Just a quick update if you haven’t been following the discussion: Kasatochi volcano in the Aleutians is now listed in “Red Alert” as it is erupting (see image above). Not many details beyond the typical description of ash columns, in this case reaching 45,000 feet, which is a pretty decent height. The Coast Guard warns of pumice rafts from the eruption, but it is hard to tell if it because they exist, or that it is just the generic warning for any eruption at sea. The two USFS biologists were evacuated before the eruption.
Edit 8/8/08: I’ll add a link to the official USGS Press Release on the Kasatochi eruption. So far, it seems like another volcano that went from no indications of activity to eruption in a fairly short period (< 24 hours).
8 responses to “Kasatochi erupts”
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Thanks for the update from the field, Ric!
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I am currently on Adak, about 50 miles from Kasotochi. It has been overcast here since the eruption. No visibility of the plume. Slight sulfur smell at times depending on wind direction. Multiple earthquakes the morning of the eruption and several noticable ones since. We had a 5.4 magnitued earthequake this morning, but not associated with the volcano.
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Looks like we might have a longer seismic trail once the data is fully analyzed. It also looks like some of the earthquakes were as big at M5.8, which is impressive if they are directly volcanically related.
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Google Earth shows a large number of earthquakes over the last couple of days around and to the south of the island .Perhaps a hundred.
Requires USGS plugin for GE.
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