Mt. Redoubt volcano, like a ticking bomb, keeps Alaskans on high alert

Like a ticking bomb, Mount Redoubt rumbles and heats from within, venting steam from newly-formed fumaroles, keeping Alaskans who live in its shadow on extreme alert.

Overnight "a high-intensity burst of volcanic tremor" occurred for six minutes, reports the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The observatory asserts "there was no eruption associated with this tremor."

Increasingly, though, it's appearing that the volcano will indeed erupt, which is an ominous prospect for those living in communities directly across the Cook Inlet on the Kenai Peninsula.

Volcanic ash and dust is jagged and can irritate skin, eyes and respiratory systems. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

The prospect of an eruption is not welcome by visiting fishermen either. In a few months it will be salmon season on the Kenai and in surrounding areas. A prolonged eruption, like the one in 1989-90, may adversely affect water quality and fishing.

But for now it seems entirely up to Mother Nature. Will the eruption occur today, tomorrow, next week or next month? And how extensive will the eruption become?

Only time will tell.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: The north flank of Mount Redoubt on Super Bowl Sunday 2009. Credit: Chris Waythomas / Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey

Comments

[CHELSEA]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN BELIEVE THIS LOL =(

[DragonKicker]

LOL you think this is dangerous to us? HAHA thats funny.

[Roostingwithrobins]

Yeah right. We're not going to leave. We'll stay until she goes.

[vicki nikitin]

Why is Chevron doing this? Sarah, we down here in the lower 48 who love you, get Chevron the hell out of there andn stop toxic waste.

[Geology Class GHS]

Would be cool to have an eruption to study! Don't want to hurt people in area though. Watch out for lahars & pyroclastic flows!!

[Linda]

There is no 'get outta here' with Alaska. If there is a lava flow, it won't be like in Hawaii where we can actually walk on hardening lava or watch it from a close location as it oozes down the mountain side. This mountain is across a body of water from the nearest populated area. The largest concern that folks have is the effect it will have on their vehicles (air filters, paint jobs, etc), their persons (those with breathing issues like asthma), and air traffic which would probably be stalled out until the ash clouds dissipated.

Leaving is not an option nor a necessity in my opinion. Being prepared with face masks, replacement air filters, and similar precautions seems more viable.

[Bob Shavelson]

This is truly one of the wonders of living in Alaska. But there's a fly in the ointment: Chevron is refusing to divulge the volume of oil in tanks sitting beneath the volcano; most disturbingly, Chevron is falling back on a bogus Homeland Security rationale to justify the secrecy. See http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/673773.html

This is the same Chevron that's dumping billions of gallons of toxic oil and gas wastes into Cook Inlet fisheries each year. See http://www.inletkeeper.org/energy/production.htm Cook Inlet is the only coastal waterbody in the nation where such dumping occurs, and the technology clearly exists to reinject these wastes to protect our fisheries. But that might cut into profits.

[AlaskanHomeAgain]

Ok, so in the many years I have lived in Alaska, and even being around for several of the "Volcanic Eruptions", earth quakes, avalanches, and so on and so forth, blah, blah, blah...
This really is nothing new to us. We live in a land that is mostly untouched by human's for a reason! The biggest effect this will have is a couple "snow days" and possibly a bit of ash fallout in the larger cities, which mind you is less than some apartment complexes in the California area.
We are preparred as that is a way of life for us. Is there concern of course, will it alter life, perhaps for a few days. BUt the great thing about living in a land where the snow is falling, it actually helps to settle the ash, and honestly I don't remember much effect from the last time other than airline delay's and a bit of "off time" while the ash settled.
It's all good Ladies and Gentlemen, we are actually less concerned with Mt. Redoubt than we are about the snow pack for the Iditarod Start up and the Iron Dog races!!!

[Kenai Peninsula]

No one is running because no one lives "in the shadow" of Mt Redoubt!! It is across a huge inlet, there will be no one affected by lava flows or whatever else everyone is so concerned about. We will get ash fall...again...not a big deal. But thanks for your concern!

[Alaskan4life]

Nobody is running anywhere yet. This isnt anything to be scared of, although the people who sell masks and water may disagree.

I've been through all major eruptions in AK over the past 30 years and it's rather fun actually. It's nature's raw power up close and personal.

There's really nothing you can do either, besides a few common sense things: have water, masks, etc.

I doubt it will even blow, but it may. I see more fear mongering going on than anything.

[Arthur Roberts]

Everyone within the vicinity is prepared, right? Are people evacuating?

For anyone living near active volcanoes or anyone that would like to be prepared against possible terrorist attacks, I'd definitely recommend buying smoke hoods for everyone in the family.

I found some that are still available on a website called Aeromedix. Here's the link:
http://www.aeromedix.com/product-exec/parent_id/1/category_id/12/product_id/1074/nm/Safe_Escape_Smoke_Hood

They're actually on sale now, I think.

[Kristina]

okay ummm for those ppl in alaska all i gotta say is gitout you better RUN!!!!!!