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EMO: Eruption on Anatahan gaining strength
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Posted on Apr 28 2005
Anatahan’s volcanic eruption appeared to be escalating anew, with the Emergency Management Office and the U.S. Geological Survey gauging its magnitude at about a quarter of the strongest historical eruption on April 6 when the volcano ejected about 50 million cubic meters of ash.
The agencies have not quantified the amount of ash being emitted by the volcano this time, but they reported ash plume to have risen to up to 15,000 feet in the air. They said the ash plume extended over 220 nautical miles north-northwest Wednesday.
The agencies said seismicity on Anatahan began to intensify Tuesday, reaching about one quarter of the explosive eruption last April 6. They reported at least two “small” explosions occurring Wednesday, besides another one last Monday.
The EMO issued a volcanic haze advisory for Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan Wednesday. The EMO lifted the advisory yesterday, saying that the wind blew the volcanic ash from southeast to northeast direction, away from the islands.
Seismic monitoring on Anatahan has been partially restored after Emergency Management Office staff flew to the island Friday to repair its only functional seismic station.
Before the repair, EMO geophysical seismic technician Juan Takai Camacho said that all seismic stations that were installed on Anatahan to monitor volcanic activity on the island were malfunctioning, hampering the EMO’s monitoring capability. Two other seismic stations have earlier malfunctioned.
The EMO and the USGS said that they would attempt to repair another seismic station when the eruption calms down.
Last April 6, the volcano’s eruption sent clouds of ash to an altitude of 50,000 feet. “The vog [volcanic smog] plume from that eruption is currently widespread over the western Philippine Sea, over 1,300 nautical miles west of Anatahan.”
