Link to reference site below:
At 4:44 a.m. (Alaska Standard Time, which is Pacific time + 1 hour) this morning, Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) began recording seismic signals interpreted as explosions at the summit of Augustine Volcano that likely mark the onset of an eruption. The current activity may be emitting ash, steam, and volcanic gases.
If the volcano follows a pattern similar to the 1976 and 1986 eruptions, we would expect a further intensification of seismic activity prior to a larger explosive event. It is also possible that an explosive eruption could occur with little or no warning.
AVO is monitoring the situation closely and will issue further updates as new information and analysis become available.
Volcano updates here.Another good siteWith a north flowing airmass, such as we have today (1-11-06) the ash would be blown over the Kenai Peninsula and the Anchorage bowl area.
During the last Augustine eruption, in 1986, this ash caused Anchorage International Ted Stevens Airport to close for 2-3 days to most commercial air traffic.
I happened to being flying a medical evacuation flight to
Nikolski, Alaska in the Aleutian Island area that March morning of the Augustine volcano eruption. I saw the eruption from the air. When I returned from Nikolski, I was unable to land at the Anchorage airport (because it was closed), so I landed at Kodiak and transported the patient to that hospital.
A couple of days later I flew into Anchorage and did a number of round trip Anchorage-Kodiak flights since scheduled jet transport was still canceled.
Several weeks later the two turbo prop engines of our Cessna
Conquest II had to be replaced due to ingestion of volcanic ash. My employer certainly made no money from these flights due to the cost of repairing the damage to the engines.
Dwight
