Mar 18 2009
in which we get photographic evidence of just how much nothing mt. redoubt is doing
This picture comes from a webcam located 7 miles from Mt. Redoubt, and as you can see here, as of 9:12 this morning, all that’s coming up is a bit of steam. That’s a lot more something than Redoubt’s been doing since 1989, but even so, it’s…not much. The date’s stamped right on there, so you can see when this was taken, although maybe not at this resolution; click on the picture to enlarge.
According to an msnbc.com article published yesterday, more rumbling and the minor eruption Sunday has the alert level back up to orange (the “highest alert level,” says the site, which…okay, but wouldn’t red be the highest level?), but the Alaska Volcano Observatory says it’s at yellow. That’s an awfully quick downgrade, especially since this recent-but-minor eruption took place after two months of mostly non-activity. Apparently Redoubt’s calmed way down since the weekend, but still. The webcam from which this picture was taken, if you want to see more-or-less up-to-the-minute volcano coverage (and if you do, you really need a hobby, because…have I mentioned how Redoubt is still doing a lot of nothing?) can be found on that site too.
A few commenters have said that it must be kind of scary and exciting living this close to an active volcano. And to be honest…it’s really not. It’s interesting and I’m curious to see what happens, and if we get a major, 1989-level eruption, it’ll cause some problems–we might not be able to get any planes in or out for a bit, I suppose, and the ash could cause damage to vehicles and delicate equipment if it gets through filters, which it probably will. It can also be dangerous to people with respiratory problems.
But those are all relatively minor issues, and they can all be dealt with. We should probably stock up a bit on air filters, I suppose, and if the alert level goes up we’ll start covering our computers with trash bags again. I’m pretty sure I’ve got some surgical masks in my trunk just in case. With precautions, we’re not in really major danger from Redoubt spouting ash. (We’re also across Cook Inlet from it. Anyone on the Kenai Peninsula will get heavier ashfall than we will.) Depending on the wind, too, we might just get some dirty snow. It’s not as if Redoubt is threatening a Vesuvius-like disaster; Alaskan volcanoes tend to produce little to no lava or pyroclastic flows, to my knowledge, and it’s not going to bury us so deep in ash that we all suffocate.
Would I go climbing on Redoubt until it goes dormant again? Heck no. But then I’m not a climber anyway. And anybody living in southcentral Alaska is pretty used to seismic activity of some kind; at some level we’re all a little worried about another 1964 earthquake, but until then…we make our buildings as earthquake-safe as possible and live with it. I’d rather be here than Tornado Alley or some place down south that regularly gets hurricanes and tropical storms.
