Discovery’s ‘Top 10 Volcanoes in Geologic History’ 27 March 2009
Posted by admin in miscellaneous, volcanoes.Tags: Discovery Channel, top ten, volcanoes
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Of the making of top tens of things, there is no end. The Discovery Channel has published a ‘Top 10 Volcanoes in Geologic History’ list which is inevitably a pretty arbitrary exercise, but it is worth looking at, if only so you can argue with what’s been put in and what’s been left out. There are certainly some interesting inclusions … you can leave a comment expressing your views by going to the Discovery Earth blog.
UPDATE: Dr Erik Klemetti has seen the Discovery Channel list and is not impressed, not impressed at all. And he’s even less impressed by MSNBC’s attempt to explain ‘how and where volcanoes arise’.
Drift River Oil Terminal vs. the volcano 26 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, eruptions, natural hazards, Redoubt, United States.Tags: Alaska, Drift River, lahars, natural hazards, Redoubt, United States, volcanic eruptions
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The Drift River Oil Terminal stands on Cook Inlet at the mouth of Drift River, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the vent of Redoubt Volcano. When there is eruptive activity of any magnitude at Redoubt, the melting of ice and snow produces lahars – volcanic mudflows – that descend the valley of the Drift River towards the inlet.
Lahars reached the oil terminal during the eruptions of 22-23 March 2009. These pictures were taken during an Alaska Volcano Observatory overflight on 23 March 2009. The captions are those provided for each image by the AVO. More pictures can be found on the AVO website.
View east of the tank farm at DROT [Drift River Oil Terminal]. Lahar deposits have ramped up to the top of the west (closest in this image) dike and spilled over in one location (left in photo). The south dike (on right) was overtopped in several places (dark deposits/stripes), water entered the service area around the end of the north dike (far left). (Photographer Game McGimsey, image courtesy AVO/USGS.)
View west of the tank farm at DROT. Lahar deposits have ramped up to the top of the west dike and spilled over in a couple of locations. Water entered the compound along an existing roadway (foreground). The north dike (center) ends behind the grove of trees in the right midground. (Photographer Game McGimsey, image courtesy AVO/USGS.)
View west of the runway, helipad, and service buildings at DROT. The lahar deposit is at least half a meter thick at the buildings. (Photographer Cyrus Read, image courtesy AVO/USGS.)
View north up the runway. Lahar deposit covers runway and helipad to a depth at least half a meter. (Photographer Game McGimsey, image courtesy AVO/USGS.)
Since these pictures were taken further eruptions have produced more lahars that have descended the Drift Valley. What effect these have had on the oil terminal is at present unknown.
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Another explosion – Redoubt back to red 26 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, eruptions, Redoubt, United States.Tags: Alaska, Redoubt, United States, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Another explosive event has occurred at Redoubt, reports the Alaska Volcano Observatory (update at 2009-03-26 08:52:50). It began at approximately 08:34 AKDT (16:34 GMT) and produced an ash plume that rose to 30000 feet (9100 metres). The aviation colour code has been raised once more to Red, and the volcanic alert level to Warning. AVO Volcanic Activity Notice here.
UPDATE: A further explosion is reported at 09:24 AKDT (17:24 GMT). The AVO gives the cloud height, from pilot reports, to be at least 65000 feet (19800 metres) above sea level. Fresh meltwater runoff is visible on the Hut webcam, along with pyroclastic flows and ashfall. A new AVO Volcanic Activity Notice has been issued. Anchorage VAAC have an ash advisory issued at 1750 GMT warning of ash at FL650.
AVO reports (10:54 AKDT) that the 09:24 eruption has diminished (‘though smaller events may occur, or a larger event resume’), and that this event produced a lahar down the Drift River. A flash flood warning is in operation for the river until 15:00 local time today. An ashfall advisory has been issued for the western Kenai Peninsula (AVO warns that up to 1/8th of an inch of ash, 6mm, may accumulate) but no ashfall is expected in Anchorage.
The 20km ash cloud from this event is the highest altitude yet reached in the current eruptive phase. The 1989-90 eruption produced ash to an altitude of 13.7km.
Pictures of the 09:24 event from the Hut webcam, captured at (from top down) 09:35, 09:40 and 09:44. A pyroclastic flow is visible on the left of the 09:35 picture; steam can be seen rising from its course in the 09:40 picture. The dark channels visible on the snow are meltwater and mudflows created by the heat of the eruption.
Some later pictures, from 13:24, 13:39 and 13:54, showing the eruption cloud at the summit and fresh lahar deposits:
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Redoubt update, 26 March 2009 26 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, Redoubt, United States.Tags: Alaska, Redoubt, United States, volcanic activity reports
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Following yesterday’s lowering of the alert level to Watch/Orange (AVO statement here) things have remained stable at Redoubt and there have been no further eruptive/explosive events. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports that the volcano is restless, with seismicity above background but unchanged over the last few hours, and marked by ‘occasional discrete events’ (small intermittent earthquakes).
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 18 March 2009 – 24 March 2009 26 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, Batu Tara, Caribbean, Chaitén, Chile, Colombia, Dempo, eruptions, Etna, Galeras, Gamkonora, Hawaii, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Karymsky, Kilauea, Koryaksky, Kuchinoerabo-jima, Lewotobi, Okmok, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Popocatépetl, Rabaul, Redoubt, Russia, Sakura-jima, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, Tonga, Tungurahua, Ubinas, United States, Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports.Tags: Global Volcanism Program, volcanic activity reports
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The Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report covering 18 March 2009 to 24 March 2009 is now available on the Global Volcanism Program website. The following is a summary and not a substitute for the full report.
- The current report: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report.
- Previous reports: Weekly Reports Archive.
- The SI/USGS map of volcanoes discussed this week.
New activity: Galeras (Colombia), Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (Tonga), Koryaksky (Kamchatka, Russia), Redoubt (Alaska, USA).
Ongoing activity: Batu Tara (Komba Island, Indonesia), Chaitén (Chile), Dempo (Sumatra, Indonesia), Etna (Italy), Gamkonora (Halmahera, Indonesia), Karymsky (Kamchatka, Russia), Kilauea (Hawaii, USA), Kuchinoerabu-jima (Japan), Lewotobi (Flores Island, Indonesia), Okmok (Alaska, USA), Popocatépetl (Mexico), Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), Sakura-jima (Japan), Shiveluch (Kamchatka, Russia), Soufrière Hills (Montserrat), Tungurahua (Ecuador), Ubinas (Peru).
Redoubt back to Watch/Orange alert status 25 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, Redoubt, United States.Tags: Alaska, Redoubt, United States, volcanic activity reports
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Redoubt has just been shifted from Warning/Red to Watch/Orange alert status. The Alaska Volcano Observatory announced this in a Volcanic Activity Notice issued at 13:35 local time (21:35 GMT). The full text can be found here.
The Volcanic Activity Notice explains that the AVO’s decision to lower the alert status is based on reduced seismicity over the past 36 hours. It also notes that ‘Current seismicity at Redoubt is at times suggestive of intermittent lava extrusion at the volcano’s summit’ but that ‘the existence of a new lava dome has not been confirmed because of poor weather’. Looking ahead, ‘episodes of dome growth followed by explosive dome destruction is a likely but by no means certain, near-term scenario. Cycles of dome growth and failure could occur for several months’.
The alert level will of course change to reflect what the volcano is up to at any given time. It’s almost certain that we’ll see Warning/Red again at Redoubt in the near future.
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Small explosive event at Redoubt 25 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, eruptions, Redoubt, United States.Tags: Alaska, Redoubt, United States, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports that there was a small explosive event at Redoubt early this morning that produced an ash plume to not more than 15000 feet (4500 metres). It happened at 05:12 AKDT (13:12 GMT) and lasted about 10 minutes. The AVO Volcanic Activity Notice for this event is here.
Before this event seismicity had been generally low-level, with occasional small quakes; afterwards seismicity was elevated for a couple of hours, with low-amplitude tremor evident on the webicorder traces, but had settled back down by around 07:30. The AVO reports that ‘It is unlikely there will be any impact from this event’.
UPDATE: Another small explosion at around 10:17 Alaska time (18:17 GMT) – thanks to Boris Behncke for the tip. Quite intense tremor still ongoing at the time of posting (18:39 GMT), very visible on the RDN trace. Erik Klemetti has just put up a very informative post on Redoubt at Eruptions, saying it’s likely we’ll be seeing a lot more of this kind of thing in the weeks and months to come. [N.B. I won't be able to post any more tonight - perhaps it's just as well, WordPress seems to be broken and everything is taking ten times longer than it should. I'll catch up with things tomorrow.]
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Redoubt video, podcast 25 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Alaska, United States, volcano monitoring, Redoubt.Tags: volcanic eruptions, volcano monitoring, volcanic activity reports, United States, Alaska, Redoubt
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Some of the news conference given by Alaska Volcano Observatory personnel on 23 March 2009, as the eruption was ongoing, is available at YouTube. The video is a real mess that includes an excerpt from the news conference, clips of news coverage of the eruption, the 15 March AVO video of Redoubt set to some truly dreadful music, and spectacular but quite irrelevant film of the Tongan eruption from earlier this month. If anyone knows of a better video of the AVO news conference I would like to hear about it.
The US Department of the Interior has released a podcast featuring Interior Secretary Ken Salazar talking about the Redoubt eruption (Department of the Interior podcasts page here, or direct link to the mp3 file here). Mr Salazar has some fine words on the value of volcano monitoring.
Source for the above: Geology.com News.
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Redoubt – AVO aerial video from 23 March 2009 25 March 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, eruptions, Redoubt, United States, volcano images.Tags: Alaska, Redoubt, United States, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions, volcano images
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The Alaska Volcano Observatory has released aerial video footage taken during helicopter-supported fieldwork at Redoubt on 23 March 2009. The footage clearly shows the huge mudflows that have choked the Drift Valley, ashfall on the surrounding landscape, steam rising from meltwater channels, and the thickness of some of the mud deposits. The video is available to download as a 14min 33 sec 210MB .wmv file – for details, follow this link to the AVO website. Below are some screen captures from the video (credit: Kristi Wallace – AVO/USGS).
For all our Redoubt coverage: Redoubt « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Redoubt – summary information for Redoubt (1103-03-)
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Redoubt – AVO information and updates for Redoubt
Alaska Volcano Observatory – main page for the AVO
Redoubt not only volcano in world 25 March 2009
Posted by admin in admin, blogs, miscellaneous.comments closed
The Volcanism Blog has been somewhat Redoubt-focused over the past few days, and I’ve had e-mails reminding me that there are other volcanoes on the planet and I shouldn’t forget about them. That is quite true, of course, but there is only one of me, I have a limited amount of time, I can’t do everything at once and I don’t get paid for doing this.
However, people concerned that Chaitén, Tonga, Galeras and Koryaksky (to name a few) are not getting their due do have a point, and I will be trying to catch up as best I can with the rest of the world before the end of this week.
And (despite my grumbling above) please don’t be put off getting in touch and telling me what you would like to see this blog covering, what you think there should be less of, and what can be improved. Feedback is always welcome.
