The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 scattered roughly 540 million tons of ash over an area of more than 22,000 square miles (57,000 square kilometers), according to the USGS. This blistering blast of lava incinerated life in the area, scorching the earth and turning the land to pumice. Researchers theorized that gophers could help restore the area, because they excavate beneficial microbes like bacteria and fungi.