Mt. Fitzherbert

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 northward for a small event or northeastward to eastward for a larger event.

Recent observations: A crew in the crater this morning reports that yesterday’s large rockfall came mostly from the north side of the growing spine (sometimes called “the fin”), and a smaller amount came from the south side. The rock avalanche resulting from the collapse on the north side flowed down the gully between the 1980-1986 dome and the east arm of the glacier, and partly across the east flank of the 1980-1986 dome. The associated dust cloud flowed farther northward and eastward, but did not extend much beyond the northeast flank of the 1980-1986 dome. Snowmelt from the hot avalanche percolated quickly into the remaining snow pack. Steam and a small amount of dust from the rockfall rose above the crater rim and left a thin deposit on the volcano’s upper northeast flank. Two monitoring instruments on the 1980-1986 dome were damaged by the event and will be replaced. Photos from remote cameras show that extrusion of the spine is continuing.