Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward early in the day and southeastward later.

Recent observations: Two more relatively large earthquakes have occurred—a M2.8 at 3am and a M2.7 at about 9am. The mountain is shrouded in clouds this morning, but recent images from the camera at the mouth of the crater show that as the new lava spine grows, the area of the formerly active spine is sagging and collapsing. The earthquakes are likely associated chiefly with that collapse. Except for these occasional larger quakes, seismicity and deformation remain largely the same as in the past several days. Later this week, weather permitting, field crews will get out to make visual observations. A time-lapse movie showing recent growth and collapse of the lava dome is posted on the USGS website.