by Tiffany Mitchell and Danielle Johnson
Following a week of significant eruptions, Alaska’s Mount Redoubt begins to withdraw, but only after blasting explosive amounts of volcanic ash as high as twelve miles into the atmosphere. Mount Redoubt, located around 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, was reported by the Alaska Volcano Observatory to have erupted for the first time in twenty years.
After several months of volcanic unrest, Mount Redoubt unleashes a series of eruptions, beginning on Sunday, March 22. Alaskan residents living within the affected area, more than half of the state’s population, prepare to remove the layer of gritty volcanic ash left in the wake of last week’s eruptions. Last Sunday’s initial explosion was the first to occur since the 1989-1990 Mt. Redoubt eruption which lasted over a period of several months.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported the height of Mount Redoubt’s eruption cloud to be an estimated 50,000 feet above sea level following the most recent explosion which occurred around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, March 28. In the days that passed between last Sunday and Saturday morning, more than a dozen eruptions took place, spewing significant levels of volcanic ash as high as 65,000 feet into the air.
In effort to avoid potential hazards produced by such high levels of volcanic ash, Alaskan Airlines were forced to cancel more than 185 flights, affecting more than 10,000 passengers, according to a report posted on Bloomberg.com. After numerous immediate cancellations made earlier in the week, flights were momentarily resumed.
A Los Angeles Times article on March 24, 2009 stated that Alaska Airlines resumed flights to and from Alaska after assessing conditions that followed 6 volcanic eruptions from Alaska’s 10,200 foot Mt. Redoubt. According to the LA Times staff writer, Pete Thomas, the airlines cancelled 35 flights because of the explosive eruptions that sent ash clouds up to 60,000 feet.
After eruptions on the 24th of March, the airline was forced to seal its grounded jets from abrasive ash particles, according to online news sources. Because scientists anticipate more violent explosions, travelers are encouraged to check Alaska’s website and the Alaska Volcano Observatory website.
According to ETurbo news, on March 27, 2009, Alaska Airlines had suspended all flights into and out of Anchorage due to the mid-morning eruption of Mount Redoubt. Weather reports had indicated that the ash clouds were moving north and near Anchorage, posing a serious risk to air travel. Flights were suspended until daylight of March 27, according to an ETurbo news staff writer. However, a travel advisory posted by Alaska Airlines as late as Sunday evening, March 29 stated that, due to continued eruptions, passengers flying through Anchorage or throughout the state should expect delays.
The volcanic ash created significant safety concerns for aircrafts in the air as well as on the ground because it limits visibility and damages engines. According to the same ETurbo news article, the airline in Anchorage was forced to cancel more than 45 flights the week of March 16th due to eruptions from Mt. Redoubt, this has affected about 4,000 travelers thus far.
Ben Minicucci, Alaska’s Chief Operating Officer, commented on the safety concerns saying, “We recognize these cancellations will significantly impact our customers intending to travel to or from Alaska. These decisions are guided by our commitment to safety, and we are making every effort to re-accommodate customers whose travel plans have been disrupted.”
Mount Redoubt has erupted five times since 1900, according to online sources. One of the eruptions in 1989 emitted volcanic ash to a height of 14,000 meters (45,000 feet), and managed to reach KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight 867 and a Boeing 747 aircraft. The last time Mount Redoubt erupted in 1989-9o, the explosions occurred sporadically over a period
Western State Writers Spring 2009 