Alaska braces for possible volcanic eruption

Reuters ^ | 12/23/5 | Yereth Rosen

[Crackingham]

A restless volcano near Alaska's most populated region is being watched by scientist and officials, who warned on Thursday of the risk of clouds of ash and a tsunami from a possible eruption.

The intensifying rumblings in the past few weeks at Augustine Volcano, an island peak 175 miles southwest of Anchorage in Cook Inlet, have produced a series of steam explosions, releases of sulfur gas and signs that there may be an eruption similar to events in 1986 and 1976 which sent ash clouds as high as 40,000 feet, scientists said.

There has even been an increase of 1 inch at the top of the 4,134-foot (1,260-m) volcano, a sign that seismic activity is causing the summit to bulge slightly, said John Power, a seismologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, a joint office run by the U.S. Geological Survey and state agencies.

"All of these things are very typical of what you would expect to see in a volcano that is reawakening," Power said.

[Cindy]

ping

[carumba]

We have to hope that particulates and gases from a volcanic eruption do nothing to derail the global warming juggernaut. I enjoy irony as much as the next guy but that would be too much. So my prediction is that things will be different in the coming year yet strangely familiar.

[Prime Choice]

The intensifying rumblings in the past few weeks at Augustine Volcano, an island peak 175 miles southwest of Anchorage in Cook Inlet, have produced a series of steam explosions, releases of sulfur gas and signs that there may be an eruption similar to events in 1986 and 1976 which sent ash clouds as high as 40,000 feet, scientists said.

Okay, quick field poll.

How many of you remember the eruption and devastation of Mount St. Helens?

Alright, how many of you remember the eruptions and devastation caused by Augustine in 1976 and 1986?

I rest my case.

[Kathy in Alaska]

USGS Scientist Tim Plucinski installs an earthquake sensor on the eastern flank of Augustine Volcano on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Alaska Volcano Observatory

[SamAdams76]

I'm not thinking the volcano

[Cindy]

Oh dear.
That looks like a good-sized volcano.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Volcanos are just the Earth's way of farting.

[Thane_Banquo]

Everything's big in Alaska.

[Atlantic Bridge]

- Volcanos are just the Earth's way of farting. -

BuHuHaHa! YEP!

Augustine is not one of the "real" bad boys, since its eruptions were relatively moderate compared to those of Taupo, Pinatubo, Yellowstone, Tambora or Okmok, Fisher or Aniakchak in Alaska. Anyway no real threat for more global cooling or warming...


http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1103-01-

[ken5050]

I thought the headline referred to Sen Ted Stevens..He blew his stack on the Senate floor yesterday..

[cloud8]

Photo by Richard Waitt, U.S. Geological Survey, 1988 (fair use policy)

Do you say uh-GUS-tin or AW-gus-teen? (Ach du lieber!) Good luck!

[RobFromGa]

Can't we just feed a few Senators to the Volcano gods? They appear to have Terminal Brain Cloud anyway.

[Issaquahking]

I remember the eruption back in 76! really hard on car paint. If you didn't spray off the volcanic dust anywhere anything that sat on a flat surface (hood) looked like a water ring was there permanently.

Kind of ironic that I lived about a mile from Fire Lake (out in Ealge River) at the time.

[burzum]

Your post reminds me of a quote from Futurama

Fry: "This snow is beautiful. I'm glad global warming never happened."
Leela: "Actually, it did. But thank God nuclear winter canceled it out."

[Issaquahking]

AW-gus-teen.

[Steely Tom]

Dear me, I hope this eruption doesn't cause any pollution. I'd hate to see the EPA have to go up there and arrest the volcano.

[Bon mots]

Oh dear. That looks like a good-sized volcano.

Yellowstone is much bigger, but you can't even see it!

[Flyer]

You have all the fun ping. . .

[msnimje]

Ted Stevens? He is pretty mad.