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Explosions every few minutes on Anatahan
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Posted on Mar 31 2005
Volcanic explosions have been occurring every few minutes on Anatahan, the Emergency Management Office and the U.S. Geological Survey said yesterday.
The agencies said, though, that the explosions were “small,” less than the magnitude of explosions last February.
They added that steam and ash extends to about 200 kilometers west-northwest of Anatahan yesterday, while volcanic smog had reached about 200 kilometers farther.
Anatahan’s rumbling volcano spewed ash that reached an altitude of about 19,000 feet over the weekend. The volcanic activity appeared to be intensifying, although the island has been recording fluctuating seismicities.
The agencies reported last week that lava was flowing from the volcano’s crater. At one point last week, the agencies described the island’s seismicity as “moderately high.”
The volcano has been erupting for the third time this year since March 18.
Anatahan’s third historical eruption peaked on Jan. 26 and Feb. 2, during which time the volcano sent ash as high as 15,000 to 20,000 feet locally and as far as 100 miles downwind, and volcanic smog nearly 600 miles downwind.
Anatahan’s volcano first erupted after centuries of dormancy on May 10, 2003, with ash plume rising to an altitude of over 30,000 feet. That eruption, which ceased by mid-June that year, deposited about 10-million cubic meters of material over Anatahan Island and the sea. The second batch of volcanic eruptions happened from April to June 2004.
