Mount Redoubt on 31 Jan 2009 Note the cloud of steam being vented

Well, Mount Redoubt continues to rumble.  According to the Alaska Vocano Observatory this morning:

A high intensity burst of volcanic tremor occurred from about 2:44
through 2:50 AST this morning at Redoubt. The tremor episode appears to
have ended for now. There was no eruption associated with this
tremor.AVO continues to observe potential activity with seismic,
satellite and radar data. The volcano has not erupted.Clear weather
views from the web camera show nothing but darkness so far this
morning.The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE and the Volcano Alert
Level remains at WATCH.

Currently, the volcano is belching clouds of steam and gas. So we may have an eruption today… or not.

Fumaroles venting hot gas and steam. Taken by an AVO fly-by on Jan 31 2009

The bad news is, the winds have changed. If Redoubt erupts with a significant ash cloud, we, along with Kenai, Soldotna and Anchor Point, will get the brunt of it.

Photo Credits: Waythomas, Chris

Images courtesy of AVO/USGS.

Is Mount Redoubt about to erupt?

Seismic activity has increased lately on Mount Redoubt which is about 100 miles northwest of Homer.  According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, earthquakes and tremors have been occuring almost hourly for a few days now which may possibly be a precursor to an eruption.  The last eruptions and activity from Redoubt occurred in 1989 -1990  Typically when Redoubt erupts, instead of flowing, gushing lava like the Hawaiian volcanoes, it tends to emit explosive quantities of ash high into the atmosphere where it can travel for hundreds of miles before settling back to earth.  The ash tends to be a of a very fine hard granular consistency,  under the microscope looking like sharp little shards or needles of rock.  The ash fall is certainly not cataclysmic, but it can prove harmful to people with respiratory problems and can potentially wreak havoc with engines and machinery.

What does this mean for us Homerites?  Hopefully not much than a little excitement.  Currently the winds should blow all that ash to the northeast towards Anchorage.  For Anchorage, this has the potential of shutting down the airport and rerouting all air traffic through Anchorage to alternate routes.

A map of local volcanoes

Here is a map showing  the series of active volcanoes that run down the west side of Cook Inlet.  Either flying or driving down from Anchorage, one can get some majestic views of both Mount Redoubt and Moun Iliamna.  These volcanoes are part of the famous ‘Ring of Fire’ that roughly circles the Pacific with volcanic activity.