Anatahan eruption continues
The Emergency Management Office maintained its advisory for aircraft to take caution amid continuing volcanic activity on Anatahan.
EMO said the seismicity level on the island continues at about 80 percent of the level achieved in late April, which was the highest this year.
The agency made these findings after U.S. Geological Survey employees Andy Lockhart and Frank Trusdell visited Anatahan last Friday to service the seismic stations, and observed “strombolian explosions throwing generally coarse material upward a hundred meters or so about once per minute.”
EMO said the blasts correlate with the explosion signals on the seismic records.
The USGS employees also observed that the spatter from the explosions has nearly filled the inner crater.
“A 30 km.-long plume of light ash and steam continues to stream downwind—generally westward—from the volcano at a level well below 10,000 feet,” EMO said.
During their visit to the island, Lockhart and Trusdell also added a third seismic station and microphones at two of the seismic stations, all tele-metered to EMO on Saipan.
EMO said the island will remain “off-limits” until further notice, in accordance with Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s declaration. This means that all travels to the island are restricted, except for scientific expedition.
The “off-limits” zone extends to 10 nautical miles around Anatahan.
“Although the volcano is not currently dangerous to most aircraft within the CNMI airspace, conditions may change rapidly, and aircraft should pass upwind of Anatahan or farther than 30 km downwind from the island and exercise due caution within 30-50 km of Anatahan,” EMO added.
The governor began placing Anatahan under such declaration days after the volcano’s big eruption on May 10 last year. The volcanic activity eventually slowed down, but regained intensity last March 30.
A more energetic seismicity stage began on April 24, when a light ash cloud rose to a few thousand feet, EMO said.
