Sunday, February 1, 2009

Volcano Update


Volcano Update
THE ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY (AVO) issued the following statement at 8 am Eastern:
Seismic unrest continues at Redoubt. Activity is still well above normal background levels. Nothing new to report — seismic levels have again remained about the same over the last few hours. AVO continues to observe potential activity with seismic, satellite and radar data. The volcano has not erupted. An AVO observation flight (Saturday) afternoon reported no sign of ash emission, but observed significant steaming from a new melt depression at the mouth of the summit crater near the vent area of the 1989-90 eruption.The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level remains at WATCH.
They have also confirmed the new depression is a fumarole, an opening in the earth that emits gases and steam, that is increasing in size at an alarming rate. They also saw water streaming down the glacier, indicating heat from magma is reaching higher elevations of the mountain.
“The glacier is sort of falling apart in the upper part,” research geologist Kristi Wallace said.

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