Augustine Volcano in Alaska Erupts

[MorganGrayson]

I thought this was cool. Uninhabited island, so one can just appreciate the magnitude of the force of nature without worrying about human casualities. Those take a little of the appreciation out of things for me.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A volcano on an uninhabited island erupted early Wednesday, spewing an ash plume about 5 miles into the sky.

The ash from Augustine Volcano was expected to steer clear of Anchorage, the state's most populous city nearly 200 miles to the northeast, meteorologists said.

"Fortunately, it's not going to Anchorage this time," said Bob Hopkins, in charge at the National Weather Service office in Anchorage.

Two explosions at 4:44 a.m indicated an eruption at the volcano, said geologist Jennifer Adleman of the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Satellite images and radar later confirmed the eruption, Hopkins said.

Residents on the Kenai Peninsula, east of the volcanic island, confirmed the eruption and reported seeing ash, Adleman said.

Air service in south-central Alaska, a main source of transportation, had not been disrupted by the ash cloud, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

A weather service flight advisory was issued for pilots for an area 20 miles east and west of the volcano and about 50 miles north.

The cloud, moving at about 20 mph, appeared to have low concentrations of ash, Hopkins said.

The few residents in the area were warned to reduce outdoor activity, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid outdoor exercise. They also were warned not to burn wood in stoves or fireplaces if the wood had volcanic ash on it.

The 4,134-foot volcano last erupted in 1986. Ash from a 7-mile-high column drifted over Anchorage and kept flights out of the skies over Cook Inlet.