Largest eruption so far at Redoubt

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Image courtesy of AVO/USGS, taken 3/23/09

I don’t have many details, but the largest eruption so far in this eruptive stage at Redoubt occurred at 9:24 AM (Alaska Time), producing a 65,000 foot / 20,000 meter ash column! Yes, you read that right, a 20-km ash column! This is by far the largest ash column so far and AVO has returned Redoubt to Red/Warning status after this and a small explosion that occurred 30 minutes before the big one. Depending on the winds at various elevations, this sort of large ash column could threaten to coat Anchorage with ash – check the latest NOAA warnings here but currently there is an ashfall advisory for all the western Kenai Peninsula. This will likely also disrupt air traffic over southern Alaska.

I’ll fill in more details here as they come in so check back for updates.

UPDATE 1PM Pacific: AVO notes that a new mudflow was produced in the Drift River valley from the AM eruption today. Also, areas to the east of Redoubt could expect up to 1/8″ of ash from today’s explosions.

UPDATE 2:15PM Pacific: A few more details in an AP story of today’s eruption, mostly from the human interest side. Also, the Air Force is moving aircraft away from Elmendorf AFB near Redoubt.

UPDATE 6:15PM Pacific: Nice clear view of Redoubt on the Hut Webcam. You can see the strong steam plume and the valleys filled with new lahar deposits, along with the greyish ash on all the slopes. Even the Cook Inlet webcam gets some views of the volcano in the distant. Seismicity has gone down, but maybe we can catch an explosion while the skies are clear.

In the meantime, you can check the AVO Redoubt page or the webcams – Hut or Cook Inlet.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people