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Anatahan’s tremor levels still high
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Posted on Jun 13 2005
Volcanic activity on Anatahan remained ‘moderately high” after the second strongest eruption sent ash 45,000 feet into the air over the weekend, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Emergency Management Office said in a joint report yesterday.
The agencies said tremor levels remained high, recording small long-period earthquakes that occurred frequently.
The agencies said that aircraft should take extra precaution within 10 nautical miles of Anatahan, advising them to pass upwind of the island or beyond 10 nautical miles downwind. They pointed out that conditions could change rapidly, and volcanic activity could suddenly escalate.
Citing satellite monitoring by the Air Force Weather Agency, they said the volcano continues to emit a dense ash plume that is rising to 10,000 feet and is moving southwesterly yesterday.
As of yesterday morning, the ash plume extended about 160 nautical miles west of the island. From that point, the plume turned southwest and extended another 400 nautical miles.
The volcano vented its fury over the weekend, kicking up thick clouds of ash to 45,000 feet Saturday, its second strongest eruption in recorded history.
The volume of ash emitted by the volcano has yet to be ascertained. During its strongest eruption last April 6, the agencies said the volcano expelled about 50 million cubic meters of ash, which it spewed out to 50,000 feet.
