 |
Alaskan Volcano Eruption |
by Alli Rodenhauser (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Mount Redoubt is a volcano located in southern Alaska, about 100 miles south of the state's capital, Anchorage. It is almost 9,000 feet tall and considered "active," which means it has erupted recently. Records show previous eruptions occurred in 1881, 1902, 1922, 1966, and 1989.
In late January 2009, scientists monitoring Mouth Redoubt noticed some unusual activity. They warned everybody that they thought an explosion was going to happen soon, and on March 22, 2009, Mouth Redoubt erupted. In the following two weeks, it continued to spew ash, erupting over 20 times and sending ash over 65,000 feet into the air!
All of this ash isn't good for people or animals to breathe, and winds have been carrying it as far north as Anchorage. It is also affecting cars and machinery and, because it is going so high in the air, airplanes are unable to safely fly — Alaska Airlines, the state's main airline, has had to cancel many of its flights.
Mudflows and floods are also becoming a problem. On April 3, a plan was put in place to transfer over 6 million gallons of oil that are currently stored 22 miles away from the volcano. The debris from the volcano had begun to reach the storage facility, and the authorities decided this was the best way to prevent a spill that would be even more dangerous than the eruption.
Hopefully, Mouth Redoubt will settle down soon and become "dormant" again before there is any more damage — there are trained professionals constantly watching the situation, and everybody is doing the best they can to remain safe and healthy.
In late January 2009, scientists monitoring Mouth Redoubt noticed some unusual activity. They warned everybody that they thought an explosion was going to happen soon, and on March 22, 2009, Mouth Redoubt erupted. In the following two weeks, it continued to spew ash, erupting over 20 times and sending ash over 65,000 feet into the air!
All of this ash isn't good for people or animals to breathe, and winds have been carrying it as far north as Anchorage. It is also affecting cars and machinery and, because it is going so high in the air, airplanes are unable to safely fly — Alaska Airlines, the state's main airline, has had to cancel many of its flights.
Mudflows and floods are also becoming a problem. On April 3, a plan was put in place to transfer over 6 million gallons of oil that are currently stored 22 miles away from the volcano. The debris from the volcano had begun to reach the storage facility, and the authorities decided this was the best way to prevent a spill that would be even more dangerous than the eruption.
Hopefully, Mouth Redoubt will settle down soon and become "dormant" again before there is any more damage — there are trained professionals constantly watching the situation, and everybody is doing the best they can to remain safe and healthy.