Alaska volcano has geologists on alert

Alaska volcano has geologists on alert

seattletimes.nwsource.com

Mount Redoubt, a volcano 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, is rumbling and simmering, prompting geologists to warn that an eruption may be imminent.

Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory have been monitoring activity round-the-clock since the weekend.

On Thursday, the observatory said: "Seismicity remains above background and largely unchanged with several volcanic earthquakes occurring every hour."

The last time the 10,197-foot peak blew was during a five-month stretch starting in December 1989. It disrupted international air traffic and placed a layer of volcanic dust throughout the Anchorage area.

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When all the activity was taking place at Yellowstone, I remember posing the question about what the ramifications of that activity would be if Yellowstone didn't start venting soon. Obviously, magma was flowing and being generated even more by the earthquakes there, so that pressure would have to be vented somewhere. I was most concerned about the volcanoes in my own backyard here in Washington, but maybe the vent has turned out to be well North of us, clear up in Alaska.

When Redoubt last erupted in 1989, the damage was $160 Million. For 8 days it pumped out a contnuous stream of ash and the mudflows from the volcano came very close to Anchorage. If it erupts more powerfully this time, the damage could be much more serious.

seattletimes.nwsource.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Thread already ongoing here ...

reply to post by airteck


Its in the T&C that you can have a thread elsewhere and one in breaking news.

Too far away from Yellowstone to be related IMO, but it is the first I’ve heard of it. I’ll be keeping up with it now. THX for the post!

I was about 9 the last time it blew. It left maybe 4-5 inches of ash around Anchorage. My friends and I made snow angels and mounds to jump our bikes with. Might be why I have some slight respiratory problems now.

reply to post by burdman30ott6

Great thread burdman, Star!

Sounds all ominous, but the scary thing is how truly devastating it could be!
Like Mt. St. Helens in WA in 1980- remember that geologist who was camped out a few miles away, with his camera rolling as he fled at high speed in his truck? MAN, that was some film, watching the ash cloud closing on him so fast from that many miles away! Those ash flows are FAST!

Surely they got someone like him, filming from a safe distance, at Redoubt, huh?

reply to post by Anonymous ATS

Cool story there, Anonymous. Star!

Perhaps that's why we see that mask over your mouth in your avatar!?

Yeah, that ash is one of the most dangerous things a person can inhale. Sorry if you got a little in the 'ol windbags! Something about how small the particulate matter is.

If you still live in the area, maybe try to have a vid cam ready, from a few miles away, capture awesome footage, like that guy racing from Mt. St. Helens- his film was played all over the news for years!