Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

Volcano Watch: Alaska volcano expected to erupt soon


heyholetsgogrant

Recommended Posts

Alaska volcano expected to erupt soon

(CNN) -- A volcano in south-central Alaska could erupt within days or weeks, authorities said.

"The level of seismic activity" has "increased markedly" in recent days at Mount Redoubt, a 10,197-foot peak about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

"We don't have a crystal ball," said Peter Cervelli, a research geophysicist with the observatory. But "we expect based on the past behavior of this volcano that this activity is going to culminate in an eruption."

The activity has consisted "of a combination of discrete, relatively small earthquakes and periods of more continuous volcanic tremor." The activity prompted the observatory to raise the alert level Sunday, the observatory said.

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/29/alaska.volcano/index.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea where is Toejam???? This may be below his pay grade though. It's just a run of the mill volcano. I think he jones's for the caldera type. ;)
Yep, time for a Toe Jam (aka Disaster Dude) analysis and periodic updates.

I can't start threads and you know it, Burgundy Burner.:silly:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like it's getting close

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090201/D962KB401.html

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Geologists monitoring Mount Redoubt for signs of a possible eruption noticed that a hole in the glacier clinging to the north side of the volcano had doubled in size overnight - and now spans the length of two football fields.

Scientists with the Alaska Volcano Observatory on Friday flew close to Drift Glacier and spotted vigorous steam emitted from a hole on the mountain. By Saturday, they had confirmed the area was a fumarole, an opening in the earth that emits gases and steam, that was increasing in size at an alarming rate.

They also saw water streaming down the glacier, indicating heat from magma is reaching higher elevations of the mountain.

"The glacier is sort of falling apart in the upper part," research geologist Kristi Wallace said.

The signs of heat add to concerns that an eruption is near, which could send an ash cloud about 100 miles northeast toward Anchorage, the state's largest city, or onto communities on the Kenai Peninsula, which is even closer to the mountain on the west side of Cook Inlet. It would be the first eruption since 1990.

Particulate released during an eruption has jagged edges and can injure skin, eyes and breathing passages, especially in young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems.

It can also foul engines. An eruption in December 1989 sent out an ash cloud 150 miles that flamed out the jet engines of a KLM flight carrying 231 passengers on its way to Anchorage. The jet dropped more than two miles before pilots were able to restart the engines and land safely.

A week ago, the observatory detected a sharp increase in earthquake activity below the volcano and upgraded its alert level to orange, the stage just before full eruption. The warning that an eruption was imminent caused a rush on dust masks and car air filters in Anchorage.

Alaska's volcanoes typically start with an explosion that can shoot ash 50,000 feet high and into the jet stream, but there are warning signs because magma causes small earthquakes as it moves.

Geologist Jennifer Adleman said the observatory has been recording quakes up to magnitude 2.1 but not at the frequency that preceded the last two eruptions in 1989 and 1990.

"We're looking for an increase of seismicity to match the precursor activity," Wallace said. "We haven't seen that yet."

---

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
I found the webcam of the volcano if anyone wants to look at it when it's erupting:

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/webcam.php?cam=Redoubt%20-%20CI

They say maybe a matter of days now..git yer popcorn ready

Geologists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory said Sunday that seismic activity had increased over the past two days. On Sunday morning, 40 to 50 earthquakes were being recorded every hour.

Scientists said conditions may evolve rapidly and culminated in an eruption within days to weeks at the volcano roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage.

A steam plume rising about 1,000 feet above the mountain peak was observed Saturday.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090322/D9738N781.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...