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Story Last modified at 4:35 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2006
McGimsey is a volcanologist who works at the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory housed on the Alaska Pacific University campus in Anchorage. "Oh, my goodness, yes, this is what we live to see," McGimsey said. "This is our bread and butter. We study this. To see it actually happening is just so exciting." Perhaps that's a strange reaction to Mother Nature's venting process if you are a member of the general public who may be scrambling to purchase air filters for your car and face masks for members of your family should ash end up falling in your community. But not for McGimsey. He's on cloud nine. And for good reason. Members of the agency he worked for were able to "call it right." "It's always nice when you see increased seismic activity and you issue a warning that says you expect an eruption in the next hours to few days that what you predict is actually what happens," McGimsey said. "It gives us credibility and it sure makes us feel good when we called it right."
Five eruptions Jan. 13 alone made for a busy day for McGimsey, who answered the phone in the observatory operations room, monitored incoming information from a variety of sensors at the volcano, flew over the volcano in an attempt to measure airborne gases - and that's after two nearly sleepless days spent monitoring the volcano's activity as the USGS upped its code of concern from orange to red. "I'm tired, but that's OK," he said Jan. 13. According to the agency's Web site, USGS personnel noticed an increase in the number of daily earthquakes at Augustine starting in May 2005 and continuing into December 2005. For volcano experts, that's a sure sign new magma is accumulating beneath the summit. They also determined the earthquakes were occurring directly beneath the mountain's summit at depths close to sea level and, through the use of Global Positioning Systems instruments, detected a small uplift of the volcano. McGimsey said that's a precursor to an eruption. By mid-December, seismic instruments on the volcano were recording a number of small steam explosions and airborne gas measurements and thermal imaging measurements were showing an increase in the output of volcanic gas and heat at the volcano's summit. USGS scientists decided to deploy additional monitory equipment to give them a closer and more timely look at what Augustine was doing. Augustine's eruptions have also given the public an opportunity to see more of the inner workings of an agency and its observatory that operates most of the year with little fanfare despite the fact that much of Alaska is rimmed with volcanoes. The agency's Web site features hourly observation reports, a live Webcam and more than enough volcano facts to pique the public's interest as activity at Augustine and other Alaskan volcanoes is fed into the observatory's operations room, which underwent a major upgrade less than two years ago. Good timing. Augustine has been dominating Alaska news and has had several mentions in the national media. Though the upgrade allows them to put their best foot forward into the limelight, USGS officials also had to cope with television news crews taking over their cramped office space in the observatory. It's an exciting time, admited McGimsey. But he's more interested in what he and fellow volcanologists will learn from the data they are collecting. "Hopefully, we'll learn things from this eruption that will better guide us when the next one occurs," he said. In fact, he's still waiting for Augustine's big one this round. The eruptions so far this month are simply a matter of the volcano clearly its throat in anticipation, McGimsey said. But is he concerned for the safety of his hometown? No, not really. The potential for ashfall does exist, he said. But that depends on wind direction, which for the past week, hasn't been coming toward Anchorage. Should wind direction change, McGimsey said local residents will have a warning and some time to get ready - the length of which they have to prepare would of course depend on wind speed. He advises folks to listen to the news or check the AVO's Web site regularly for updated information and to take precautionary measures suggested by emergency preparedness personnel. For now, he's on a scientific high. "We are all on a buzz right now," McGimsey said. To learn more about the work of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, visit www.avo.alaska.edu. For tips on preventive measures before, during and after an ash fall, visit http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/todo.html. Reach the reporter at news@alaskastar.com. This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, January 26, 2006. |
