Mount Redoubt Volcano

[jlhredshift]

There is no problem that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives - US Army Demolitions School

[dgavin]

Some good infromation from USGS:

2009-03-16 14:40:48 - Information Statement

Current Status and Observations
Seismic activity at Mount Redoubt increased at about 1:05 AKDT Sunday afternoon (March 15, 2009) and approximately 4 hours of continuous volcanic tremor ensued. The onset of the tremor was associated with a small explosion that produced a plume of gas and ash that rose to about 15,000 feet above sea level and deposited a trace amount of ash over the summit-crater floor and down the south flank of the volcano to about 3,000 feet. AVO responded to this increase in activity by raising the color code and alert level to ORANGE/WATCH at 2:50 PM AKDT. At this time it does not appear that the increase in activity heralds a significant eruption in the short term, but conditions may evolve rapidly.

An AVO overflight Sunday witnessed activity from 11:30 AM until about 3:00 PM and was able to document ash emission from a new vent, just south of the 1990 lava dome and west of the prominent ice collapse feature near the north edge of the summit crater. Although ash emission was short lived, it represents the first documented ash fall during the current episode of unrest at Mount Redoubt.

About twenty minutes after the initial steam and ash burst, a sediment-laden flow occurred from a small area in the ice at about 7000 feet on upper Drift glacier. This flow descended about 1500 feet and produced a distinctive seismic signature seen across the Redoubt network.

Although the intent of the overflight was make airborne gas measurements, only a few such measurements were possible due to the uncertain nature of the activity and potential for further ash emission. The measurements that were made indicated at least a qualitative increase in SO2 emission relative to levels measured previously. The gas data are currently being processed and will be available soon.

Interpretation of New Activity and Possible Outcomes
Although preliminary, it is likely that the plume observed just after 1:00 PM AKDT on Sunday, March 15, 2009 was produced by a steam explosion in the shallow hydrothermal system of the volcano. Without examination of the ash we cannot say with certainty if the ash represents new magma or if it is merely pulverized old material from the surface of the volcano.

Steam-driven explosions are not unexpected events at Redoubt given the amount of heat that is being released at the surface. It is possible that more such explosions can occur with little or no warning. It is possible that these plumes can reach above 20,000 feet, and may contain minor amounts of fine ash.

Relatively rapid increases in seismic activity, and an overall waxing and waning pattern to the seismicity at Redoubt may persist for weeks to months. Increases in seismicity may or may not be associated with other volcanic phenomena, such as minor ash emission, and vigorous steaming. The burst of activity at Redoubt on March 15, 2009 indicates that the volcano is still in a restless condition.

AVO plans to visit Redoubt later this week to attempt collection of ash samples, retrieve GPS data and do some routine maintenance of seismic and other equipment.

AVO has resumed 24 hour per day staffing of the AVO operations center in Anchorage.

[Squink]

Both webcams appear to show a small steam cloud right now:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php


http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/avo/webcam/redoubt.jpg

[Buttercup]

ZzzZZzzzZZZzzzz

I'd nearly forgotten about this volcano.

Maybe we need a gypsy with a crystal ball to tell us when it finally will erupt. By century's end or whenever.

[geonuc]

Maybe we need a gypsy with a crystal ball to tell us when it finally will erupt. By century's end or whenever.

Has anyone gone up to the top of the volcano and asked it?

"Yo! Redoubt! Sorry to bother you, but we got a lot of people asking when you're going to, like, do something. Can you give us an idea? I mean, we'll go stand around some other mountain if you're going to be awhile with all this. We can come back later, if you like."

[Buttercup]

Lol geonuc!

Mt. Redoubt is being VERY inconsiderate. I'm tempted to fly there and kick it or something...

[jlhredshift]

2009-03-18 10:33:49

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has lowered the Aviation Color Code to YELLOW and the Alert Level to Advisory for Mount Redoubt.

AVO will continue to monitor Redoubt closely, but will no longer be formally staffed 24 hours per day.

This will be the last hourly (or bi-hourly) update until further notice.

ZZZzzzzZZZzzzzZZZ

[Buttercup]

Frankly I think Mt. Redoubt is behaving like a spoiled has-been celebrity: Doing whatever it can to maintain spotlight interest somehow. A bit of rumble, and little steam: "Watch me! Watch me!" Anything to remain in the limelight. Sheesh.

I guess Mt. Redoubt watches Reality TV. *snaps fingers* That's it! It wants to be a Reality TV star. Good grief.

[dgavin]

Frankly I think Mt. Redoubt is behaving like a spoiled has-been celebrity: Doing whatever it can to maintain spotlight interest somehow. A bit of rumble, and little steam: "Watch me! Watch me!" Anything to remain in the limelight. Sheesh.

I guess Mt. Redoubt watches Reality TV. *snaps fingers* That's it! It wants to be a Reality TV star. Good grief.

Announcer: So you want to be a strato-volcano?

[Gillianren]

I don't get the enthusiasm to see it erupt. It will over geological time scales; by those time scales, it will erupt pretty soon. If it doesn't by our time scales, well, Peters Creek won't be inconvenienced, so all to the better. If Mount Rainier heated up, I would hate for people to be cheering it on, given how much destruction that eruption will cause.

Oh, and dgavin, it's spelled "Halley."

[dgavin]

I don't get the enthusiasm to see it erupt. It will over geological time scales; by those time scales, it will erupt pretty soon. If it doesn't by our time scales, well, Peters Creek won't be inconvenienced, so all to the better. If Mount Rainier heated up, I would hate for people to be cheering it on, given how much destruction that eruption will cause.

Oh, and dgavin, it's spelled "Halley."

I know, thats how the Lyrics for the song are written though.

[Gillianren]

I know, thats how the Lyrics for the song are written though.

Then a [sic] would be in order.

[dgavin]

Well some interesting developments with our doubting it will ever erupt, Mt. Redoubt.

Starting on the 20th, and increasing in frequency and intensity into today, a swarm of small earthquakes began at the summit of the mountain.

Since this episode of small surface quakes began, they have increased to almost a quake every minute. Or a swarm of about 52 quakes per hour. USGS has still not monitored any significant swelling of the mountain.

Since this surface swarm began, a small steam plume is now continually visible in the Redoubt-HUT web-cam.

From all signs this is likely hydrothermal activity at the surface, and may cumulate in a series of steam (and old ash) eruptions.

USGS braved the swarms yesterday and placed another seismograph on the mountain.

[dgavin]

USGS/AVO has upgraded Mt. Redoubt back to Orange/Watch status.

Earthquake activity at the sumit has increased in the last few hours from about 40-50 per hour to approximately 2 per minute (120 per hour). The intensity of some of these events in this sawrm are now showing up on regional seismographs.

The Steam/Gas plume is still visible in the webcam, and doesn't show any hints of slowing down.

[mr.kami]

Alaska's Mount Redoubt erupts

[Stroller]

warnings are at red
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

[flynjack1]

AVO reports 4 erruptions over night and ash cloud 50,000 feet high. Cloud is mainly heading to the NE. Peters Creek, how goes it?

[Swift]

The National Weather Service has issued an ashfall advisory

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
240 AM AKDT MON MAR 23 2009

AKZ145-231600-
/X.EXT.PAFC.AF.Y.0001.000000T0000Z-090323T1600Z/
SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TALKEETNA...WILLOW...CANTWELL
240 AM AKDT MON MAR 23 2009

...ASHFALL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM AKDT THIS MORNING...

THE ASHFALL ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM AKDT THIS
MORNING.

REDOUBT VOLCANO AT 60.5N 152.7W HAS ERUPTED SEVERAL TIMES DURING
THE NIGHT. LIGHT ASHFALL HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED AT SKWENTNA.
LIGHT ASHFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE SUSITNA VALLEY THIS
MORNING.

[Swift]

The most recent from AVO

2009-03-23 04:37:08 (time of this post is ~4:57 Alaska time)
Another large explosion is occurring at Redoubt.

[aurora]

CNN Story of the eruption.

[dgavin]

I captured the siesmographs for the events, and will post them when I get off work tonight.

During the 4th Eruption, the RSO seismograph station at Redoubt went offline, likely burried or destroyed.

[PetersCreek]

Peters Creek is still on the map and I'm not buried in ash just yet. Last report I heard had the ash cloud at 50-60,000 ft ASL on a northerly track. Ashfall has been reported at Skwentna and Chiutna and is a possibility from Willow to Talkeetna.

[Swift]

Its good to know your still with us Brett.

[Gillianren]

You will no doubt not be surprised, Peters Creek, when I tell you that you were my first thought when I started reading this thread this morning.

[aurora]

It's just starting to get light enough to look at the webcams.

[Swift]

The hut webcam shows nothing. I think it is dead (see below)

The CI webcam shows grey, foggy soup.

The latest from AVO

2009-03-23 10:17:31

The eruption of Redoubt volcano continues.

Ash plumes generated by the explosive bursts are drifting north-northeast. Ash fall has been reported in Skwentna and the Chuitna area.

Ashfall advisories are available on the National Weather Service site http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/volcano.php

AVO's web camera near the volcano is no longer functioning.

AVO is planning an overflight of the volcano later this morning.

[dgavin]

Either the HUT-Webcam or it's transmission station at redoubt may have been destroyed in the eruption...or it just ran out of power at a really really bad moment.

So there will be no close ups from the HUT Webcam. Sorry for the bad news here folks.

AVO is planning a overflight sometime today.

Some good pictures form the 21st overflight:

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/image.php?id=16912

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/image.php?id=16911

There has not been a 5th eruption as of yet, but there are indications on the siesmograph thats left of lover levels of emissions (steam or ash)

Two more siesmograph stations (RDN and REF) went offline after the 4th Eruption, but came back on about 7 minutes ago. The new Seismograph station (NCT) seems be the only one to remain active through the ordeal.

[dgavin]

My Interpretations so far (keep in mind I'm a self trained Volcanologist)

We'll see how accurate I am when results are published from USGS

The 4 successive Eruptions possibly indicate that there is a larger reservoir of magma under the mountain then previously thought. Potential for additional eruptions is extremely high.

The possible destruction of the HUT-Webcam at 7km from the summit indicates there was likely a pyroclasitc flow or pulse (maybe multiple ones) associated with the eruptions.

There is almost certainly a lahar, and maybe multiple ones, associated with this event.

Estimate the VE value at 3 to 4. Subject to change once the over flight is done and the aftermath photo's are available

I'd say it has just woken up, and there will like be a few more eruptions. Uncertain if they will be larger or not, but I think it's possible there will be a larger one on the horizon.

[PetersCreek]

There has not been a 5th eruption as of yet, but there are indications on the siesmograph thats left of lover levels of emissions (steam or ash)

According to the AVO and news outlets, the 5th eruption occurred at 04:31 AKDT this morning. Some ashfall has been reported in Wasilla, about 20 minutes from Peters Creek on the Glenn Highway. Winds aloft at 50K ASL are still tracking North, while winds at 40K ASL are pushing toward Anchorage. The latter are expected to swing South onto the Kenai Peninsula after midnight.

[PetersCreek]

You will no doubt not be surprised, Peters Creek, when I tell you that you were my first thought when I started reading this thread this morning.

Thank you, Gillian. It's quite nice of you to me in mind.

As far as I can tell so far today, things are quite calm here. During my commute into Anchorage this morning, the radio carried announcements that schools were open as usual. We have had quite a few flight cancellations today, though. My manager was supposed to fly to Bethel but since that would have crossed the plume track, it was understandably cancelled. Many other flights were cancelled simply because the low ceiling made plume avoidance impossible. Others, because carriers don't want their plaines stranded here should ANC be directly affected.