Alaska volcano erupts with new intensity, prompting 'red' alert

[Buster's Uncle]

Alaska volcano erupts with new intensity, prompting 'red' alert
Reuters
By Steve Quinn  June 3, 2014 7:48 PM



Smoke pours from the erupting Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, 590 miles (950 kms) southwest of Anchorage, in this picture from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game taken May 30, 2014. REUTERS/Paul Horn/Alaska Department of Fish and Game/Handout via Reuters



JUNEAU Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska volcano that has been spewing ash and lava for years began erupting with new intensity this week, pushing a plume of smoke and ash as high as 24,000 feet (7,315 meters) and prompting scientists to issue their highest volcanic alert in five years, authorities said on Tuesday.

But the intense action at the Pavlof Volcano, located in an uninhabited region nearly 600 miles (966 km) southwest of Anchorage, has so far not disrupted any regional air traffic, thanks to favorable weather that has made it easier for flights to navigate around the affected area.

Still, the eruption was intense enough for Alaska Volcano Observatory scientists to issue their first red alert warning since 2009, when the state's Mount Redoubt had a series of eruptions that spewed ash 50,000 feet (15,240 meters).

"This means it can erupt for weeks or even months," observatory research geologist Michelle Coombs said of the warning. "I don't think we will be at red for that long, but we are expecting it to go for a while based on its past."

Coombs said affected areas are uninhabited except for some hunting destinations.

Geologists first issued the alert late on Monday. Since then plumes reached as high as 24,000 feet (7,315 meters) on Tuesday morning.

Plumes are created when lava bursts from the crater of the 8,261-foot (2,517-meter) volcano, then falls back on glacier ice, Coombs said.

"Right now, with the weather clear, it's just putting on a good show," Coombs said. "We're getting a lot of pilot reports and a lot of good photos, so we're able to keep a good eye on it."

Pavlof lies below a route frequently used by jetliners flying between North America and Asia, but those planes generally fly at elevations of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) and likely would be unaffected by ash at lower elevations, observatory scientists have said.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Sandra Maler)


http://news.yahoo.com/alaska-volcano-erupts-intensity-prompting-red-alert-230853723.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Volcanic eruption disrupts air travel in Alaska
Reuters
By Steve Quinn  5 hours ago



Smoke pours from the erupting Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, 590 miles (950 kms) southwest of Anchorage, in this picture from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game taken May 30, 2014. REUTERS/Paul Horn/Alaska Department of Fish and Game/Handout via Reuters



AU Alaska (Reuters) - A volcanic eruption in Alaska that sent a plume of ash and smoke high into the sky forced a regional airline to cancel flights on Wednesday, even as scientists downgraded a rare red alert warning for volcanic activity.

Pavlof Volcano, which has been spewing ash and lava for years in an uninhabited region nearly 600 miles (966 km) southwest of Anchorage, began erupting with new intensity this week and prompted Alaska scientists to issue their highest volcanic alert in five years on Monday.

Regional airline PenAir began cancelling flights late on Tuesday from Anchorage to a pair of Aleutian Island destinations, Cold Bay and Dutch Harbor, because of a mix of high winds and volcanic ash from Pavlof Volcano, PenAir spokeswoman Missy Roberts said.

Cancellations continued through Wednesday as the airline continued monitoring activity hourly. PenAir serves many communities that are off the state's road system and is accustomed to extreme year-round weather conditions.

Pavlof lies below a route frequently used by jetliners flying between North America and Asia, but those planes generally fly at elevations of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) and likely would be unaffected by ash at lower elevations, observatory scientists have said.

Scientists at the federal-state Alaska Volcano Observatory reduced the alert level from red to orange, the second-highest level, thanks to reduced seismic tremor activity, according to geologist Game McGimsey.

A red alert means a hazardous eruption is imminent, underway or suspected, while an orange alert indicates an increased potential for eruption or that an eruption is underway but poses limited hazards, according to the observatory.

Plumes of steam and diffused ash from Pavlof continue to reach heights as high as 24,000 feet (7,315 meters) or about 4.5 miles, and the volcano remains under close watch, McGimsey said. No ash has reached any communities, he added.

"The eruptive activity continues pretty strong," McGimsey said. "There is lava fountaining going on. It's very visible at night time from web cams."

Activity at Pavlof began to intensify over the weekend pushing thin ash upward. The red alert issued on Monday night was the first since 2009, when Alaska's Mount Redoubt produced a series of eruptions that spewed ash 50,000 feet (1,500 meters) into the air.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Sandra Maler)


http://news.yahoo.com/volcanic-eruption-disrupts-air-travel-alaska-222601117.html