Two researchers and their pilot were rescued Friday from a remote Alaska volcano after freezing rain left thick ice on their helicopter's blades.
Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said the rescue came at about 5 p.m. Friday. The three were caught in a freezing rainstorm Wednesday evening.
Pilot Sam Egli, United States Geological Survey geophysicist John Paskievitch, and University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcher Taryn Lopez were not injured.
They were attempting to monitor volcano equipment when "the weather moved in," Egli said. The work is part of an assignment to also repair permanent monitoring equipment on volcanoes in the area known as the Valley of 10,000 Smokes.
September 5, 2013 – Indonesia - A new eruption could be underway at the volcano. VSI raised the alert to 3 (Siaga, alert) on a scale of 1-4, following the observation of incandescent lava at the summit and glowing rockfalls on the eastern side into the Batuawang ravine. Strong degassing generates a plume rising up to 500 m. Satellite images show a hotspot at the summit as well. These observations suggest that new magma has been arriving at the summit where mild strombolian activity is taking place. If this activity increases, the occurrence of dangerous pyroclastic flows is a likely scenario, similar to what happened at Fuego volcano in Guatemala a few days ago. All news about: Karangetang volcano. –Volcano Discovery
September 5, 2013 – Indonesia - A new eruption could be underway at the volcano. VSI raised the alert to 3 (Siaga, alert) on a scale of 1-4, following the observation of incandescent lava at the summit and glowing rockfalls on the eastern side into the Batuawang ravine. Strong degassing generates a plume rising up to 500 m. Satellite images show a hotspot at the summit as well. These observations suggest that new magma has been arriving at the summit where mild strombolian activity is taking place. If this activity increases, the occurrence of dangerous pyroclastic flows is a likely scenario, similar to what happened at Fuego volcano in Guatemala a few days ago.
Kizimen (Kamchatka): No significant changes have occurred. The lava dome at the summit continues to grow and produce occasional small to moderate glowing avalanches. KVERT reports moderate seismic activity.
Shiveluch (Kamchatka): Activity has calmed down, but the lava dome remains active and continues to produce occasional small ash emissions such as this morning:
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): Strombolian to vulcanian-type explosions continue. An ash plume was spotted on satellite data this morning reaching 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude.
Dukono (Halmahera): A relatively strong explosion occurred this morning, producing an ash plume that rose to 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude, VAAC Darwin reported.
Veniaminof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Eruptive activity remains elevated. Strong continuous tremor suggests ongoing lava fountaining associated with lava flows and ash emissions. A plume of ash was reported to drift eastward at an altitude of 15,000 ft (4.5 km).
