Alaska’s Mount Redoubt Finally Erupts (5 times!)

For two months, Alaskans have waited to see when Mount Redoubt, a 10,200-foot stratovolcano about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, would blow. Last night, they got their answer

By Christine Cyr Posted 03.23.2009 at 1:34 pm 5 Comments

Redoubt Erupts Background Image courtesy of Care_SMC via Flickr.com

At 10:38 p.m. last night, Alaska's Mt. Redoubt made its first of five eruptions, the last blowing at 4:31 a.m., sending a cloud of volcanic ash 60,000 feet above sea level, according to the National Weather Service.

At the end of January, Redoubt experienced a series of volcanic earthquakes and new steam vents, which prompted scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), to warn that Redoubt would soon erupt. The last time the volcano blew was during a five-month period between 1989 and 1990. At that time, the volcanic ash choked up four engines of a KLM commercial airliner, nearly causing it to crash before landing safely in Anchorage. At the moment Federal Aviation Administration officials have not stopped flights into Anchorage, but some airlines have canceled flights into the state’s capitol.

Stratovolcanoes, which are common throughout the Cascade and Aleutian ranges, tend to erupt suddenly and violently. Where shield volcanoes—such as those found in Hawaii—have shallow-sloping sides and erupt in slow-moving streams and rivers of meandering lava, stratovolcanoes are steep and discharge like a pent-up sneeze that can, in extreme cases, tear down the entire side of a mountain. A recent example of this is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, which sent pyroclastic flows—fluidized rock fragments and gasses—moving 50 to 80 miles-per-hour down the mountain, and 520 million tons of ash into the air.

So far, Redoubt’s explosions aren’t so violent. But Alaskans should prepare for a dusting of fine gray ash on cars and houses as long as the volcano erupts. And if the mountain acts anything like she did 20 years ago, those eruptions could continue for several months.

Previous Article: How Long Would it Take Piranhas to Eat a Person?

Next Article: Safe Water in Paradise

5 Comments

link to this comment

jeffsTX

03/23/09 at 4:19 pm

"At the moment Federal Aviation Administration officials have not stopped flights into Anchorage, but some airlines have canceled flights into the state’s capitol."

I do hope that you're not mistakenly calling Anchorage the capital of Alaska, as I frequently do. The capital is Juneau, far from where Mt. Redoubt is.

link to this comment

caseyG

03/24/09 at 1:43 am

No, Christine Cyr is speaking of Juneau in that sentence. She is saying that they are going to keep flights en route to Anchorage, since it is further from the hot spot. Where as Juneau is much closer to Mt. Redoubt. In turn some airlines canceled the flights for safety reasons.

link to this comment

Rcfishing5

from Anchorage, AK

03/24/09 at 2:23 am

UPDATE

Another eruption has happened at 7:48 PM ADT and has closed all jet aircraft op's thru at least 3:00 AM ADT. Prop engines aircraft are the only thing that is either scheduled and delayed out of ANC at this time.

Juneau should not be affected at all unless the winds shift to a significantly high altitude and a southeasterly direction and ash fall would be considered light at best due to its vast distance (570 Miles) from Mt Redought and Anchorage.

Please refer to a map source to verify the distances in between the referenced points.

Post at 11:18 ADT

link to this comment

lindalulu

03/29/09 at 11:51 am

I also wrote an article about Mt. Redoubt. You can find it here:
http://www.scienceray.com/Earth-Sciences/Geology/Alaska-Mount-Redoubt-Erupts.620587
I hope all ends well in Alaska!

link to this comment

aleyna

08/02/09 at 6:00 pm

Thank you very much...
At that time, the volcanic ash choked up four engines of a KLM commercial airliner, nearly causing it to crash before landing safely in Anchorage. At the moment Federal Aviation Administration officials have not stopped flights into Anchorage, but some airlines have canceled flights into the state’s capitol.
travesti