|
|
December 1, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind. Small lahars could suddenly descend the Toutle River if triggered by heavy rain or by interaction of hot rocks with snow and ice. These lahars pose a negligible hazard below the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) but could pose a hazard along the river channel upstream.
- Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the southeast.
- Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.
***
- Recent observations: Clouds obscure the volcano this morning. Small periodic earthquakes at the volcano continue. Some seismic stations are operating only intermittently because of heavy snow and ice in the crater and on the upper parts of the volcano. The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington continue to monitor the situation closely and will issue additional updates and changes in alert level as warranted.
- *** This line included in daily update but excluded for rest of month on this page.
December 2, 2006:
- Current Volcano Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that low-level ash clouds rising just above the crater rim today would westward, and higher clouds would drift to the south southeast.
- Recent observations: Clear weather has returned to the Mount St. Helens area and the volcano is clearly visible today. A continous wispy steam plume was issuing from the eruption site this morning. A magnitude 3.4 earthquake occured beneath Mount St. Helens at 4:10 pm PST Friday. Small periodic earthquakes at the volcano continue, indicating that slow extrusion of new lava is continuing.
December 3, 2006:
- Current Volcano Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that low-level ash clouds rising just above the crater rim today would westward, and higher clouds would drift from northward to eastward.
- Recent observations: The weather is clear and windy today, and the volcano is clearly visible. A wispy steam plume was observed issuing from the eruption site this morning. Small periodic earthquakes at the volcano continue and indicate that slow extrusion of new lava continues.
December 4, 2006:
- Current Volcano Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward in the morning and north northeastward in the evening hours.
- Recent observations: The volcano is once again shrouded in clouds this morning. Time-lapse photos taken by cameras on the volcano this past weekend show that the extrusion of lava continues. The extrusion is accompanied by small periodic earthquakes.
December 5, 2006:
- Current Volcano Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift chiefly east-southeastward.
- Recent observations: This morning's view from a fixed camera at the crater mouth shows a modest vapor plume rising from the most active part of the growing lava dome. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months. We hope to get to the field this week to make visual and thermal observations and to visit several instument sites in order to assess effects of recent storms and to repair any damage.
December 6, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward early in the day to northeastward later in the day.
- Recent observations: The weather is clear at the volcano. Crews are in the field today to make visual observations and to assess effects of the recent storms on field instruments and make any necessary repairs. Seismicity and deformation have not changed in the past 24 hours; earthquakes in the M1.5-2.5 range continue to occur episodically amidst the background of smaller quakes and less frequent larger earthquakes in the M2.5-3.6 range. A larger magnitude earthquake occurred about 04:29 this morning. Recent views from remote cameras and monitoring data indicate that the lava spine continues to extrude.
December 7, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward at low altitudes and northeastward at higher altitudes.
- Recent observations: Crews are headed to the field today to continue yesterday's repair work on instrument sites, place a GPS spider on the growing lava dome, collect rock samples, conduct stream-channel surveys, and make observations. There has been no change in the level of activity over the past day.
December 8, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward.
- Recent observations: High winds and turbulence stymied yesterday's attempts to place a GPS spider on the growing lava dome and to collect a lava sample, but some instrument maintenance was accomplished. Conditions at the volcano remain unchanged as extrusion of the latest lava spine continues.
December 9, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward early in the day to northeastward later in the day.
- Recent observations: Lava dome extrusion continues accompanied by small periodic earthquakes and minor deformation in the crater. A new winter storm is rolling into the area making some webicorder records noisy.
December 10, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH: Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward early in the day to eastward late in the day.
- Recent observations: The lava dome continues to extrude accompanied by low levels of deformation and background seismicity, some intermediate sized earthquakes (M1.5 to 2.5) and occasional larger earthquakes (M2.5 to 3.5). A M3.2 earthquake occurred at the volcano about 5:55 pm yesterday evening. No significant changes in eruptive activity have been observed in the past 24 hours.
December 11, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.
- Recent observations: Streamflows in the crater are rising as a result of more than one inch of rain overnight, and storm noise is evident on several seismic stations. There has been no change in the level of activity in the recent past as slow lava extrusion continues.
December 12, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and eastward to east-southeastward later.
- Recent observations: The volcano remains shrouded in clouds. Data from seismic and deformation instruments show no change from recent trends suggesting that slow extrusion of lava continues.
December 13, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and eastward later.
- Recent observations: The ongoing winter storm is creating noise on some seismic stations and a few have suffered intermittent outages, but unaffected instruments indicate no change in eruptive conditions over the past day.
December 14, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and northeastward later.
- Recent observations: Stormy weather continues to obscure the volcano and affect data-transmission from some instruments. Typical, low levels of seismicity and ground deformation indicate continued slow extrusion of lava on the active part of the new lava dome.
December 15, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward.
- Recent observations: We lost communication with a few monitoring sites during last night's storm, but most survived and are transmitting data that show no significant changes in levels of seismicity or ground deformation. Hopefully improved weather conditions over the weekend will allow some glimpses of the growing lava dome from fixed cameras.
December 16, 2006:
December 17, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift south-southeast.
- Recent observations: The mountain is mostly clear this morning with an intermittent fringe of clouds at rim height. With the onset of fine weather most of the telemetry problems related to the intense winter storms of the past week are abating. Monitoring data show no change from recent trends suggesting that slow extrusion of lava continues.
December 18, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward at low altitudes and south-southeastward at higher altitudes early in the day and northward to northeastward later.
- Recent observations: We finally have a clear morning view from the Portland-Vancouver metro area and the volcano is displaying a white vapor plume that is rising several hundred meters above the crater rim. Such plumes result from warm, water-vapor-rich air rising from the growing lava dome on a clear, cold, still morning. There has been no change in eruptive conditions.
December 19, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift north-northea! st.
- Recent observations: The view from a fixed camera at the crater mouth shows clouds that partially obscure the mountain. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months. We hope to get to the field today to visit several instument sites for repair and maintenance.
December 20, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift north-northea! st.
- Recent observations: The view from a fixed camera at the crater mouth shows clouds that partially obscure the mountain. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months. Field crews were able to visit several instrument sites for repair and maintenance of equipment such as remote cameras and tiltmeters. A plume of condensed steam was visible above the crater rim of Mount St. Helens. Citizens and the media inquired about the plume via telephone and email inquiries for much of the afternoon yesterday. The plume results from condensation of warm moist air rising off the growing lava dome, and is visible from miles away when the air is cold and calm.
December 21, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southeast.
- Recent observations: Views from remote cameras near the crater are obscured by cloud this morning; however, conditions remain appropriate for development of steam condensation plumes, as observed by many earlier this week. Steam plumes result from condensation of warm moist air rising off the growing lava dome, and may be visible from many miles away. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months.
December 22, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the north at low levels and to the east-southeast at higher levels.
- Recent observations: Views from remote cameras show a snow-draped volcano this morning, with a small steam plume rising from the active lava dome. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months.
December 23, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift north-northeast early in the day and east-northeast later in the day.
- Recent observations: The view from a fixed camera at the crater mouth shows clouds obscuring the mountain. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months. There has been no change in eruptive conditions.
December 24, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift north from low altitude winds and east from high altitude winds early in the day and north-northeast later in the day.
- Recent observations: The view from a fixed camera at the crater mouth shows clouds that mostly obscure the mountain. Seismicity continues at rates typical of the past few months. There has been no change in the level of activity in the recent past as slow lava extrusion continues.
December 25, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeast.
- Recent observations: Inclement weather continues to produce clouds that obscure most of the volcano; fairly typical conditions for December, but perhaps bothersome for those hoping for a view of the mountain. Typical, low levels of seismicity and ground deformation indicate continued slow extrusion of lava on the active part of the new lava dome.
December 26, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-northeastward early in the day and northward to northeastward later.
- Recent observations: Readings from field instruments indicate that eruptive conditions remain unchanged. Heavy snow and icing conditions continue to create problems with some links in the radio and satellite telemetry systems. Repairs won't be possible until the weather improves.
December 27, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift east-southeastward early in the day and southeastward later.
- Recent observations: There have been no significant changes in eruptive conditions during the past day as indicated by seismic data. Stormy conditions preclude any observations from fixed cameras.
December 28, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift southward to southeastward early in the day and southward to south-southwestward later.
- Recent observations: The Johnston Ridge Observatory VolcanoCam reveals a clear crater with wisps of condensed steam from the growing lava dome and drifting snow blowing off the crater rim. If the wind calms down, we may see a white vapor plume rising above the crater as it did last week. The first earthquake since mid-December larger than magnitude 3 rattled the volcano just before 10:00 a.m. PST yesterday. Eruptive conditions remain unchanged.
December 29, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northward early in the day and northeastward later.
- Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning with little visible vapor emanating from the growing lava dome. Data from field instruments indicate no change in eruptive activity.
December 30, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift northeastward.
- Recent observations: MSH is clear this morning with a modest vapor plume. Data from monitoring instruments show no changes in eruptive activity.
December 31, 2006:
- Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH ; Aviation Color Code ORANGE :
- Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash.
- Wind forecasts show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward early in the day and southeastward later.
- Recent observations: A small vapor plume is rising off the lava dome today and drifting northeastward out of the mouth of the crater. The character of the seismicity accompanying continued lava extrusion remains unchanged.
|
|
