High surf, small craft alerts lifted

The Emergency Management Office, in conjunction with the National Weather Service on Guam, announced that the high surf and small craft advisories that was in effect for weeks has been lifted.

The two agencies said surf reports from both Saipan and Guam indicate that surf heights have fallen below hazardous levels.

“Wave model guidance shows a steady decline in sea and surf heights for the next few days,” the agencies said.

EMO, however, said the public should still be cautious near the reef line since the potential for strong rip currents still exist.

Meanwhile, volcanic activities on Anatahan, an uninhabited island 120 miles north of Saipan, remain strong, based on the high level of seismicity, according to EMO and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The eruptions resumed after several days of lull, peaking at about 7am on Jan. 23. Since then, the explosions have decreased in size and rate but remains strong.

EMO and USGS also indicated that small lava flows and materials thrown out from the current eruption have filled the inner crater to nearly the level before the 2003 eruption, the first historical eruption on Anatahan after centuries of dormancy.

The third Anatahan eruption began on Jan. 5, with its magnitude fluctuating since then.

On Jan. 7, ash and pyrolastic rocks were observed by EMO personnel rising up to 10,000 feet. The explosions intensified and peaked on Jan. 9, occurring every three to 10 seconds.

The eruption appeared to stop twice between Jan. 15 and Jan. 19 before resuming at higher intensity. It ceased again until Jan. 22. At that time, ash from the eruption were carried over Saipan and Tinian by strong winds, resulting in EMO and the Department of Public Health issuing ashfall and haze advisories.

The volcano’s first eruption in May 2003 sent ash to over 30,000 feet and deposited about 10 million cubic meters of material over the island and sea. The eruption ceased in June 2003.

The second series of eruptions began on April 9, 2004 and ended on July 26, although visitors to the island three months later could still see very small amounts of steam and ash rising 100-200 ft above the crater rim and could smell sulfur dioxide near the crater.

Anatahan remains off-limits to the public, except for government and approved scientific missions, pursuant to a continuing emergency declaration by Gov. Juan N. Babauta.