Eruption - Cleveland Volcano, Alaska

[GCANE]

http://www.irishweatheronline.com/news/ ... 31362.html




One of Alaska’s most active volcanoes has started erupting, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO).

The 1,730 m (5,676 ft) high Cleveland Volcano, also known as Mount Cleveland, began erupting early on Tuesday. However, the stratovolcano’s remoteness is limiting opportunities for its study, reported the AVO which is relying heavily on satellites for monitoring.

According to the AVO: “Without a real-time seismic network on the volcano, AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest, provide forecasts of eruptive activity, or confirmation of explosive, ash-producing events. AVO is monitoring the volcano using satellite data as it becomes available. Such data suggests that effusive eruption of the lava dome in the summit crater is possibly continuing.”

One of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian Arc, Cleveland has erupted at least 21 times in the last 230 years. A VEI 3 eruption in 1944 produced the arc’s only direct volcanic fatality. Most recently Mount Cleveland has erupted three times in 2009, and twice in 2010.

The volcano is primarily hazardous to aircraft; many of the flights over the north Pacific approach the vicinity of the volcano, and volcanic ash released from eruptions can damage sensitive electronic equipment and sensors.


http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Cleveland.php



2011-08-09 16:05:19 - Status Report

Thermal anomaly at the summit of Cleveland volcano observed overnight in several satellite images. Effusive eruption of lava dome in summit crater possibly continuing. AVO has received no additional information or observations about unrest at the volcano.

Without a real-time seismic network on the volcano, AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest, provide forecasts of eruptive activity, or confirmation of explosive, ash-producing events. AVO is monitoring the volcano using satellite data as it becomes available.

[GCANE]

Aerial photograph of Cleveland's August 2011 lava and summit crater.

This lava dome was extruded sometime after July 7 when the last clear view of the summit area did not show this feature. The formation of the lava dome is consistent with thermal anomalies observed in satellite imagery since July 19, 2011. This dome is approximately 60 m in diameter in a 200m-wide crater. Photograph courtesy of Dave Withrow, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Picture Date: August 08, 2011
Image Creator: Withrow, Dave;
Image courtesy of the photographer and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/image.php?id=36282

[Nightwatch]

Finally it started. Lets wait and see how big this thing gets. Perhaps problems for Airtravel in the near future?

[GCANE]

Finally it started. Lets wait and see how big this thing gets. Perhaps problems for Airtravel in the near future?

Here is a HYSPLIT trajectory forecast for potential ash emissions it they occur.

[GCANE]

Alaska volcano erupting with lava streams from crater


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/alaska-volcano ... 52787.html

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A volcano that has been erupting for several days in Alaska's Aleutian Islands may be preparing for a more explosive event, scientists said on Wednesday.

Cleveland Volcano, a 5,676-foot peak located on Chuginadak Island, about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, has been in low-level eruption since the end of July, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said...."

"An eruption for us is any time that magma is coming up from the surface in the ground," said John Power, scientist in charge at the observatory, a joint federal-state operation. "This is very much happening here."

Chuginadak Island is uninhabited and the volcano has not posed an immediate hazard to anyone or affected air traffic, even though it lies directly in the North America-to-Asia flight corridor used by major airlines, Power said.

[Nightwatch]

Cleveland volcano starts oozing Lava
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A volcano in Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands has begun oozing lava, a signal that the mountain could explode and send up an ash cloud that could threaten aircraft.

Satellite images show lava is building in the crater at the summit of 5,675-foot Cleveland Mountain on an uninhabited island about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

"It's forming a dome-shaped accumulation in the crater," said Chris Waythomas of the U.S. Geological Survey, the observatory's acting scientist in charge. "We call these things 'lava domes.' It looks like a muffin top."

Lava domes form a lid on a volcano's "plumbing," including the chamber holding the magma. When they grow big enough, lava domes become unstable and will sometimes collapse, decompressing the magma chamber and leading to an explosion, Waythomas said.

"They can seal up the conduit and prevent gasses from escaping and lead to an explosive event," he said.

Such an explosion from of the volcano on Chuginadak Island could send an ash cloud 20,000 feet or more into the air, the observatory said.

The nearest village, Nikolski, is on another island about 50 miles east and has 18 permanent residents. In previous eruptions of Cleveland Volcano, the village was not considered to be in harm's way.

"The plume would have to head directly to Nikolski to cause any problems," such as ash that could cause respiratory problems or damage engines, Waythomas said. If the village uses surface water for drinking, ash could temporarily foul it.

The larger threat from ash clouds is to aircraft.

Alaska's Redoubt Volcano blew on Dec. 15, 1989, and sent ash 150 miles away into the path of a KLM jet carrying 231 passengers. Its four engines flamed out. The jet dropped more than 2 miles, from 27,900 feet to 13,300 feet, before the crew was able to restart all engines and land the plane safely at Anchorage.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the airline industry get concerned for trans-Pacific flights when an ash cloud has the potential to exceed the 20,000-foot threshold, as Cleveland Volcano has done in the past.

"Generally anything above that altitude can be hazardous to overflying aircraft," he said.