The rate of activity of the various categories of seismic events is used to assist in predicting volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens. An increasing number of shallow volcanic earthquakes were observed several days to 2 weeks before each dome-building eruption from 1980 through 1982. As the number of earthquakes increase, total seismic energy release is calculated and plotted against time. The observation of a sudden upward turn in this smoothly accelerating curve a few hours before the eruption begins is the basis for relatively short-term predictions. Once the eruption is underway, shallow volcanic earthquakes cease, and surface events from rockfalls dominate the records.
Seismologists review and classify the seismic records daily.