Pavlov still producing explosions

PAVLOF VOLCANO-One of Alaska's most active volcanoes got more active Saturday, twice producing periods of explosions amid steady tremors, scientists said. The explosions Saturday morning on 8,262-foot Pavlof Volcano were "not terribly big, but distinct and recognizable" on seismic instruments, said Steve McNutt, a volcano seismologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Fairbanks.Based on past eruptions at the Alaska Peninsula volcano, the explosions might have shot ash clouds 3,000 feet above the volcano, McNutt said. Clouds prevented him from knowing for sure, he said.Several villages are near the volcano about 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, with King Cove's 800 residents the closest at 30 miles.

Significantly larger ash bursts would be needed to affect jets flying at 30,000 feet, McNutt said.
The explosions are caused by gas pressure in the volcano building until it blasts through a skin of lava, McNutt said. The steady tremors are probably lava stirring in the volcano.Eruptions at the volcano, which last erupted in 1996, began Wednesday. Scientists have upgraded the volcano's alert level from "advisory" to its current "watch" status and pushed the aviation alert code from yellow to orange.
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/9234558p-9150186c.html

As in the days of Noah...