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Anatahan ash plume reaches Philippines
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Posted on Apr 12 2005
Anatahan’s strongest volcanic eruption last week expelled roughly 50 million cubic meters of ash into the air, creating plumes that have now reached the Philippines.
The Philippines is located about 1,150 nautical miles west of Anatahan.
Last Wednesday’s explosive eruption sent clouds of ash to an altitude of 50,000 feet, resulting in the cancellation or delay in international and inter-island flights on Saipan, located about 120 km south of Anatahan.
That eruption, Anatahan’s strongest historical eruption with a magnitude exceeding that of May 2003, darkened Saipan’s skies, causing panic among some people. It also resulted in suspension of classes.
Yesterday, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Emergency Management Office said in a joint report that seismicity on Anatahan had been very low since last week.
The agencies said that a plume of steam and ash extended to about 150 nautical miles west-southwest of Anatahan yesterday morning. The plume reached an altitude of 9,000 feet. The EMO continued to warn aircraft to avoid passing near 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 beyond 10 nautical miles downwind from the island and exercise due caution within 10 nautical miles,” the EMO said.
The first historical eruption of Anatahan began on May 10, 2003, after hundreds of years of dormancy. It sent ash to over 30,000 feet and deposited about 10 million cubic meters of material over the island and sea.
The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported then that ash plume covered over 1-million-square miles of airspace above the Pacific Ocean, posing danger to vast airspace. Ash plume reached the Philippines’ Isabela province.
The second historical eruption began on about April 9, 2004 after about a week of increasing seismicity, occasionally sending ash up to several thousand feet. That eruption ended on 26 July 2004.
The third historical eruption of Anatahan began on Jan. 6, 2005. That eruption peaked on Feb. 2, sending ash 20,000 feet into the air.
