 and has no confirmed scientific explanation.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - According to residents who live in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens, the mountain issues a peculiar warning before it erupts, the water in the Kalama river turns white, almost like milk.
 

This phenomenon has been documented in photographs, and was reported just prior to the 1980 eruption. It was reported again in 2004 before another eruption. It also turned white in October of 2015. Geologists are yet to explain this one peculiar sign, what it means, and why, but there are some good ideas what may cause it.
 

There has been some speculation, from melting glaciers, to silt falling into the river upstream, but none of these answers is particularly satisfying. For example, the Kalama River is fed from a spring and not a glacier. A more likely explanation is that the heaving mountain infuses the spring water with something that causes a reaction, turning the water white for a short period, usually no more than 45 minutes.
 

These milky incidents have only been observed prior to the 1980 and 2004 eruptions, and in October 2015, although there's been no eruption in the latest case, yet.
 
Scientists have pledged to research the phenomenon when it happens again.
 
Mt. St. Helens has become very dynamic of late, with microquakes swarming under the mountain as magma rises. The USGS is discounting the danger the mountain poses, saying that there is no risk to the public.
 
However, we have recently witnessed the ability of volcanoes to erupt with no detected precursor activity whatsoever. Such a surprise eruption happened with Turrialba volcano in Costa Rica in May, catching millions of people unaware.
 
Mt. St. Helens is showing signs of precursor activity, including the Kalama River turning white just months ago. If it occurs again, we can rest assured that something may be imminent and an abundance of caution is warranted.

One possible answer to the milky white condition is a known association of a particular mineral to volcanoes. A whitish coloring of the river water, mixed with another mineral, turns water to a greenish hue when colloidal sulfur particles are combined with ferrous salts.  This is aptly demonstrated at Devil's Bath in Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland of North Island of New Zealand.  The greening of the water at Devil's Bath is from combining a whitish colloidal sulfur mineral with ferrous salts.  Combining the two creates the green coloring.  As sulfur is a common compound in volcanoes, colloidal Sulfur particles are very fine and may filtrate through small cracks in a volcano, especially if there is a water flow through these cracks.  If there is a "release mechanism" that frees some of the surface bound Colloidal Sulfur then this whitish compound may release and flow into the headwaters of Kalama River via the "Kalama Springs".

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP SOLVE THIS MYSTERY?

The best opportunity to answer this mystery would be for someone living near the Kalama River to take a clean jar and seal a sample of this water when it occurs again.  Testing would be able to reveal the mineral content or contents creating this coloring. Please contact Marshall Connolly at marshconnolly@catholiconline.email, and someone will be sent to retrieve and test this sample. Results will be shared on Catholic Online.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online