[Vision2020] Alaska Volcano

[J Ford]

Anyone else been following this story (BTW, any of you science kinda folks 
know if we would ever get fallout from this down here?):

Augustine Volcano continues belching ash, pyroclastic flows

By JEANNETTE J. LEE

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Ash from a steadily erupting volcano in south-central 
Alaska wafted slowly toward the southern Kenai Peninsula and grounded 
flights to and from Kodiak Island on Monday. Scientists reported that hot, 
gaseous pyroclastic flows were seen coursing down the volcano's slopes.

Augustine Volcano's eruption at 6:48 a.m. marked the fourth straight day of 
eruptions and generated an ash plume reaching almost five miles into the 
skies above Cook Inlet.

The ash was moving east and southeast at 10 to 15 mph and a sparse dusting 
was expected to fall on the Kenai Peninsula, the National Weather Service 
said. There were no reports of ash in skies near Anchorage, about 180 miles 
northeast of the volcano.

Eric Oswalt, plant foreman at Petro Marine Services on Kodiak said the ash 
was "really minimal, just barely enough to see on your windshield." But ash 
lingering overhead has prevented supply flights from reaching the island for 
two days.

Many Kodiak residents have stocked up on milk and air cleaners and thrown 
tarps over their cars.

"The biggest thing is there's no flights. That's what everybody's 
complaining about," Oswalt said.

Alaska Airlines grounded freight flights from Anchorage to Kodiak on Sunday 
and Monday. Ash particles can damage engines.

After a 10-day lull, Augustine erupted twice Friday, three times Saturday 
and once Sunday and Monday, with blasts of ash reaching heights of almost 
six miles, said scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Scientists who flew over the volcano on Sunday reported fast-moving 
pyroclastic flows — made mostly of gas, ash and rock — streaming down the 
sides of the island mountain, sending up tendrils of ash and particulate 
matter.

The collapse of a lava dome near the summit likely triggered the 
boulder-flecked flows, which could be moving at speeds between 50 and 100 
mph, according to Chris Waythomas, a geologist with the U.S. Geological 
Survey, which helps run the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Scientists also saw ash escaping steadily from the mountain between 
eruptions.

The latest blasts were similar in size to a series of explosions in 
mid-January that sent light ashfall into Kenai Peninsula communities, 
scientists said. No communities have reported anything more than a minor 
dusting of ash.

Before this month's ash explosions, Augustine had last erupted in 1986.
J  :]

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