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 east-southeastward early in the day. Later in the day any ash clouds would drift southward at low altitudes and southeastward at higher altitudes.

Recent observations: No significant changes in patterns of earthquakes or ground deformation have occurred over the past day. Analysis of a digital elevation model made from photographs taken on December 15, 2005, shows that the volume of the new lava dome at that time was about 73 million cubic meters (95 million cubic yards). Previously we had estimated that the new dome probably surpassed the volume of the 1980-1986 lava dome (77 million cubic meters or 100 million cubic yards) by the end of 2005. But it looks like that milestone might not have been met until recently. A model to be made from photographs taken on February 8, 2006, will tell us in a few weeks.