Friday, August 22, 2008
Alaska: Not all volcanoes display some activity!
A moderate earthquake occurred Saturday near the Kasatochi Volcano in the Aleutian Islands.
The earthquake, which was picked up by instruments monitoring the Kasatochi Volcano, had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 and was centered 84 miles southwest of Adak.
The volcano began erupting last Thursday. After the last several days where the volcano was producing large ash clouds, it quieted on Saturday to the point where devices on nearby Great Sitkin Island about 25 miles away could not detect any activity, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
However, the observatory kept the alert color code level at red Saturday until it can be determined that eruptions had declined.
A large drifting cloud from previous ash emissions continued to be observed by satellite.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service on Saturday issued an ashfall advisory for the eastern Aleutian Islands, including the cities of Unalaska and Nikolski.
The ash advisory was to remain in effect until midnight Sunday.
It was issued as a result of continued eruptions from the Okmok Volcano, which began erupting July 12 and is located about 65 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor. Seismic activity at Okmok increased Saturday morning, lasting about an hour before settling back down.
Ash was moving in a southeastward direction from the volcano.
Light ashfall was expected on Unalaska Island, west of Dutch Harbor.
The Cleveland Volcano, which began erupting July 21, was quiet on Sunday with no observable ash cloud.
The earthquake, which was picked up by instruments monitoring the Kasatochi Volcano, had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 and was centered 84 miles southwest of Adak.
The volcano began erupting last Thursday. After the last several days where the volcano was producing large ash clouds, it quieted on Saturday to the point where devices on nearby Great Sitkin Island about 25 miles away could not detect any activity, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
However, the observatory kept the alert color code level at red Saturday until it can be determined that eruptions had declined.
A large drifting cloud from previous ash emissions continued to be observed by satellite.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service on Saturday issued an ashfall advisory for the eastern Aleutian Islands, including the cities of Unalaska and Nikolski.
The ash advisory was to remain in effect until midnight Sunday.
It was issued as a result of continued eruptions from the Okmok Volcano, which began erupting July 12 and is located about 65 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor. Seismic activity at Okmok increased Saturday morning, lasting about an hour before settling back down.
Ash was moving in a southeastward direction from the volcano.
Light ashfall was expected on Unalaska Island, west of Dutch Harbor.
The Cleveland Volcano, which began erupting July 21, was quiet on Sunday with no observable ash cloud.