Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northward.

Recent observations: The volcano is mostly obscured by clouds again this morning. Over the past couple of weeks, seismicity has gradually picked up and is now back to a level similar to that detected in mid December. Also, GPS stations located on the 1980-1986 lava dome have moved northward about 10-15 cm since early January, following a period of little movement through the latter half of December. We are keeping a close watch to see whether these changes portend a shift in eruptive style or vigor. Next week, if weather permits, crews will attempt more gas measurements, aerial photography, and placement of a new instrumentation package on the rapidly growing part of the new lava dome.