This is very unusual volcanic activity -- it came without warning and was
totally unexpected. The volcano just blew! Pretty cool, eh?
There's many more volcanoes in the continental USA, even some on the east
coast. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volcus/
It is most interesting watching geo-physics in action.
Fascinating.
On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:20:00 -0700 (PDT), BradGuth <bradguth@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
>Good thing that our Google/NOVA of Usenet/newsgroup wizards insist
>that tidal flexing and the regular laws of physics has nothing
>whatsoever to do with this ongoing geophysical event, or of anything
>else that's global warming us to death.
>
>It must be because of those nasty Muslims and of all those wussy
>Democrats again, and otherwise caused by those of us that don't
>entirely believe each and every published word of our faith-based
>government, as though it were the one and only word of God.
>
>- Brad Guth Brad_Guth Brad.Guth BradGuth
>
>
>www. freedomtofascism. com wrote:
>> USGS Tracks Explosive Eruption of Okmok Volcano in Alaska
>> Released: 7/18/2008 5:58:27 PM
>>
>> Contact Information:
>> U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
>> Office of Communication
>> 119 National Center
>> Reston, VA 20192 Jennifer Adleman
>> Phone: 907-786-7497
>>
>>
>>
>>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Anchorage, AK - Okmok Volcano in Alaska continues to produce explosions
and
>> ash plumes through a newly created vent and poses hazards to air travel
in
>> the area.
>>
>> Scientists are using a combination of seismic and GPS instruments on
the
>> ground and weather and radar satellites in space to track the progress
of
>> the eruption. Human visual observations are limited because airborne
ash
>> obscures a view of what is happening inside the volcano's
6-mile-diameter
>> caldera and the area is too hazardous to enter.
>>
>> "We are dealing with a scientific challenge because the volcano went
from
>> very quiet to a large eruption, putting ash to high altitudes with
almost no
>> warning," said John Power, Acting Scientist in Charge of the Alaska
Volcano
>> Observatory (AVO).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The powerful eruption in the Eastern Aleutian Islands began
unexpectedly on
>> July 12, sending up a wet, ash and gas-rich plume that reached an
altitude
>> of 50,000 ft above sea level. Heavy ash fall occurred on eastern Um****
>> Island. A dusting of ash fell in the busy fi****ng community of
Unalaska, 65
>> miles northeast of Okmok volcano. The ash plume soon spanned several
hundred
>> miles across the North Pacific, causing many trans-Pacific flights to
be
>> diverted and cancellation of flights to the Dutch Harbor air****t. The
gas
>> cloud from the eruption is now over Montana.
>>
>> The eruption also destroyed or damaged seismic and deformation sensing
>> equipment at two monitoring stations. A third station has lost its
>> communication pathway due to destruction at the other two. Seismic
equipment
>> relays earthquake information and GPS equipment is used in monitoring
the
>> deformation of the ground surface in response to magma movement. Seven
>> seismic stations are still operational and seismicity has gradually
>> decreased in intensity since the initial eruption.
>>
>> At a minimum, activity at Okmok is likely to continue for days or
weeks.
>> Strong gas-driven explosions can produce rock ballistics or larger
volcanic
>> debris that can be hurled beyond the crater rim of the volcanic
caldera,
>> potentially landing in surrounding areas several miles away. Fast
moving
>> clouds of ash, larger debris, and hot gas can form and flow across the
>> caldera floor, rise up over the caldera wall and continue to flow down
>> Okmok's flanks. Rain mixed with ash could create mudflows and rapid
flooding
>> along island drainages. As soon as conditions allow, AVO scientists
will
>> travel to the volcano in order to do***ent and understand the sudden
onset
>> of explosive activity and repair damage to monitoring equipment.
>>
>> The Okmok caldera formed during catastrophic eruptions 12,000 and 2,000
>> years ago. There are about a dozen cones within the modern caldera that
>> formed in the last 2000 years, and the most recent eruptive activity
>> occurred in 1945, 1958 and 1997. One violent eruption of Okmok in 1817
>> produced many feet of ash and "scoria" rock debris on the northeastern
>> caldera rim, as well as ash fall on Unalaska Island and floods that
buried
>> an Aleut village at Cape Ta**** on the northeast Bering Sea Coast of
Um****
>> Island.
>>
>> USGS is responsible for issuing timely warnings of potential volcanic
>> disasters to affected communities and civil authorities.
>>
>> Information about the current eruption of Okmok Volcano, including
activity
>> statements, images, background materials, and related hazards can be
found
>> at the AVO home page and the AVO Okmok Activity web page.
>>
>> The Preliminary volcano-hazard *****sment for Okmok Volcano, Um****
Island,
>> Alaska is available.
>>
>> AVO is a partner****p of USGS, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and
Alaska
>> Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.
>>
>> http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1977
|
