Redoubt volcano, Alaska - 2009/03/26 Small+Major Explosion/eruption (with sound)

Video clip with audio of the eruptions/explosion of Redoubt volcano occurred on 2009/03/26 at 16:24 and 17:24 UTC. Footage is from the official Hut webcam. Playing speed is 80x realtime, sound is obtained from converted digital seismic traces of REF, RDN, RDT, DFR, NCT seismic stations. Lahars, pyroclastic flows and steaming from heated snow can be seen. Towards the end of this video (about minute 3:40) weather conditions start to clear up and the summit of the volcano becomes partially visible, revealing a column of gray ash.

Sound from RDN and REF stations has been denoised.
For audio spatiality, each station (channel) has been placed respectively, from the left to the right, in this order: NCT, RDN, DFR, REF, RDT. This partially reproduces their actual physical location.

Official statement from AVO regarding the start of these events:
"2009-03-26 08:56:56 - VAN/VONA
AVO is raising the aviation color code to Red and the alert level to Warning at Redoubt volcano. An explosive event beginning at roughly 08:34 AKDT has produced an eruption cloud to at least 30,000 ft. above sea level. The event continues."

Alaska Volcano Observatory website for updates:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• alaska
• redoubt
• volcano
• eruption
• explosion
• ash
• steam
• usgs
• avo
• alert
• level
• red
• earthquake
• sound
• webcam
• timelapse
• ref
• rdt
• nct
• rdn
• dfr

[festivephone]

is this eruption likely to be a vei 3 or 4? Ash column height of 65,000 plus feet maybe indicates vei 4 dosnt it?

[shirakawa2]

The VEI depends more on the total amount of ejected volcanic material than the height of the ash column, I think.

[evilwatermelon]

the eruptive column height is a matter of explosive power as well as atmospheric conditions.

[MyBrandtube]

shirakawa2 is right it depends on the total tephra of the ejecta and its power it is now on the high end of VEI 3 it is likley to be an VEI 4 if it blows its top at 20km or just over 70000 ft it is not likely to do more than that thou it would be cool.