Monday, March 23, 2009

Redoubt Volcano in Mount Alaska, erupted!

Redoubt Volcano in Mount Alaska, erupted. Monday morning on small communities north of Anchorage, the residents in largest city was spared from falling ash. On Monday, the Anchorage international airport canceled 19 flights in and out in Alaska Airlines because of the ash.


Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage told only essential personnel to report to work. The Air Force says 60 planes, including fighter jets, cargo aircraft and a 747 commercial plane, were being sheltered.

According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the first eruption, in a sparsely area across Cook Inlet from the Kenai Peninsula, occured at 10:38 p.m. Sunday and the fourth happened at 1:39 a.m. Monday.

The wind patterns were taking the ash cloud away from Anchorage, toward Willow and Talkneetna, near Mount McKinley, North America's largest mountain in Denali National Park.

The 10,200-foot Redoubt Volcano, roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, last erupted during a four-month period from 1989-90.

In its last eruption, Redoubt sent ash 150 miles away into the path of a KLM jet and its four engines flamed out. The jet dropped more than 2 miles before the crew was able to restart all engines and land safely. The plane required $80 million in repairs.

The volcano became restless earlier this year. The observatory had warned in late January that an eruption could occur at any time.

Increased earthquake activity over the past 48 hours prompted scientists to raise the alert level for Mount Redoubt on Sunday.

On Sunday morning, 40 to 50 earthquakes were being recorded every hour. A steam plume rising about 1,000 feet above the mountain peak was observed Saturday.

Photo released by the Alaska Volcano Observatory

Source: news.yahoo.com

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