ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY CURRENT STATUS REPORT Tuesday, March 24, 2009 12:46 PM AKDT (Tuesday, March 24, 2009 20:46 UTC) REDOUBT VOLCANO (CAVW #1103-03-) 60°29'7" N 152°44'38" W, Summit Elevation 10197 ft (3108 m) Current Aviation Color Code: RED Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING Redoubt remains at Aviation Color Code RED and Alert Level WARNING. Seismic activity at the volcano is currently relatively low, and no activity is observed in partly cloudy web camera images. Pilot reports and satellite images indicate that a steam plume is currently rising to at least 20,000 ft asl and drifting at least 40 miles to the northwest. We have no indication that the volcano is currently emitting ash, though explosive activity could resume with little or no warning. The last explosive event occurred last night (March 23) at 7:41 pm (AKDT) and lasted for roughly seventeen minutes. The top of the ash cloud was estimated to have reached at least 50,000 ft above sea level based on National Weather Service radar. Winds in the vicinity of the volcano carried the ash cloud primarily to the west and north. Pyroclastic flows were visible traveling down the volcano's north flank in web camera images. Last night's explosive event was the sixth thus far since explosive activity began Sunday, March 22 at 10:38 PM AKDT. Yesterday, AVO staff visited the area around Redoubt by helicopter to assess conditions and repair equipment damaged by Sunday night's eruptions. They fixed the telemetry link at AVO's observation hut, which is once again transmitting images from the web camera and data from a GPS and two seismic instruments. Clouds obscured the summit, but observers reported very large lahar and flood deposits in the Drift River Valley that likely occurred during and/or following the first five explosions. These flows, which contained ice, water, mud, and other debris, inundated the Drift River Valley and traveled more than 35 km, reaching Cook Inlet. In the middle to upper Drift River Valley, high-water marks reached 6-8 meters above the valley floor. At the AVO hut (roughly 7 miles NNW of the summit), a 6-cm thick fall deposit was observed. A gas-measurement flight is currently en route to the volcano. AVO remains staffed 24 hours per day will issue further information as it becomes available. For up-to-date Ashfall Advisories and wind trajectories, please refer to the National Weather Service website: http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/volcano.php ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
