Mt. Fitzherbert
USGS Update 2005-Mar-11 10:55
Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift lazily north-northwestward to north-northeastward early in the day, and switch to a stronger eastward drift later.
Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.
Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and sporting a modest steam plume. Yesterday crews made more visual observations, measured gases, retrieved and deployed GPS units, and collected more ash samples. The source of Tuesday's explosion from the north-northwest side of the new dome was confirmed. Gases were up slightly from the last measurement, but are well within the range of previous measurements. They do not indicate the presence of a new batch of particularly gas-rich magma. A new GPS unit was placed on the old lava dome, and a unit on the glacier was retrieved. Seismicity remains at a level comparable to that of the days before Tuesday's explosive event. Today, crews are conducting further visual observations and making needed adjustments to our voice communication system.