ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2009) — Alaska's Mount Redoubt Volcano has erupted, spewing ash thousands of feet into the air.

The volcano, 106 miles southwest of Anchorage, erupted explosively on March 22, 2009, at approximately 10:38 PM AKDT, sending a cloud of volcanic ash to an estimated 50,000 feet above sea level. Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) are monitoring the volcano closely as the eruption continues.

Ash plumes generated by the explosive bursts are drifting north-northeast. Ash fall has been reported in Skwentna and the Chuitna area.

The eruption follows an increase March 15 of seismic activity at Mount Redoubt, when approximately four hours of continuous volcanic tremor ensued. The onset of the tremor was associated with a small explosion that produced a plume of gas and ash that rose to about 15,000 feet above sea level and deposited a trace amount of ash over the summit-crater floor and down the south flank of the volcano to about 3,000 feet.

AVO's dynamic website (http://www.avo.alaska.edu/) contains extensive information about present and past volcanic activity in Alaska and is increasingly popular as a destination for real-time data about Alaska's restless volcanoes. 

The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by U.S. Geological Survey.

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Looking south at the north flank of Redoubt volcano. Ashfall limited to south crater floor, rim, and extending south-southeast. Source of ash is a vent south of the 1990 dome at an elevation of ~8300 ft. (Credit: Heather Bleick / Image courtesy of AVO/USGS)

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