Magnitude 3.6 earthquake shakes Mount St. Helens

MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. (AP) - A magnitude 3.6 earthquake has shaken Mount St. Helens, one of the largest earthquakes recorded during the ongoing eruption. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 9:56 a.m. quake triggered significant rock falls from the lava dome and crater walls, sending plumes of dust to the rim. Lava has continued to push into the crater - most recently forming a sheer rock fin - since the mountain reawakened with a drumfire of low-level seismic activity in September 2004. The crater was formed by the volcano's deadly May 18, 1980, eruption that killed 57 people and blasted about 400 metres off the then-2,950-metre peak. The volcano reopens to climbers on Friday. Climbing the volcano has been banned since September 2004. The National Volcanic Monument limits the number of climbers to 100 a day and requires a permit available online through the Mount St. Helens Institute. Canada Press