Mt. Redoubt erupts in Alaska

[pastorp]

Mt. Redoubt erupted 5 times during the night, last night. Weve been expecting it to do this for a while. Mt. Redubt is across Cook inlet from our largest city Anchorage. There was very little ash reported in Anchorage due to the wind direction. Most ash being reported 50miles or so north of Anchorage.

What you think Earthquakes and now Volcanios. 

[Skunk]

What you think Earthquakes and now Volcanios. 

I think that any place in the world where two or more tectonic plates are applying force on each other, there is a chance for both volcanic action as well as earthquakes.

[MGMorden]

I think that any place in the world where two or more tectonic plates are applying force on each other, there is a chance for both volcanic action as well as earthquakes.

Indeed.  It's been a long time since Geology 101, but essentially many volcanoes form along fault lines as one plate slips below another.  The plate going under can build pressure, which when it releases causes earthquakes, and also melt is it goes below, which rises to form a volcano.

If the plates collide and both push upwards then you get non-volcanic mountains, but still the chance at earthquakes.  On the flip side, when you have volcanoes not caused by plate tectonics (such as Hawaii, which is simply a "hot spot" over which the crust moves), then you typically get heavy volcanic activity but since there's no faults, there's little chance at an earthquake.

Also, the source of the material being melted will heavily influence the type of eruption.  Oceanic crust that melts is very viscous and will more or less just spew out hot lava (like in Hawaii) that is destructive, but with little explosive force..  Continental crust on the other hand tends to explode generating huge ash plumes (a la Mt St Helens). 

[Sourdough]

Mt Redoubt erupts every 15 to 30 years it seems.  It last erupted in 1990.  I lived in Eagle River, (Anchorage suburb) at the time.  We got some ash, just a dusting in Anchorage and Eagle River.

Redoubt was nothing like Mt. Spur.  We actually used Road Graders and Snow Plows to remove the ash from the runway at Elmendorf AFB. That was in 1992.

It's cool to be able to sit and watch Volcanoes erupt from your window, We could see both Redoubt and Spur from the windows of our house in Eagle River.  We lived up near the top of a mountain, above tree line.

[Cabin4]

Mother Earth is going to exspell us all from her home one of these days. Maybe sooner rather then later.

[-Shaggy-]

Yeah, but she'll miss us when we're gone.

[Sourdough]

Alaska Airlines has canceled all flights to and from Fairbanks, as of Monday morning.  Lots of people sitting at the air port in Anchorage trying to get home.  We are isolated again.  They say ash can fall as far north as Fairbanks.  Ash has been reported in Skawitna, Willow, Petersville, Talkeetna, and Cantwell. 

[Skunk]

I think that any place in the world where two or more tectonic plates are applying force on each other, there is a chance for both volcanic action as well as earthquakes.

Indeed.  It's been a long time since Geology 101, but essentially many volcanoes form along fault lines as one plate slips below another.  The plate going under can build pressure, which when it releases causes earthquakes, and also melt is it goes below, which rises to form a volcano.

If the plates collide and both push upwards then you get non-volcanic mountains, but still the chance at earthquakes.  On the flip side, when you have volcanoes not caused by plate tectonics (such as Hawaii, which is simply a "hot spot" over which the crust moves), then you typically get heavy volcanic activity but since there's no faults, there's little chance at an earthquake.

Also, the source of the material being melted will heavily influence the type of eruption.  Oceanic crust that melts is very viscous and will more or less just spew out hot lava (like in Hawaii) that is destructive, but with little explosive force..  Continental crust on the other hand tends to explode generating huge ash plumes (a la Mt St Helens).

Great review of Plate Tectonics, MGMorden.

[pastorp]

Talked to my oldest daughter in Anchorage this morning and so far no ash there. The wind currents has blown it about 50 miles north of Anchorage. The plume was 9 miles high. Some flights were cancelled going mostly north and NW out of Anchorage.

This cancelled flight thing was concerning my wife a lot. Thursday she flies up to Anchorage for our latest Grandsons first birthday. Her flight should be ok.

[Sourdough]

And this thing just keeps going and going.  Erupted three times yesterday, and again this morning.  They are worried about an oil storage facility on the shore of Cook Inlet being damaged by lava or mud flows.

[pastorp]

Well Mt. Redoubt won again. I took the Mrs over to catch her jet to Anchorage yesterday, Anchorage part of the flight cancelled. So we stay overnight hoping it will be better today. No dice. Now we came back home. Just cancelled the trip.  You can't fight nature.