Alaska's Mount Redoubt - more images

The Alaska Volcano Observatory and the US Geological Survey continue to post new images of the current eruptive phase of Mount Redoubt.

My favorites:

Mount Redoubt's ash cloud Thursday March 26, 2009
Credit: Robert Cole and Peninsula Airways



Lower reach oif Crescent Glacier and view down the ash-covered Crescent River Valley - March 26, 2009 Credit: McGimsey, Game and the Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey




View northeast over the piedmont lobe of the Drift Glacier and down the Drift River valley showing the effects of the flooding caused by Mt. Redoubt's eruptions. March 26, 2009 Credit: McGimsey,Game, Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey




Ash cloud seen in the geostationary MTSAT data, courtesy of National Weather Service, processed by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From the extreme edge of the view for the satellite which is over the equator in Asia. Image Creator Dehn, Jonathan. Taken March 26, 2009 17:30 UTC


Our planet, earth, is truly amazing. When you get a chance to see these natural processes at work, it is truly humbling. We can only study things like hurricanes and volcanoes. We can't control when they happen, where they happen, how strong they are, or what kind of disruption they cause to their surroundings. Nature is always in a state of change, never static. As Ecclesiastes says:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . . a time to tear down and a time to build . . ."

We have natural process that on the surface appear to tear down - wildfire, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes . . . In reality they are just changes. All of these things create change on our earth, but also prepare the way for new and beautiful things. Everything is cyclical . . . It is fascinating to watch nature at work at Mount Redoubt.

Mount Redoubt March 26

These images are posted at the Alaska Volcano Observatory Site:


The ash cloud from Mount Redoubt approaching Homer taken by Dennis Anderson on March 26 at 12:39 AKDT



Ashcloud moving over and ashfall occuring at Homestead Lodge 35 miles south of Mount Redoubt on March 26, 2009. Photo taken by James and Sheila Isaak.


Mount Redoubt's Eruption Plume taken from Diamond Ridge near Homer on March 26, 2009 by Dennis Anderson



These last two images were taken this afternoon (March 26) from the Mount Redoubt Hut webcam. You can check this cam regularly during daylight hours to get a view of what is happening now. The camera is battery powered, so there can be outages.





For more information (and the latest information as well) go to the Alaska Volcano Observatory-Mount Redoubt.

The Los Angeles Times also has a good article about todays eruption noting that there has been a mudflow down the Drift River. There were flash flood warnings out for the Drift River because of the rapidly melting ice.


The Internet Newspaper, The Huffington Post, also has an article about today's eruptions.

Alaska's Mount Redoubt Finally Erupts

My husband and I have been followin Mount Redoubt for the last several months. There was a window when I was getting updates every two hours. It released one explosive burst about a week ago, but had gotten very quiet. I had guessed that all those tremors and earthquakes and the burst had relieved the stresses. The alert code had gone back to Yellow . . .

This two month chart shows how the activity level had gotten high in February and then tapered off. Then it was very quiet the first two weeks in March, but look on the far right. WOW Such strong activity, so suddenly, and now the big eruption the volcanologists were waiting for:



This is the chart from the last seven days. Note that after the spikes on the right, there is no more data. It sure looks like that the monitoring equipment has been damaged or destroyed by the eruption.



Here is the link to: Alaska Volcano Observatory - Mount Redoubt Click here to follow their Twitter.

From Yahoo News and the Associated Press, Alaska's Mount Redoubt Erupts 5 times.

While air traffic to and from Anchorage has been halted, it looks like the ashfall is going to be worse west of Anchorage than in Anchorage proper. It will be interesting to see how long this eruptive phase lasts.

Alaska Volcano Observatory's Twitter

I am now following the Alaska Volcano Observatory's Twitter with it set to send the message to my Iphone device. That way I hear a "ding" when they make their posts.

To get the most information you need to follow their TinyUrl - the latest one mentions an observation flight (no . . . I would not want to be in THAT plane right now) that reported no ash emission, significant steaming from a new melt depression near the vent from the 1989-1990 eruption.

I googled Volcano Alert Systems and got this info from: Volcano Live John Search.

Alaska Alert System

Green
Volcano is in typical background, noneruptive state or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has ceased and volcano has returned to noneruptive background state.

Yellow
Volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background level or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has decreased significantly but continues to be closely monitored for possible renewed increase.

Orange
Volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain, OR eruption is underway with no or minor volcanic-ash emissions.

Red
Eruption is imminent with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere likely OR eruption is underway or suspected with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.


The Volcano Live site has lots of interesting information about what is going on with volcanoes around the world.

Nature is indeed fascinating!