Redoubt could explode at any time

Redoubt Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH

Latest update from AVO:

An explosive event could occur at any time with little warning

Local time: May 06, 2009 0525 AKDT (May 06, 2009 1325 UTC)

2009-05-06 04:23:52
Seismic activity remains unchanged over the last 2 hours. Repeating seismic events continue. It is possible that an explosive event could occur at any time with little warning. Weather clouds have dissipated near the volcano. The volcano is once again visible from the Hut netcam, and has occasionally revealed glowing spots related to rockfalls from the growing dome.

Image of Redoubt’s dome and summit area, taken during gas / observation flight on May 4, 2009. Image Creator: Keith Labay ; Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.

View of the north flank of Redoubt Volcano from the research hut where one of the webcams is situated. This zoomed image shows a minor block-and-ash flow advancing down the talus slope below the dome produced from hot debris shed off the dome. Hot debris collects in the gorge above the waterfall generating minor, secondary steam/ash clouds. Picture Date: April 30, 2009 14:14:39 AKDT –  Image Creator: Game McGimsey -Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.

View of the growing lava dome during gas and observation flight on May 4, 2009. Note the tongue of blocky lava extending down the upper Drift gorge. A lighter gray slope of talus – rocky debris shed off the slowly advancing tongue of lava – fills the gorge downslope, nearly reaching the muddy waterfall. Small plumes of ash rise from rockfalls. Note the vigorously steaming margins of the dome, possibly caused by interaction of hot rock and water accumulating from melting snow and ice in the summit crater. Colleague Rick Wessels used a shortwave infrared (SWIR) image captured by a nighttime pass of Landsat 7 to show the dimensions of the dome – about 510 x 760 m (1700 feet x 2500 feet) and at least 150 m (500 feet) high. See image below. Picture Date: May 04, 2009 AKDT – Image Creator: Christina Neal – Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.

Shortwave infrared (SWIR) image of the warm dome areas captured by a nighttime pass of Landsat 7 on May 02, 2009. The hot dome pixels have been placed over a WorldView image from April 16, 2009 and a topographic map from 1990. The SWIR image shows a hot central vent as well as areas of active rockfalls along the perimeter.

Picture Date: May 02, 2009 07:12:54 UTC  –  Image Creator: Rick Wessels – Image montage produced by AVO/USGS. Landsat data courtesy of USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS). WorldView Data, Digital Globe, Inc (copyright 2009)

Redoubt Volcano active lava dome taken from the north The top image is an oblique airphoto by Game McGimsey while the bottom shows the FLIR thermal image. Picture Date: April 16, 2009 12:48:50 AKDT – Image Creator: Rick Wessels – Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.

Related Links

• U.S. Volcano Status Map
• Elevated Activity Page
• U.S. Volcano Webcams

• Volcanoes [FEWW Links]
• Earthquakes