Earthquake research, Mount St Helens, USA. Earthquake monitoring equipment being placed in the ground by US Geological Survey researchers. This seismic monitoring station is being set up on the slopes of Mount St Helens, an active volcano in Washington State, USA. The barrel that has been buried in the ground contains equipment that will detect and record movement of the ground during an earthquake, and transmit the data to researchers investigating the activity of the volcano. An increase in earthquake activity can indicate an approaching eruption. Mount St Helens is best known for its massive eruption in 1980. It recently became active again in 2004, when this picture was taken.