Comments | howlsthunder: The Volcano Has Blown

howlsthunder

The Volcano Has Blown

Mar 23, 2009 07:30

Remember a few months ago, one of our volcanoes, Mt. Redoubt, was making international headlines because it was showing signs of wanting to go? Well, around 10pm last night it went. Since then it has erupted 5 times. The ash cloud is waaaay up at 60,000ft and though the wind is carrying it north (inland), it is also a bit west so it is hugging ( Read more... )

weather, alaska

Comments 5

sizzferret March 23 2009, 16:08:15 UTC

Piccurs or it didn't happen!! =D

howlsthunder March 23 2009, 16:20:54 UTC

lol, well, you cannot see Redoubt from Palmer and its over 100 miles south west of Anchorage. The BBC has a picture, though:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7959261.stm

And the Anchorage Daily News has more links and articles:
http://www.adn.com/volcano/story/732796.html

Apparently the volcano has its own Twitter feed as well. :P

sizzferret March 23 2009, 16:26:35 UTC

Ooooh thanks! =o
Growing up at the foot of Mt Lassen I always wished it would erupt.

When I was around 16 there were raging forest fires in California that caused my hometown to be bathed in a fog of smoke. The sun made it all look dark yellow. Visibility was like in that movie Silent Hill, minus all the ash. It was neat. =x

howlsthunder March 23 2009, 16:34:52 UTC

Yeah - we get all those big forest fires up here sometimes, too, and it would make the sunsets super red and orange. Once I was up in Glenallen south of a bunch of fires and everything was bathed in orange light - very post apocalyptic.

Volcano activity is very different; it smells of sulfur, for one, and the ash particles are VERY fine and can make it to the lungs whereas fire ash has larger particulate that is easier for the body to filter out. Also, the ash is rock rather than plant matter, so it is very abrasive, damaging not just lungs but vehicle engines, computers, etc. and surfaces in general.

Mom just now had me go outside - though you can't see anything you can get the slightest whiff of sulfur on the air.

soulassassin547 March 23 2009, 17:02:24 UTC

Last time I got really personal with Mt. Pinatubo: jaw-dropping giant ashcloud on Independence Day (June 12, 1990), then some weeks later ashfall right upon the roof (killing all electrical power for weeks), and the next day had to shovel it all off. Never forgot about putting on those swim goggles on while biking in the rainy grit either.