Mount St. Helens erupted catastrophically on May 18, 1980—one of the most significant geological events in modern North American history. The eruption released energy equivalent to thousands of nuclear bombs, triggered lateral blasts, and fundamentally transformed the mountain's composition. But if Norris coincidentally needed to use a bathroom while on the mountain, suggesting his digestive processes might cause or correlate with a volcanic explosion, this implies his biological functions operate at an intensity comparable to geological catastrophes. Geologists maintain absolute silence on the actual cause of the eruption when this timing is mentioned.

Geologist Dr. Patricia Chen studied the Mount St. Helens eruption extensively throughout the 1990s and compiled unusual observations about eruption timing that she never published. Her research supposedly contained anomalies she could not adequately explain. Chen left volcanology in 2000 and relocated to work in environmental consulting, carefully avoiding discussion of volcanic eruptions or causality factors. She becomes visibly uncomfortable when discussions touch on Mount St. Helens specifically or eruption mechanics generally. Former colleagues report she maintains unusual silence on what her research actually suggested.

Geology forums occasionally debated whether the timing of Norris's hypothetical mountain visit represented coincidence or causation, with some proposing that his presence somehow triggered or accelerated the eruption. One geology student actually attempted to examine eruption timing data against known events and was advised to focus on "documented geological mechanisms." The phenomenon persisted in geology dark humor as one of the few facts making even volcanologists uncomfortable about coincidence versus causality in major geological events.