Alaska - Mt Redoubt Volcano could erupt within days

reply to post by Blaine91555

I thought you lived closer, or that the mountain was big enough to see from a distance. I hope you get a chance to take the trip to see it close up.

I can't right click any picture options ... but I'll try to get the properties and type in adress bar to see if I can see it that way. I got a new PC and ATS is different for me now ... for one I can't increase text size on the page, which I used before to post and correct my typos! On the good side I have better monitor and your picture is beautiful.

EDIT:
Ok can see the whole image. It's very unusual the way it appears to be rising above the clouds. Very nice picture, like something you'd see in a calandar or a postcard.

[edit on 25-3-2009 by violet]

Another small explosion occurred a while ago:

2009-03-25 05:53:13 - VAN/VONA
A small explosion occurred at Redoubt volcano at 05:12 AKDT (1312 UTC). The cloud height is estimated to be about 15,000 ft and is drifting north to northwest of the volcano. The event lasted about 10 minutes.

reply to post by violet


Actually, you have a really good memory, I did that topic awhile ago.

*eyes you* do you have a photographic memory?

reply to post by Blaine91555


What a lovely picture Blaine! I just love it.
what an eye...

Sound clip (sped up to 80x of the original speed) of the seventh small eruption. Picture not related:



[edit on 2009/3/25 by Shirakawa]

I suspect another small explosion occurred at 10:17 local time.
It looks the same as the earlier one.

reply to post by Shirakawa


I suspect we have another small eruption under way, check out seismic stn RDN, etc .. don't see anything on radar however ...

reply to post by geogeek


This is AVO's explanation:

2009-03-25 10:51:02
A small explosive event occurred at 10:17 AKDT this morning. The plume from this event was not detected by radar, indicating that it did not rise above approximately 12,000 ft asl or contained very little ash. This explosion triggered a flowage event on the north flank of the volcano as indicated by seismicity.

This event was similar to or smaller than the explosion that occurred this morning at 5:12 AKDT.

reply to post by Shirakawa


forgive me for not listening to all your excellent audio - visual productions carefully .. Have U tried recording 2 different stations on each channel of the audio yet , and if so is the ear-brain combo capable of discriminating a relative depth to the events ?? (perhaps a long windowed AGC might be needed ??)

reply to post by geogeek


I tried, but other than added sound spatiality (due to stereo sound, which is cool) I don't think it's possible to hear or understand much more about occurring seismicity. Most seismic stations from the AV network are also, by the way, very noisy (and each has its own electronic noise trace): this distracts the listener and makes multichannel experiments difficult to pull out well.

reply to post by Shirakawa


might be able to cut down on some of the noise by filtering with a harsh low-pass filter .... needless to say that will affect(effect?) the real signal also ....

Redoubt alert codes lowered to ORANGE/WATCH:

2009-03-25 13:35:06 - VAN/VONA
Seismic activity at Redoubt Volcano has declined over the last 36 hours, although there have been several brief increases in seismicity associated with minor low-level ash emissions. The last known ash emission was at 5:12 AKDT this morning. The plume from this event did not extend above about 15,000 feet. Based on the level of seismic activity, AVO is lowering the aviation color code to ORANGE and the volcanic alert level to WATCH.

Current seismicity at Redoubt is at times suggestive of intermittent lava extrusion at the volcano's summit. However, the existence of a new lava dome has not been confirmed because of poor weather. Growth of lava domes is common at volcanoes like Redoubt and was observed several times throughout the last eruption of 1989-1990. As dome size increases, so does the possibility of dome collapse along with a return to a more explosive eruptive style. Though a distinct rise in seismicity often precedes dome failure, domes can fail with little or no warning and may result in a sudden explosion and ash emission.

Based on observations from the Redoubt eruption of 1989-1990, episodes of dome growth followed by explosive dome destruction is a likely but by no means certain, near-term scenario. Cycles of dome growth and failure could occur for several months. In the event of an escalation in seismic activity or confirmation of a significant ash producing eruption, AVO would accordingly raise the color code and alert level to Red/Warning.

It is possible that dome collapse events will initiate pyroclastic flows over Drift glacier that will result in meltwater generation and downstream mudflows and floods. Some of these floods could reach Cook Inlet within hours.

AVO

[edit on 2009/3/25 by Shirakawa]

New eruption or lahar/debris flow occurring at the west flank of the volcano. It began at 16:24 UTC and is still occurring.

EDIT:

AVO's updates:

2009-03-26 08:52:50
A new explosive event at Redoubt has just taken place at approximately 8:34 AKDT. The NWS has detected a cloud height of about 30,000 feet based on radar. The Aviation Color Code is being raised to Red and the Volcano Alert Level to Warning.

2009-03-26 08:56:56 - VAN/VONA
AVO is raising the aviation color code to Red and the alert level to Warning at Redoubt volcano. An explosive event beginning at roughly 08:34 AKDT has produced an eruption cloud to at least 30,000 ft. above sea level. The event continues.

[edit on 2009/3/26 by Shirakawa]

A much bigger explosion (similar if not bigger, to the first ones) occurred at 17:24 UTC (9:24 local time) !

AVO's update

2009-03-26 09:38:42
A major explosive event occurred at 09:24 AKDT. Pilot reports the cloud height to be at least 65,000 ft above sea level.

[edit on 2009/3/26 by Shirakawa]

reply to post by violet


We are about 100 miles from Redoubt. We are able to see it from some locations on clear days but we seldom have days that clear this time of year. Our winters last into late April.

The ash is headed east across the Kenai Peninsula. We dodged the bullet again. It looks like no ash in Anchorage again. There are quite a few people who live down there though. Lets hope this does not scare tourists away as that area relies on tourists for its main income. That is where the best sports fishing on earth is. Thats where the Kenai and Russian Rivers are and the best Halibut boats come out of the Ninilchik to Homer area.

we got lava flow coming from her now down the drift river

reply to post by alysha.angel


I think you mean a mudflow?

From NOAA -

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
905 AM AKDT THU MAR 26 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
DRIFT RIVER

* UNTIL 300 PM AKDT

* DUE TO THE ERUPTION OF REDOUBT VOLCANO.

THE ERUPTION OF REDOUBT VOLCANO CAN CAUSE MELTING SNOW AND ICE ON
THE MOUNTAIN AND RESULT IN HIGH WATER AND FLASH FLOODING ALONG
DRIFT RIVER DRAINING FROM THE MOUNTAIN.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

I find nothing about a flow but there will be a layer of Tephra ejected or various sizes.

The heat released causes the melting of snow and glaciers which results in a muddy flow which is the real danger. There are for the most part no people there however other than at the oil terminal.

Latest status report from AVO

2009-03-26 12:33:56 - Status Report
A large eruption of Redoubt volcano occurred at 09:24 AKDT (17:24 UTC) this morning. National Weather Service reports the cloud height to be at least 65,000 ft above sea level and pilot reports indicated a plume height of 60,000 ft. Since this event, a few smaller events have occurred but these did not generate plumes above about 20,000 feet.

The eruption at 9:24 AKDT also produced a lahar in the Drift River valley that was detected by seismic instruments.

An ashfall advisory is in effect until 4 PM for the western Kenai Peninsula. High level ash (above 30,000 feet) is forecast to pass over Anchorage, but is not expected to produce ash fall. For more information refer to the NWS Redoubt Coordination web page (pafc.arh.noaa.gov...) for latest ash cloud information.

AVO is monitoring the situation closely, the observatory is staffed 24/7, and attempts to overfly the volcano will occur as soon as possible. More details on this mornings eruption also will be released on AVO's web page as soon as possible.

I made a video of the eruption(s) with footage from the Hut webcam and sound from converted seismic traces from various stations.



This is the video description from Youtube:

Video clip with audio eruptions/explosion of Redoubt volcano, occurred on 2009/03/26 at 16:24 and 17:24 UTC. Footage is from the official Hut webcam. Playing speed is 80x realtime, sound is obtained from converted digital seismic traces of REF, RDN, RDT, DFR, NCT seismic stations. Lahars, pyroclastic flows and steaming from heated snow can be seen. Towards the end of this video (about minute 3:40) weather conditions start to clear up and the summit of the volcano becomes partially visible, revealing a column of gray ash.

Sound from RDN and REF stations has been denoised.
For audio spatiality, each station (channel) has been placed respectively, from the left to the right, in this order: NCT, RDN, DFR, REF, RDT. This partially reproduces their actual physical location.

Official statement from AVO regarding the start of these events:
"2009-03-26 08:56:56 - VAN/VONA
AVO is raising the aviation color code to Red and the alert level to Warning at Redoubt volcano. An explosive event beginning at roughly 08:34 AKDT has produced an eruption cloud to at least 30,000 ft. above sea level. The event continues."

Alaska Volcano Observatory website for updates:
www.avo.alaska.edu...